DG8,Icomera’sdedicateddesignandengineeringdivision,deliveredaturnkeysolutionfor NetworkRailaspartofaprojecttoconverttwoBritishRailClass153“Sprinters”into VisualInspectionUnits(VIUs).
Initsroleasleadsupplier,DG8oversawtheinstallationdesignandengineering,approvals (RIS-2700-RST),materialsupplyandinstallationwork.
TheUrgentNeedtoAddressTwoKey Challenges
ReduceRiskstoRailwayStaff
Issuessurroundingtrackworkersafetyaretreatedwith utmostprioritybyNetworkRail-theownerandinfrastructure managerofmostoftheBritishrailwaynetwork.
Currently,NetworkRailemployeesspendhundredsof thousandsofhoursontrackforswitch&crossing(S&C) inspections.However,switchesandcrossingsarethehighest riskassetintrackengineering.NetworkRailstandards requireS&Cinspectionstobecarriedoutuptoweeklyin someareas.Thisissometimesdoneduringtheday(causing disruptiontopassengerandfreightservices)butmoreoften donemanuallyatnightbyatrackengineerwhowalksalong thetrackduringapossessionandlooksattheassetusing justatorch.
ManualS&Cinspectionsbringriskstoengineeringteams. Followingseveralseriousincidents,NetworkRailsoughta proof-of-conceptwhichwoulddemonstrateaviable alternativetoon-footvisualinspections,meaningthatsome inspectionscouldbedivertedtothesafetyofanoffice.
ImproveNetworkInfrastructureManagement
Byguidingtrainsfromonetracktoanother,switchesand crossingsplayanintegralroleinthelifeoftherailway.
However,theyareverypronetowearandtearbecausetrains frequentlytraveloverthem,meaningthattheyneedtobe
monitoredandreplacedregularly.With20,000milesoftrack forNetworkRailtomaintain,that’squiteajobforitsstaffto domanuallyoutonfoot!
Everyyear,severallow-speedtrainderailmentsoccuronthe networkduetoissuesinwhichS&Careatfault.These derailmentscausesignificantdisruption¹;andtheyalso requirelargenumbersofengineeringstafftobe (re)allocatedtohelpresolvetheproblem,whichincursits ownstaffsafetyrisks,inadditiontocostandlogistical issues.
NetworkRailwerethereforekeentoimplementasolution whichwouldhelptoaccuratelydeterminethelocationofany issuesalongthetrackandensurearesilientandreliable “PredictandPrevent”maintenancestrategy.Ifsuccessful, theywouldimproveoperationalefficiencyonthenetwork, ultimatelyhelpingofferthetravellingpublicamorereliable service,whilemaintainingthenetworkatalowercost.
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¹https://railinsider.co.uk/2020/02/01/derailed-freight-train-at-eastleigh-causes-ongoing-disruption/ Switches&CrossingsAretheHighestRiskAssetinTrackEngineering
AbouttheProject
DG8’sRoleasLeadTurnkeySupplier
Giventhepressingneedtoaddressthesetwochallenges, NetworkRailsoughtatrain-basedsolutioncapableof performingautomatedraillineinspection,whichitcould commencetestinginunderoneyear.Amulti-company projectteamwasformedtodesignandbuildaswiftsolution.
DG8,Icomera’sdesignandengineeringdivision,was assignedastheleadsupplier,responsiblefordeliveringa turnkeyserviceforNetworkRailinwhichitwouldoverseeall aspectsofprojectmanagement,design,andinstallation.
willplayasignificantimpactinsupportingthetransport industry’soverarchinggoalsofsustainabilityandcostefficiency.It’sinterestingtonotethatretrofittingnewand advancingtechnologiesaccountsforatleast60%ofDG8’s activeprojectsatanygiventime.
However,(re)designinganddeliveringonboardequipment andsystemsonolderrollingstockbringsitsownsetof challenges,theprincipalofwhichare(1)thelimitedavailable spaceand(2)theneedforintegrationforexistingonboard systems.
