Huawei’s Rail Digitalization: ECRL Malaysia & Astana LRT Insights

Introduction

At Huawei Connect 2025, the company highlighted its role in the digitalization of the rail and logistics sectors, showcasing deployments such as the Malaysia’s ECRL and the Astana Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in Kazakhstan.

Signals from Huawei

Huawei’s rail session introduced Intelligent Scheduling of Train Operation and Urban Rail Smart Station solutions, focusing on the integration of sensing, decision-making, and execution. The Malaysia’s ECRL deployment was highlighted, featuring a minimum 2 Mbit/s cell‑edge bandwidth and sub‑two‑second emergency call setup, supporting broadband train control and IoT services. China’s 12306 ticketing platform, handling over four billion trips annually, was presented, integrating asynchronous queuing, distributed in‑memory computing, AI‑enabled e‑ticketing, virtual assistants, and an R‑MaaS platform. The strategic message was “Go Broadband, Go Cloud, Go Intelligence,” supported by a partnership program with six partners. These solutions aim to increase capacity and revenue as passenger numbers and freight volumes increase.

Urban rail: digital backbone for Astana’s LRT

Huawei’s involvement in the Astana Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in Kazakhstan was another demonstration of connected rail technology. The company provides a full-stack digital solution, including cloud-based control systems, AI-powered analytics, and integrated communications. This Smart Urban Rail Solution centralizes operational data to improve service reliability, enabling real-time coordination between signaling, passenger information, and communications subsystems. The project includes cybersecurity and data governance frameworks.

Sector outlook

The rail industry is under pressure to modernize, with digitalization seen as a key factor for improving performance and sustainability. Huawei’s contributions at Connect 2025 suggest cloud technologies will be central to this transformation, from ticketing and passenger experience to urban mobility and freight logistics. The focus is expected to shift from pilot projects to full-scale integration, raising questions about governance, interoperability, and long-term value. Huawei’s growing presence in rail reflects a convergence between IT and transport infrastructure.

Conclusion

Huawei Connect 2025 showcased the application of cloud-native technologies in rail and logistics, with deployments like the ECRL in Malaysia and the LRT project in Astana, Kazakhstan, demonstrating the company’s role in transport digitalization. The event highlighted solutions for improving operations and increasing capacity in the rail sector.

Company Summary

Huawei: A telecommunications infrastructure company with a growing presence in the rail sector, offering digital solutions including cloud-based control systems, AI-powered analytics, and integrated communications.