Automated People Mover in Oakland
In Oakland, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area, city planners implemented a forward-looking project: on the 5.1 km route between the international airport and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), an Automated People Mover (driverless train) has been transporting people safely and on time from Oakland International Airport to the Coliseum Station since November 2014. The vehicles were supplied by Doppelmayr Cable Car GmbH & Co KG. The planning and implementation of the complex LAN, WLAN, and firewall infrastructure was led by Wireless.Consulting GmbH.
Challenge
As part of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System, this local transit system connects the Oakland International Airport with the Coliseum Station, a major transport hub. In cooperation with the construction consortium, a 5.1 km automated system was implemented by Doppelmayr Cable Car GmbH & Co KG (DCC). The Automated People Mover closed a critical gap in the Bay Area public transport system, carrying up to 1,500 people per hour per direction at a maximum speed of 50 km/h (14 m/s).
The system consists of four trains with three cars each. Autonomous passenger transport requires strict safety standards, which had to be fully incorporated in the planning and implementation of the entire network infrastructure.
Solution
The DCC system was selected for its proven, simple technology, cost efficiency, environmental compatibility, and reliable fourfold redundant iWLAN infrastructure, combined with a homogeneous Siemens Scalance network setup.
With the expertise of Wireless.Consulting GmbH, extremely high availability of data communication was ensured. In addition to the highest-priority control data, additional applications such as VoIP, public safety (video transmission), and a Passenger Information System were transmitted from the trains to a central control station.
