On the feasibility of Bluetooth, Zigbee and IEEE 802.15.4 technologies on board high speed trains

Abstract

This paper studies the feasibility of using low-power wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee in high-speed railway scenarios that involve bidirectional land-to-train communication. The presented results have been obtained through experimental tests conducted at the high-speed railway line connecting Madrid to Barcelona. A multiplatform communication system has been installed in a high-speed train, circulating at velocities up to 300 km/h, whereas autonomous devices have been disseminated along of the railway path to communicate with the onboard devices. The conclusions drawn from this work will be used as guidelines for the future implementation of autonomous communication platforms for high-speed rail connectivity.