SupportingComplexDigitalOnboardSolutions
ToachievetheprojectgoalssetoutbyNetworkRail,theunit conversionoftheCl153swasbasedaroundintegratingthree complexdigitalsolutions:
1.Atrackconditionandgeometrymonitoringsystem enablingnon-contactmeasurementofrailroadtrack
2.Acamerasystemrecordingimagesofthetrackand uploadingthefootagebacktoNetworkRail’sVideo ManagementSystem(VMS)
3.Apositioningsystemthataccuratelytagsthedatafrom theothersystemswiththelocationonthenetwork DG8workedcollaborativelywiththeindustry-leading solutionprovidersinvolvedtoaccommodatetheir requirementsthroughintelligent,space-efficientdesign bothtothevehicleexteriorandinterior.
NetworkRailinitiallyselectedtworetiredCl153units,whichit hadleasedfromPorterbrook,tobeconvertedintoVisual InspectionUnits(VIUs)fortheproject.Aswellasbeingeasy todrive/maintainandreliabletooperate,NetworkRail’s selectionofolderrollingstocksuchastheCl153smade perfectsensegiventheiravailability,andthetighttimescale beingworkedto.
Furthermore,overthelonger-term,beingabletoextendand enhancethelifeofolderrollingtrainstocksuchastheCl153s
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Re-engineeringOlderRollingStocktoBringBenefits
LineScanCamerasAreInstalledUnderneaththeTrain
Project Management
Design Engineering
Approvals
Material Supply Installation
TheVIUconversionunitshaveeachbeenequippedwith elevencameraswhichcanrecordthousandsofhighresolutionimagesathighspeed(eightatthefront,one underneath,andtwoattheback).Mountedapproximately 20cmabovetherail,thecamerascaptureanareaofupto 40cmwide,deliveringhigh-fidelityimages.Sincetheimage resolutionisgoodenoughtoinspect(forexample)an individualbolt,S&Ccheckscanbeperformedremotelybased ondatareceivedfromtheVIUs.
AnInnovativeHybridPowerSolution
Thetrainsystemsrequiredahybridpowersourcewithmultimodecontrolstosupportrecordingwhileinservice,and post-processingwhileinsidings.DG8’ssolutionwasto installaninternalgeneratorandsupportinglithiumbatteries workingintandem.
Adistinctionwasdrawnbetweenthecritical(“essential”)and non-critical(“secondary”)onboardsystems.Thegenerator powersboththe“essential”and“secondary”circuitswhilethe trainisrunning–Butwhenthetrainisshutdownattheend ofashift,thegeneratorclosesdownandsomeservices(e.g. non-essentiallighting)areswitchedoff,whilethecritical systemscontinuetoreceiveconstantpowerviathelithium batteries.
Thelithiumbatterieshaveacapacityof600Amphours,48V, whichcanpowerthekitforapproximately3.5days.Whenthe batteriesbegintolosetheircharge,thegenerator automaticallystartsupandchargesthemuntiltheyarefull again,beforeswitchingitselfoff.Thisensuresthatthetrain remainspermanentlypoweredandreadyforoperation.
SincetheVIUsessentialsystemsarepermanentlypowered, theycanconstantlytransmitdatabacktoTheCloud;this allowsNetworkRailtoaccessthesystems24/7.Shouldthe trainbeoperatinginbadreceptionareasorworkingin tunnels,thekitisabletotransmitthedataaftertheshifthas finished.Evenafterthedriverhasgonehome,thetrain remainspoweredandtransmits.
Inrecognitionofitssuccess,theVIU conversionprojectwasshortlistedinthe SafetyandSecurityExcellencecategory atthe2023RailBusinessAwards
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ToiletControlEquipment
KitchenAreaDesign
WhatNetworkRailSay:
“[Theproject’s]returnoninvestmentisfast,andif itsavesonemoredeathontherailwayitwillhave paidforitselfahundredtimesover.”
ProjectLead, NetworkRail
WhatWeSay:
“WorkingaspartofthisinnovativeNetworkRail project,it’sbeenapleasuretodemonstrateDG8’s capabilitiestodeliverturnkeyserviceswithinan ambitioustimeframe"
MarkHoptroff,Director, DG8DesignandEngineering
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BatteryChargerandLithiumBatteries
ICOMERA Odinsgatan28,41103Göteborg,Sweden T+46317992100 sales@icomera.com
