Motion Applied has been selected as preferred supplier by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) to equip regional trains with passenger connectivity, marking the company’s first contract win in the Asia-Pacific region.
The win puts Motion Applied’s Connected Intelligence portfolio to work on one of the largest rail networks in APAC, combining proven motorsport-derived engineering with intelligent connectivity technologies designed for demanding transport environments.
The contract
Motion Applied was chosen ahead of competitors Icomera and Nomad Digital to fit out TfNSW’s XPT fleet (77 cars) and XPL fleet (23 cars) with connectivity hardware. The trains run between regional centres across New South Wales, including Newcastle, Dubbo and Armidale, as well as interstate routes to Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.
Each car will be fitted with Motion Applied’s EDGE Rail active antennas, drawing on Starlink LEO satellite connectivity and Fleet Connect technology to deliver passenger Wi-Fi across some of Australia’s longest regional and interstate rail corridors.
The programme begins with a 14-car proof of concept, followed by two further contracts to roll out connectivity across the remaining XPL and XPT fleet. The initial operations contract runs for three years.
Why it matters
This is Motion Applied’s first contract in Australia, and its first with one of the largest rail operators in APAC. It extends a track record built in the UK and Europe, most recently with GWR’s Superfast Wi-Fi trial, into a new region and a new type of operating environment: long-distance regional and interstate rail, where reliable connectivity depends on covering vast, often remote, distances.
Connected Intelligence brings together Motion Applied’s rail connectivity hardware, software and network orchestration capabilities to help operators keep passengers and onboard systems connected in challenging environments. Fleet Connect™ is the software layer that manages how data moves between the train and the outside world. Rather than relying on a single mobile network, it intelligently combines available connections, including terrestrial 4G/5G and low earth orbit satellite, then routes data through the strongest available path in real time.
For long-distance Australian routes, that capability is especially important. Regional and interstate services can travel through vast areas where population coverage does not always translate into continuous trackside connectivity. By combining EDGE Rail active antennas with Fleet Connect’s intelligent orchestration, Motion Applied can help reduce the impact of connectivity “dead zones”, improve resilience across remote sections of route and provide a scalable platform for future digital services.
Moin Majid, Head of Sales APAC at Motion Applied, said
This contract is a significant milestone for Motion Applied in APAC. Australia’s regional rail environment is exactly where our technology can make a meaningful difference, combining terrestrial and satellite connectivity to keep passengers connected across long and challenging routes. We’re proud to support TfNSW as it looks to deliver a better onboard digital experience for regional and interstate passengers.
What’s next
Deployment begins with the proof-of-concept phase, ahead of the wider fleet rollout across XPL and XPT cars. We’ll share updates as the programme progresses.
