One single connection for business, with over 60 European railway partners from 28 countries



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Network access

With flexible access options, the Hermes VPN can accomodate any business need, from entry level to heavy use.

Proactive support

Hit Rail's proactive support ensures your applications stay connected and evolve together with your partners'.

Join Hermes

Get in contact with Hit Rail, together we will find the best and most cost-effective solution for your business case.

The Hermes VPN

The Hermes VPN has become the trusted and cost-effective connectivity solution for European international railway applications.

Over 60 railway companies from 28 countries use the VPN for their cross-border, business-critical applications.

Becoming a member of the Hermes VPN community opens up opportunities to use specific applications and conduct e-business with multiple railway partners. These include passenger reservations - using UIC or proprietary protocols - freight pre-advice and consignment notes, train running and status, wagon search and many other multi-lateral and bi-lateral applications.

A solid telecoms foundation

The Hermes VPN has supported secure international railway connectivity for more than 30 years, and is currently integrating MPLS, IPsec tunnelling over the Internet and cloud connectivity solutions.

The Hermes VPN has been constantly evolving, to offer its users the benefits of the very latest technologies. Hermes VPN partners can access the network using Ethernet links, dedicated lines, IPsec tunnels over the Internet or private cloud connections.

The connectivity service, reaching up to the railway’s local firewall, including the necessary access links and possible local equipment, is provided by Hit Rail.

Hermes VPN benefits

  • Secure. The Hermes VPN is a trusted environment, supported by the very latest security technology. Each member controls access to the network using its own firewall; only valid source and destination addresses are accepted.
  • Flexible. A wide range of connection types and speeds are supported.
  • Service Level Targets. The Hermes VPN will meet - and wherever possible, exceed - contracted Service Level Agreements and performance criteria.
  • Open. The technology is based on TCP/IP protocols that allow access to any member with standard networking infrastructure.
  • Not-for-profit. As a not-for-profit organisation, Hit Rail reviews its prices in agreement with its customers, aiming to only cover its operational costs.
  • Cost-effective. The solution is price competitive for any-to-any partner communications, compared to multiple point-to-point links.

A collaborative framework

All Hermes VPN-related specifications and activities are coordinated by the Groupe de Projet Hermes (GPH), a technical forum open to Hit Rail’s customers that brings together representatives from connected partners at regular meetings. It keeps members informed of railway application developments and trends in data communications and cloud technologies.