Airspan, Druid and Boldyn Drive Railway Digital Transformation with Private 5G

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Private 5G continues to move beyond pilots and proofs of concept, with the railway sector emerging as one of the most compelling verticals. A recent collaboration between Airspan Networks and Druid Software highlights how private networks are now being deployed at scale to support real operational use cases in rail environments.

At the centre of this development is a major European railway deployment, delivered in partnership with Boldyn Networks, following its acquisition of Smart Mobile Labs. The project brings together Airspan’s Open RAN-based radio solutions and Druid’s Raemis 5G core platform to provide a fully standalone private 5G network tailored for railway operations.

What makes this deployment particularly interesting is its focus on maintenance and operational facilities rather than passenger connectivity. The network spans a wide range of environments, from smaller workshops to large-scale depots, demonstrating the flexibility of private 5G in adapting to different industrial settings.

The use cases enabled by the network reflect the broader shift towards digital rail infrastructure. Augmented reality tools are being used to support maintenance workflows, allowing engineers to access real-time guidance and remote expertise. At the same time, the integration of operational technology systems enables continuous monitoring and control of critical railway assets, improving both efficiency and safety. High-capacity connectivity also supports real-time communication with trains, ensuring that data flows seamlessly across both stationary and moving assets.

This deployment aligns closely with a separate but related development involving Deutsche Bahn. Through a framework agreement with Smart Mobile Labs, now part of Boldyn, private 5G campus networks are being rolled out across maintenance depots, train formation facilities and logistics sites. These networks make use of locally licensed spectrum in the 3.7 to 3.8 GHz band and are designed as standalone 5G systems with capabilities such as network slicing and support for industrial devices.

Taken together, these developments point to a maturing ecosystem for private 5G in rail. Vendors such as Airspan and Druid are providing modular, interoperable technology stacks, while system integrators like Boldyn are taking on the role of delivering and operating end-to-end solutions. The railway operators, in turn, are moving beyond experimentation and embedding connectivity into core operational processes.

Railways present a particularly strong fit for private 5G. They require high reliability, predictable performance, and secure communications across geographically distributed and operationally complex environments. Traditional public networks often struggle to meet these requirements consistently, especially in depots and industrial zones. Private 5G addresses this by offering dedicated spectrum, local control, and the ability to tailor the network to specific operational needs.

What is also notable is the emphasis on standalone 5G architecture. By avoiding reliance on public network cores, these deployments can deliver the low latency, resilience and deterministic performance required for mission critical use cases. This is particularly important as rail operators begin to explore more advanced applications such as automation, predictive maintenance and eventually autonomous operations.

The involvement of Open RAN in this deployment is another important signal. It suggests that private 5G in industrial sectors may become a key driver for Open RAN adoption, where flexibility, vendor diversity and cost efficiency are often more important than legacy integration constraints.

Overall, this collaboration between Airspan, Druid and Boldyn provides a clear example of how private 5G is transitioning from concept to operational reality in the railway sector. It also reinforces a broader trend where transport infrastructure is becoming increasingly digitised, data driven and dependent on high performance connectivity.

As more railway operators follow this path, private 5G is likely to become a foundational layer for the next generation of smart rail systems, supporting everything from maintenance and logistics to real-time operations and future automation.

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