Background
Network Rail Wales and Borders initially began using Tended’s geofencing system in February 2023, shortly after the technology was approved for use on the railway. Since then, the route has been an ongoing champion of the system and in March 2025, took a major step forward in the advancement of workforce safety by deploying Tended’s geofencing technology for all maintenance teams.
Wales & Borders has introduced geofencing in stages, from wearable devices for trackside teams to tagging protection equipment and mobile assets. Now, it has taken the next important step by introducing Virtual WSMBs, beginning with
its P-Way teams in Whitland.
Solution
As part of the initial deployment, Whitland P‑Way teams replaced physical WSMBs with Virtual WSMBs across eight shifts.
Placing physical boards requires teams to access the infrastructure, with possible exposure to open lines and the risk of incorrect placement, particularly for teams less familiar with an area or working at night. Confirming board location involves multiple phone calls and walking the mileage, and usually requires vehicles to reach the location.
Virtual WSMBs replaces physical WSMBs with virtual boundaries. An in-cab device alerts OTP operators when they approach worksite limits. Not only does this come with significant efficiency gains, it also completely removes the need for teams to access the infrastructure to place boards.
Results
By replacing physical boards with Virtual WSMBs, Whitland P-Way teams have:
Removed the need for staff to go on track to place and collect boards, eliminating any associated safety risk
Gained 40 minutes of productive time
per shiftTaken 3 vehicles off the road for WSMB placement, saving 40 miles of travel per shift
Removed the need for 6 phone calls per shift between team members
Across all 8 shifts conducted as part of the initial deployment, that’s:
8 shifts with no staff going on track to place or collect boards
5 hours 20 minutes of productive time gained over all shifts
320 miles of vehicle travel avoided
24 vehicle journeys removed
48 phone calls removed
“Before you would have had to go and find the mileage of where the worksite marker board needed to go. It can get confusing especially if you’re new to the area or walking out at night, things can look completely different. With virtual boards, you are not going out there and potentially going on the wrong track, which to me is priceless, really.”
Jack Parsons Engineering Supervisor, Network Rail Wales & Borders
“At the start of a possession, the ES might need to arrange multiple boards. In our section, that could be up to six boards, and it could take teams on site 20 to 30 minutes to set up. With the virtual worksite marker board, the ES does it at the click of a button, and it’s done instantly. That’s potentially an hour extra to do the work.”
Charlie French Section Supervisor, Network Rail Wales & Borders