InteGRail : intelligent integration of railway systems. Final report
Publication details: Bryssel UNIFE, Association of European Railway Industries, 2010Description: 64 sSubject(s): Online resources: Abstract: This document represents the Final InteGRail Publishable Activity Report, submitted to the European Commission after the end of the project. All railways have the same basic targets. Beyond a safe railway, they are all working to maximise the capacity at which they can operate their networks, minimise passenger and freight delays, maximise the reliability of the infrastructure and rolling stock, and do all of these at minimum cost. Many railways have improved their performance against these targets through a series of engineering and process improvements. But over time the level of improvement that can be achieved reaches a threshold beyond which further improvement by these means is minimal. Also, the separation of railways into Infrastructure Managers (IMs) and operating companies or Railway Undertakings (RUs) means that there is a limit to the improvement that can be achieved if IMs and RUs cannot work together effectively. This is where InteGRail will make a difference. Sharing information between IMs and RUs allows the whole railway to be managed as a single system. That single system doesn't have to be restricted to only one country. InteGRail will allow IMs and RUs across Europe to act as a single system. Over many years, the railway has worked on the basis of finding problems and faults and fixing them. A more efficient railway needs a method for predicting the condition of its assets and then intervening to prevent them from failing. This is possible if data is collected continuously from the infrastructure and rolling stock; if that data is transformed and processed into coherent information; and if trends in that information are monitored and analysed so that assets can be maintained just in time. Again, InteGRail makes that possible by defining a common standard for the information and sharing it. InteGRail is not a system but defines a set of standards and methods for information sharing and interpretation so that IMs and RUs can integrate their existing systems and suppliers to the railway industry can develop and market systems that will integrate. Integrating railway information through InteGRail will create a single view and allow the management of European railways as a single system. As a result, greater efficiency can be achieved within individual railways and across European railways. Better management of the rolling stock - infrastructure interaction will lead to greater reliability of those assets. In turn that leads to decreased maintenance costs and to improved punctuality. Reduced asset failure means that they are more available and so this leads to an increase in the usable capacity of the railway. Also, InteGRail supports decision-making when a fault occurs, allowing traffic managers and operators to decide on the best course of action. Making the best decision leads to reduced delays. If recovery from a fault is made faster, trains can be timetabled closer together so again, the usable capacity of the railway can be increased. On its own, InteGRail will not lead to greater efficiencies in the railway but it will supply the information to support better decisions. Applying this new decision-making capability with new processes will minimise passenger and freight delays; maximise the capacity at which we can operate the networks; maximise the reliability of the infrastructure and rolling stock; and do all of these for minimum cost.This document represents the Final InteGRail Publishable Activity Report, submitted to the European Commission after the end of the project. All railways have the same basic targets. Beyond a safe railway, they are all working to maximise the capacity at which they can operate their networks, minimise passenger and freight delays, maximise the reliability of the infrastructure and rolling stock, and do all of these at minimum cost. Many railways have improved their performance against these targets through a series of engineering and process improvements. But over time the level of improvement that can be achieved reaches a threshold beyond which further improvement by these means is minimal. Also, the separation of railways into Infrastructure Managers (IMs) and operating companies or Railway Undertakings (RUs) means that there is a limit to the improvement that can be achieved if IMs and RUs cannot work together effectively. This is where InteGRail will make a difference. Sharing information between IMs and RUs allows the whole railway to be managed as a single system. That single system doesn't have to be restricted to only one country. InteGRail will allow IMs and RUs across Europe to act as a single system. Over many years, the railway has worked on the basis of finding problems and faults and fixing them. A more efficient railway needs a method for predicting the condition of its assets and then intervening to prevent them from failing. This is possible if data is collected continuously from the infrastructure and rolling stock; if that data is transformed and processed into coherent information; and if trends in that information are monitored and analysed so that assets can be maintained just in time. Again, InteGRail makes that possible by defining a common standard for the information and sharing it. InteGRail is not a system but defines a set of standards and methods for information sharing and interpretation so that IMs and RUs can integrate their existing systems and suppliers to the railway industry can develop and market systems that will integrate. Integrating railway information through InteGRail will create a single view and allow the management of European railways as a single system. As a result, greater efficiency can be achieved within individual railways and across European railways. Better management of the rolling stock - infrastructure interaction will lead to greater reliability of those assets. In turn that leads to decreased maintenance costs and to improved punctuality. Reduced asset failure means that they are more available and so this leads to an increase in the usable capacity of the railway. Also, InteGRail supports decision-making when a fault occurs, allowing traffic managers and operators to decide on the best course of action. Making the best decision leads to reduced delays. If recovery from a fault is made faster, trains can be timetabled closer together so again, the usable capacity of the railway can be increased. On its own, InteGRail will not lead to greater efficiencies in the railway but it will supply the information to support better decisions. Applying this new decision-making capability with new processes will minimise passenger and freight delays; maximise the capacity at which we can operate the networks; maximise the reliability of the infrastructure and rolling stock; and do all of these for minimum cost.