Introduction

To make trains safer and more efficient, European rail operators are prioritizing Remote Train Operation (RTO), a key research area for future autonomous operations. This EU-funded FP2-R2DATO project aims for GoA4-level automation by 2030.

Mission-critical security, low-latency train-to-ground (T2G) communication, and unified virtualized onboard computing are essential technical elements for the program. A leading EU train builder selected Moxa to provide the networking and computing technologies, positioning Moxa as a key partner in Europe’s journey towards full automation.

System Requirements

Considering customer goals and the Europe’s Rail FP2-R2DATO framework, the RTO architecture needed a technical foundation that allows for:

• Mission-critical, low-latency T2G communications
  A highly reliable communication layer capable of using 5G and Wi-Fi 6 to transmit mission-critical videos, telemetry, and control commands for remote train operations
• Virtualized onboard computing for multiple applications
  A secure platform that consolidates multiple essential applications on a single host through virtualization, reducing hardware complexity and improving manageability.
• Dedicated real-time video processing and streaming
  A video processing platform supported by dedicated hardware to ensure low screen-to-screen latency, crucial for achieving a remote operation quality similar to local driving, from capture to transmission.
• Cyber-resilience and safety compliance
  An architecture that can withstand cyberthreats, aligned with Europe's rail cybersecurity expectations and supporting ATO/CBTC-compatible communication practices.

Source:

• Europe’s Rail Flagship Project 2 - Rail to Digital automated up to autonomous train operation, CORDIS, European Commission, 2022-12-21
• Europe’s Rail FP2 R2DATO brings you the next generation digital and automated railways, Europe’s Rail, 2023-06-30
• Remote Train Operation: A Step Towards Autonomous Trains, CAF

Moxa Solution

Moxa delivered an efficient, secure, and streamlined onboard core for the RTO architecture, achieving significant system consolidation:

1. High-performance virtualization core and customized gateway integration

Customized secure gateway software powers a customized T2G secure computing platform. This feature drastically reduced the hardware footprint and maintenance complexity.

• Customized secure gateway software development: Contributing to the development of secure gateway software with integrated switching, routing, firewall, and virtual machine management capabilities.
• Maximum system consolidation: Enabling multi-application (e.g., high-load NVR/CCTV processing, IDS/IPS, OS) integration on a single host.

Customized T2G Secure Computing Platform​

​

2. Cyber-resilient T2G networks and backbones

The architecture ensured low-latency, mission-critical train-to-ground (T2G) communication by combining hardware with advanced connectivity features to support remote train operations.

• The computing platform support simultaneous 5G and Wi-Fi 6 links for stable, high-speed T2G communication, crucial for real-time remote train operations.
• The network backbone uses high-resilience, high-port-density Ethernet switches to form a secure redundant backbone. These switches enable the segmentation of critical and non-critical systems and are IEC 62443-4-2 SL2 certified, ensuring a robust security foundation for compliance with Europe’s strict NIS2/CRA security standards.

Secure, Virtualized Architecture for Flagship RTO

Why Moxa

Moxa was selected as a strategic partner because of its highly integrated, cyber-resilient solution tailored for the demanding RTO environment. Its value proposition centered on:

• Verifiable security assurance
  The network backbone switch, formally certified to IEC 62443-4-2 SL2, provided a robust and verifiable security foundation. This compliance greatly reduced project risk and met strict EU laws.
• Strategic partnership and custom software capability
  With more than 15 years of proven EU rail project reliability, Moxa’s engineering supported provided complex, customized, secure gateway software, ensuring a solution perfectly suited to the client’s needs.
• Expert consolidation for cost and complexity reduction
  Moxa used virtualization to replace a costly multi-device setup with a single, powerful computing core, shrinking the hardware footprint and cutting the overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).