Articles
The railway industry has always been conservative when it comes to adopting new technology. Much of that ponderousness is to do with safety – new products are subjected to months or even years of deliberation and testing before they get anywhere near the network.
But, while safety will always be the overriding consideration, Network Rail is making concerted efforts to improve the way it brings innovation into use. Six months ago it set up a “bright ideas” portal to encourage businesses to provide innovative solutions to rail industry issues. So far more than 200 submissions have been received from national and international firms. A number of proposals are now being investigated in more detail and several are being put into practice across the network.
Network Rail says the portal approach is on course to deliver savings of nearly £40 million by 2014 and it has urged engineering companies to continue coming up with technological solutions to a slew of other problems that it is yet to overcome.
One solution being implemented is a camera which can spot defects on the overhead rail wire 25ft above the operator’s head. The cameras, developed with Kongsberg Maritime, can be operated without the need to turn off the power along the wires or close the line. This will mean a more efficient maintenance programme and fewer delays to services. It will save millions of pounds in delay payments, says Network Rail.
Another innovation is helping to deliver savings of 90% against the cost of sleepers being used in the Thameslink project. Thameslink required a railway sleeper capable of housing a 53mm conductor rail as well as signalling and track cables. The original plan was to use a full-depth sleeper with baseplates – 65mm deeper than adjacent sleepers – which would have been expensive and difficult to install and maintain. The innovation portal delivered a solution from Cemex which has seen a wider, shallower sleeper with cast-in housings produced. This should bring cost savings of 90% compared with existing products, expected to be £4 million by 2014.
Two solutions being investigated in more detail are acoustic curtains, which provide quick and effective noise control to reduce the impact on nearby houses during maintenance, and safety fences, which clip onto the rail and provide a safe working environment while still allowing trains to pass on nearby tracks.
Now, to develop the initiative further and encourage a new wave of proposals, Network Rail is encouraging businesses, universities and research institutes to consider how they could have a positive influence on the future of the railway.
Steve Yianni, Network Rail’s director of engineering, said: “We are keen to develop the initiative further as there is the potential to deliver even greater savings between 2014 and 2019.
“As well as working with established suppliers, we are keen to hear from organisations from outside the traditional rail industry which could help improve the railway.
“We are committed to delivering a better, safer railway that maximises value for money and are keen to work with any organisation which can help us achieve this.”
Applicants need to ensure their proposals fit one of Network Rail’s challenges, the list of which is reviewed and refreshed every month. Proposals must be fundamentally new and different, solve a particular problem and have a strong business case. Each proposal will be assessed by a specially assigned innovation supply chain manager to see whether the idea should be taken forward and developed further.
Planning for using mobile plant
Innovative approaches sought for measuring gradients on the rail infrastructure (both of the rail itself and the surrounding area). These solutions should be easily portable/hand-held and be capable of measuring gradients accurately and quickly.
Improved power supply and energy efficiency
Solutions sought to support improvements in power supply and energy management and reductions in fuel and energy consumption. Network Rail is keen to explore better demand management, energy storage, energy harvesting, low-energy replacements for existing components, energy loss identification and minimisation, and increased resilience.
Track system renewal
Solutions sought for full renewal of the track system (rail, sleepers, ballast and formation). Features and benefits: standardise processes, reduce installation time; deliver consistency of quality; reduce lifecycle costs.
Track components
Solutions sought for the development of track and switch and crossing components. Benefits and features: reduce whole-life costs; improve reliability; reduce levels of intervention.