The railway network in the UK is old and vast and home to the first public railway to use steam locomotives in the world. The Stockton and Darlington Railway opened in 1825 and connected coal mines in the northeast of England.

It was the metal track, the coal-fired furnace, and the shrill whistle of the industrial steam engine that truly signalled the birth of the age of rail.

But in the present day, asset owners such as Network Rail face an immense challenge to keep track of and maintain this massive array of ancient assets, but new surveying techniques are allowing them to gather enormous amounts of data and unlock new options for predictive maintenance as we move into the future of railway management.

Guests

Andrew Bartlett, Route Asset Manager – Wales Route, Network Rail
Jasper Hellemons, Business Development Manager, Fugro
John Edgley, Interim Chief Engineer, Network Rail
Jos Berkers, Consultant – Rail, Fugro
Mark Thomas, Rail Business Manager, Fugro

Supporter

This episode is produced in partnership with Fugro. Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from Geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.

Resources

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/1532/rail-infrastructure-assets-2018-19.pdf

https://www.fugro.com/our-services/asset-integrity/raildata/rila-track-rila-360