Internet of Things and Remote Condition Monitoring

At Network Rail, we currently have in excess of 40 different platforms that enable the organisation to remotely monitor a range of sensors and data logger devices, to allow the 24*7 control centres to respond to alarms. This excessive number of systems results in a fragmented view of the status of Network Rails Assets, its Network and performance.
Alongside this fragmentation, business demands are shifting, and the organisation now needs a solution that will drive better understanding of the health / performance of Network Rails assets and inform decision making in the control centres.
From a technology perspective, the organisation will require a solution that will fit well with a hybrid cloud environment and deliver a more open and integrated solution.
Therefore, Network Rail requires an agile and scalable IoT / Remote Condition Monitoring platform to provide the following:
• Integration with a range of legacy devices.
• Integration with 3rd party systems, of which Network Rail has a growing quantity of 3rd party systems.
• Integration with a range of future industrial control devices, of which Network Rail has plans to utilise a range of open industrial control devices that is part of a parallel tendering exercise.
• a real time bi-directional feed of time series data into Network Rails DataLake to provide data to analytics models and provide forecasting / planning services.
• a local view of those assets relevant to the user based on their role and geographic location.
• a comprehensive alarm mgmt. solution that aids the diagnosis of the alarm and translates priority into actions that result in work orders.
• a streamlined suite of configuration tools that deliver a one click configuration process for setting up the monitoring assets and to automatically build the configuration files, the alarm logic, the schematics.
The future platform will be a key component of Network Rails IT/OT convergence strategy, which will see a focus on real time monitoring, visualisation and control of a range of remote assets. The platform would also enable an agile transformation of our ability to innovate, deliver value and drive better decisions across Network Rail.
Our goal is to provide our control centre staff, maintenance teams and operational staff with one integrated view of the status, condition and health of our operational railway. This platform will be delivered in partnership with the software vendor and by using Agile design and development methodologies will utilise agile / DevOps processes to release regularly platform changes, this will enable both business, IT and software vendor teams to work together to create a service that connects business colleagues, to situations in a way that makes sense.
This initiative will deliver a common platform for monitoring the health of Assets, the status of the railway for train operations and Situation Awareness.