Enhancing Mobile Communication on Railways: Impact of Train Window Size and Coating

Abstract

Train travel is a crucial component of modern transportation systems. To ensure seamless wireless connectivity for passengers’ communication and entertainment needs within train cabins, we present a comprehensive investigation of vehicle penetration loss reduction methods, centering on a comparative analysis of different train configurations and the influence of window dimensions. The analysis entails signal repeaters and window modifications across different train models. Additionally, we investigate how structural variations in train design impact signal propagation, particularly emphasizing the correlation between window size and signal loss. Ongoing industry development efforts are directed towards enhancing window patterns. However, an improvement cannot be discerned solely through measuring orthogonal penetration loss, as there exists an angular dependency. Therefore, measurements in the integrated cabin of a moving train become essential. Drawing from extensive real-world measurement campaigns across diverse train types and cabin layouts, our comparative assessment of vehicle penetration loss reduction solutions and their correlation with train configurations, window modifications, and window sizes contributes to advancements in wireless communication technology within train cabins. We show that advancements in window pattern modification alone are insufficient for enhancing indoor coverage, thus emphasizing the importance of leveraging larger window areas for substantial improvement.