Colibri: Digital Intelligence on Rolling Stock – Enabled by the X-Plecs®-TOP AMR 2×2 to 8×8 MIMO Roof Antenna

Rail transport in Germany is set to play an even greater role in the future. Travelling by train is comfortable, fast and environmentally friendly and digitalisation is a key prerequisite for making rail a reliable, high-performance mode of transport. This transformation does not only affect signalling and interlockings; the vehicles themselves are becoming significantly smarter.

 

Colibri — Digital Intelligence on Board

Within Deutsche Bahn, the DB Vehicle Maintenance division plays a crucial role in advancing digitalisation. Its depots do more than repair and overhaul rolling stock they modernise it.

With Colibri (Coach Link for Broadband Information Exchange), DB Vehicle Maintenance provides a flexible and scalable platform for fleet digitalisation, increasing comfort, safety, reliability and efficiency. Colibri is used not only in Deutsche Bahn locomotives, coaches and multiple units, but also in vehicles operated by other railway companies.

 

Requirement: A Compact High-Performance Antenna for Harsh Railway Conditions

The antenna requirements were demanding. A cross-polarised 5G MIMO railway antenna was needed to reliably transmit multiple data streams while meeting strict operational criteria:

  • Dual-polarised roof antennas to support high throughput using different signal polarisations
  • A MIMO-capable multiband antenna with high gain for 5G, LTE, GSM, WLAN and GNSS
  • Robust, maintenance-free railway-grade design capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions
  • Very compact dimensions due to restricted installation space — especially on double-deck coaches
  • Maximum height limited to 50–80 mm, width limited to 120 mm, to comply with structure gauge clearance

Double-deck vehicles feature fully curved roof surfaces, requiring antennas that can be mounted securely with minimal footprint.