Strukton Control Centre

Continuous improvement in network performance

The accelerating intensification of the use of public transport means that increasingly higher demands are being placed on the availability of modern railway systems. Because the railway network is being used at an increasingly higher frequency, it also requires more maintenance. At the same time, due to the availability requirement, there is increasingly less time for performing the maintenance.

As a SMART maintenance specialist in high capacity railway systems, Strukton Rail guarantees continuous improvement in network performance and safe conditions in the related sphere of activity and for the involved stakeholders.

We are an asset owner, as well as one of the larger European contractors in the field of performance-oriented railway maintenance. Our maintenance process serves as the basis for many applied technologies (big data, IoT and machine learning) in our data-driven 24/7 railway maintenance operation. A key component in the application of this smart maintenance approach is the capacity for converting condition data into predictive values and to use this to set up smart maintenance actions.

Sensors and people collect data

Our Control Centre connects the daily maintenance operation of our asset owners with advanced technology that supports their work. Our smart maintenance design is based on data collection. We believe that data collection, especially these days, is the key to effective maintenance, risk management and the railway’s future proofing. On the basis of the asset owner’s objectives for the railway system, we are able to develop an effective maintenance strategy that will achieve the established KPIs. A measuring and monitoring plan is an integral component of this strategy. This plan enables us and our users to manage risks, meet requirements and achieve additional objectives.

The sensor technology employed by the systems we use, such as POSS and other Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, continuously collects data (temperature, vibrations, impact, position, current, consumption, etc) about the performance behaviour of relevant and critical assets. Advanced train-based inspection systems, such as Eurailscout and the Digital Track Inspector, furthermore collect inspection data about the rail’s geometry, rail quality (ultrasound), wear, loose elements and overhead power lines. All of this data is analysed using smart analysis software and predictive algorithms so that a complete image is created of the performance of all critical assets along the railway. From the results of the analysis, the Control Centre engineers conclude which matters have more or less priority. They subsequently use this priority ranking to instruct the operational teams as to what they need to do when. Naturally, safety is key in this respect. In addition to workplace safety, the teams also make use of smart IoT technology (ZKL 3000 + MT info 3000). This makes it possible to remotely secure the railway’s safety. The maintenance specialists are provided digital access to the work area so they can efficiently feed back the information they collect on-site to the Control Centre. Our smart maintenance concept maximally relies on the professionalism of our employees. Thanks to the close cooperation with the operational teams, the feedback is of excellent quality and can be used to make the analysis software even smarter. The digital transformation ultimately remains the work of humans.

Predicting helps in planning and safety

Thanks to our Internet of Things, big data technologies, smart algorithms and professionalism, we are in control and are able to guarantee the availability and reliability of railway systems. This way we also contribute to safer working conditions for our people.