Rail industry benefiting from Huawei Intelligent railway solution

This week, Huawei unveiled its latest IT solutions for the rail industry at the Asia Pacific Rail conference, which attracted over 600 international and regional rail industry players.

Ma Yue, Vice President of Huawei and CEO of Smart Transportation BU, highlighted the convergence of digital technologies in the rail industry: "The key to smart transportation is to deeply integrate digital technologies into different scenarios based on actual requirements. There are three key trends in rail transportation: cloud and AI will accelerate rail intelligence; next-generation connectivity will build a solid foundation for rail intelligence; and railways will be integrated into multimodal transportation, making Mobility as a Service (MaaS) a reality."

Huawei’s focus on digital infrastructure was evident in the release of the Smart Urban Rail All-Optical Network Technical White Paper. This document details the use of advanced F5G OTN technology to build high-quality optical communication networks for urban rail, utilising an innovative grey and coloured light transmission solution.

Harnessing Cloud and AI for Rail Intelligence

Nicholas Ma, President of Huawei Asia Pacific Enterprise Sales, emphasized Huawei’s commitment to leveraging ICT infrastructure and technology for the railway industry’s transformation: "Huawei is committed to accelerating digital and intelligent transformation in the railway industry. Our focus is not only on ICT infrastructure and technology but also on the people we serve. We aim to support our customers in enhancing the passenger experience through seamless ticketing, improved comfort, and real-time information together with our partners."

Pang Yeow Wei, Vice President and Head of the Engineering Division (Downtown Line) at SBS Transit Ltd, shared insights on AI integration: "While AI is a powerful enabler for this approach, SBS Transit is guided by the philosophy and strategy that AI is not here to replace us but to augment and empower us. By automating routine tasks and providing valuable insights, AI frees us up to focus on the creative, high-touch, and high-value work that makes us human."

Innovative Data Solutions and Connectivity

Andy Pang, Senior Data and Cloud Manager at MTR Corporation Limited discussed the significance of data infrastructure: "MTR's Hybrid Rail-Cloud data infrastructure is essential for implementing a Smart Railway Commander Platform, providing real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, and data-driven decision support. This data intelligence framework serves as a model for enhancing operations and maintenance through Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics."

Huawei showcased a range of cutting-edge technologies, including the Smart Railway Perimeter Protection Solution. This solution utilises multi-dimensional sensing, multi-technology convergence, and AI to protect railway assets, ensuring near-zero missed alarms, extra-low false alarms, and a 50% increase in inspection efficiency.

Huawei’s advancements extend beyond individual products. The company has served over 150,000 km of railways and more than 300 urban rail lines across 70+ cities globally. These solutions encompass urban rail cloud, smart passenger transport solutions, smart Operations and Maintenance (O&M), and railway perimeter detection.