Workshop “Aerial technologies as Alternative Bearers for railway”

Post published:March 24, 2022
Post category:Events

On March 21, 2022, the AB4Rail Scientific team organized the workshop “Aerial technologies as Alternative Bearers for railway” aimed at providing: (i.) The dissemination of the 1st-year results of the AB4Rail project; (ii.) project updates and next steps; (iii.) opportunities and challenges provided by new satellite technologies (e.g., LEO) for the transport sector with particular focus on rail.
After the welcome to the workshop of Prof. Alessandro Neri (Radiolabs), Prof. Romeo Giuliano (Guglielmo Marconi University), Enrico Spinelli (European Space Agency, ESA), Lea Paties (EU-Rail), and Ulrich Geier (X2Rail/Kontron) introduced the first activities of the latest EU-Rail program and its synergies with the AB4Rail project.
To conclude the first part of the workshop, Prof. Franco Mazzenga (Radiolabs) introduced an overview of the achieved results of the AB4Rail project and of the next planned activities for 2022.The technical session (second part of the workshop) started with Enrico Spinelli and Maria Guta (ESA) who presented the most important findings of the 5G and satellite program for railways.
Antonio Ceccarelli (Telespazio) highlighted the most important opportunities of satellites for rail. Vincenzo Schena and Alessia Miglietta (Thales Alenia Space, TAS) underlined the requirements in terms of resilience and robustness for satellite technologies, citing the main projects and initiatives carried out by TAS.
Diego Lopez Garcia (Hispasat) presented the hybrid solutions between terrestrial and satellite networks, while Steven Tompkins (Inmarsat) highlighted the role of satellites for connected trains (including autonomous ones) and the monitoring of railway infrastructures.
Francesco Rispoli (Radiolabs), as round table moderator, stimulated the debate on how to create synergies between the satellite and railway communities.
All involved stakeholders agreed on the need to have more initiatives and events like AB4Rail project to improve cooperation and business opportunities.