Mobility as a Service (MaaS) aims to provide travelers with more sustainable and cost-efficient alternatives to privately-owned transport without compromising convenience. Leading this movement is RATP Group, the French public transport operator, which prioritizes user-centric services by offering customized mobility solutions.

ORLYVAL Service SA, a RATP subsidiary, has introduced an innovative feature on its shuttles traveling to and from Paris-Orly airport. Passengers can now access real-time information displayed on smart LCD windows, including departing flight details, weather forecasts for destination cities, and other relevant updates. The information is dynamically tailored to the shuttle’s travel direction, and important announcements are broadcast to keep passengers informed throughout their journey. This cutting-edge technology will be installed on seven more trains by the end of the year.

To support communication for these innovative LCD systems, an internet connection was essential. However, space constraints—common in refurbishment projects—meant only a highly compact Ethernet switch could be used. The device also needed to endure the harsh onboard train environment, characterized by constant vibration, humidity, and electrical interference.

ORLYVAL Service turned to Westermo, leveraging their established relationship for reliable industrial data communication technology. They selected the Viper-212-T5G-P8, a compact routing switch specially designed for the challenges of onboard train applications.

With dimensions of just 178 mm x 110 mm x 100 mm, the Viper switch fit seamlessly into the shuttle’s confined space. Its Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports efficiently powered connected devices, and its Gigabit ports provided the necessary high bandwidth. The network design and configuration were streamlined by Westermo’s ‘Made Easy’ concept, ensuring the switches’ operating system was intuitive and easy to manage.

For us, choosing Westermo was a guarantee that we had a product that met the requirements of railway equipment. We are grateful for their professionalism, which contributed to the success of this project,

said Lionel LE FESSANT, Sales and Quality Director, ORLYVAL Service.

“Providing journey information to passengers as part of MaaS relies on robust and resilient data networks,” explained Fabian Vandendyck, Westermo’s sales manager for train networks. “Westermo Viper switches are ideally suited for these onboard transport applications, able to fit into the confined spaces presented by refurbishment projects and providing reliable performance in the difficult environment.”

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