Network Rail’s North and East route covers Yorkshire’s biggest cities including Sheffield and Leeds and provides vital links over the Pennines and into the North East. Maintenance of and upgrades to this important route are essential, and major projects like the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) are improving connectivity in the North East, helping to support economic growth.
To help enhance the safety of those conducting these essential maintenance and upgrade projects, Network Rail’s North and East Route has started using Tended’s geotagging solution to improve worksite visibility. Initially starting at their Retford depot, the technology has been implemented specifically to support the correct placement of protection equipment, such as marker board and possession limit stop boards, and to ensure all objects are clear from the line when line blocks and possessions are handed back.
This new deployment is focussed predominantly on the movement of plant and equipment and follows on from the deployment of geofencing devices at the North and East Route’s Scunthorpe Depot. This forms part of a series of initiatives on the route to improve track worker safety while also enhancing visibility over onsite operations.
How Network Rail’s North & East Route will use geotagging
For this deployment, Tended's geotagging solution will provide Network Rail’s North and East Route with a live view over plant and equipment location and movement within possessions and line blocks. After attaching Tended devices to onsite equipment, including marker boards and trolleys, accurate positioning data is generated through geospatial technology for each device to provide a live view of the equipment’s location, whether stationary or moving, on the Dashboard. This provides a clear view of where everything is so that works can be completed without costly delays.
Use cases for Network Rail’s North and East Route:
- Correct placement of protections, including marker boards and possession limit stop boards - comparing the planned versus live location of protection equipment allows for quick identification of any boards that are placed in the wrong location or on the wrong line. Not only improving project efficiency, this also helps improve the safety of all staff onsite by reducing the risk of trains passing through the worksite.
- Preventing objects left on the line - Whether it's tools, equipment, or even vehicles, leaving any items on the tracks significantly increases the risk of them being struck by a train, not only putting workers at increased risk but can also lead to costly damage and delays in the line being reopened. If any objects remain on the line when works are completed, an alert is shown on the Dashboard along with an accurate location of where they are.
As well as helping to significantly improve efficiency and remove the reliance on frequent two-way communication as well as paper-based and manual processes, Tended’s technology is helping to improve the safety of those onsite. Network Rail North and East can then expand the use of geotagging to cover a range of use cases, including the prevention of points run throughs by geofencing, plant or equipment exiting safe work zones and vehicles speeding.
Project Manager Ash Bayley who is leading the implementation said “Having worked in the rail industry for a number of years, I have seen the incidents that this technology can help prevent. I’m looking forward to working with Network Rail's North and East Route to boost both safety and efficiency across worksites and see the positive impact it'll have on the day-to-day operations on this route.”
