Östgötatrafiken is taking an important step toward the digital railway of the future. By replacing a traditional “internet onboard” setup with an open ICT platform, its vehicles gain a shared infrastructure for a wide range of digital services — a solution that delivers control, operational agility, and reduced vendor lock-in.
Control Brings Freedom in the Digital Infrastructure
The starting point was a clear need: to establish structure and separation between data, hardware, and applications onboard. With Oxyfi’s platform, Östgötatrafiken gains full control over how digital services are deployed, how they interact, and which suppliers are involved.
“It is important for us to maintain control over technical systems and agility in their management. Decoupling the train from ICT solutions that are not required for operating the vehicle is therefore a central principle,”
says Albert Gunnarsson, System Integrator at Östgötatrafiken.
A key aspect of the solution is that the onboard ICT infrastructure is kept separate from train technology. This allows onboard IT to be maintained, developed, and replaced independently of the vehicle’s technical systems. The result is a digital foundation that is easy to maintain, flexible to adapt, and fully aligned with modern lifecycle management.
Open Structure Instead of Lock-In
Traditionally, each application has required its own computers, networks, routers, antennas, and SIM cards. The platform instead enables multiple services to share the same onboard ICT infrastructure. This places high demands on cyber security, integration, and separation — requirements that are now met.
By basing the solution on non-proprietary, railway-approved hardware, Östgötatrafiken can replace components and suppliers with minimal friction. This significantly reduces the risk of vendor lock-in — even Oxyfi can, if desired, be replaced without affecting the entire infrastructure.
Examples of Onboard Use
The platform already supports several key services:
- Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) – receives WWAN connectivity, local network (LAN), and vehicle data such as travel direction, door status, GPS position, and next station via an MQTT broker
- Ticket validation – fast WWAN connectivity and full LAN coverage throughout the vehicle
- Infotainment – information screens are controlled by containerised software running directly on the platform, while existing legacy screens remain in use
- Passenger Wi-Fi – a native application on the platform, developed by Oxyfi
- Real-time services – GPS positions are streamed every second, tagged with Vehicle-ID and Train-number, to multiple recipients for traffic monitoring, disruption information, and station displays
What is unique is that these services — each from different suppliers — run within a tightly structured and segregated IT environment. This allows Östgötatrafiken to replace individual components without disrupting the whole.
Enabling New Ways of Working
Digitalisation also transforms roles and processes. Historically, most information handling fell to the train driver, but today many roles — from traffic control to maintenance — require direct access to systems and vehicle data.
“It is often people outside the train who need access to systems to handle maintenance and information flows. The technical systems therefore cannot be locked inside the vehicle. Connected devices and digital twins are now a must for delivering high-quality operations and passenger information. I sometimes use the terms ‘drone pilot’ and ‘remote operator’ to describe the many roles that remotely monitor functions and generate information about the vehicle,”
says Albert Gunnarsson, System Integrator at Östgötatrafiken.
The platform makes it possible to work remotely with real-time data, digital twins, and remote monitoring. Staff can manage large parts of the fleet from any location, while the driver can focus fully on safe operation.
Efficiency and Future-Proofing
With this upgrade, Östgötatrafiken gains a unified ICT architecture that works regardless of existing differences in onboard hardware. This delivers a digital infrastructure that is:
- Easy to manage – open solutions and crisp interfaces streamline operations and maintenance
- Flexible to evolve – new services can be rolled out without costly rebuilds
- Cost-effective – shared resources and replaceable, non-proprietary hardware reduce lifecycle costs
Östgötatrafiken is thus laying a solid foundation for future digital services — benefiting both passengers and operations — and setting a clear direction for a sector in urgent need of modernisation.