Rail traffic is set to increase exponentially in the coming years ̶ it is expected to double by 2050 ̶ making safety and security expectations for rail organizations higher than ever.
Technology can help identify threats and disruptions faster and shorten response times so those threats and disruptions are minimized.
In our latest podcast, Hexagon experts discuss how the rail industry is dealing with increased traffic and how technology can be used to bridge the gaps and increase resiliency.
Below are some excerpts from their discussion:
Jack Williams: … The congestion of the rail tracks combined with contemporary threats, such as pandemics, terrorism and natural disasters have made today’s safety and security expectations for rail higher than ever…I believe at the heart of these expectations and what constitutes quote unquote “success” is the ability to minimize unplanned disruptions, handle incidents as they arise and minimizing their impact and the overall ability to be more proactive rather than reactive when it comes to overall security and surveillance for rail…
Angelo Gazzoni: I would say definitely safety and security represent a high priority in the rail industry decision-maker’s agenda. And this goes, let’s say beyond customer satisfaction, there are several risk factors that must be addressed properly in order to reduce the impact on the business. And of course, reduce the potential cost arising from disruptions. It is a lesser challenge and it applies the management of several aspects that can impact the organization and damage the ability to save the market. And I’m talking about safety of passengers and goods specifically for people and properties traveling, employees safety, health related causes, but there’s also a service availability, which is a key factor in the organization’s ability to stay the market. There are risk of penalties or fines or reimbursement, and then there also health-related causes. Also, cyber security is an important factor which may put the infrastructure in a position not to be available for goods and people to travel. And that also the protection of the assets that has to be taken into consideration…
Carl-Thomas Schneider: …We see basic two trends that are upcoming now in security surveillance. And this is also where Hexagon is quite active. So one of the trends is, what we call it, 3D surveillance. 3D surveillance is a new disruptive technology that allows, compared to just the simple 2D video surveillance, 3D allows to completely understand what happens in people flow, what happens on the track, what happens on the platform, everything in 3D. So we get much more information than just the simple camera. And with this tool that we are working with it’s much easier, and you get much more information to improve your processes. This is one trend.
And the second one I would like to highlight is autonomy. When we look at all the hundreds of thousands of cameras, you see in a subway system and you want to figure out, is there any critical event? This is something that is almost impossible because imagine the guard sitting in front of a wall of monitors and (trying to) figure out where is something critical happening. And so here, autonomy comes into the game. So a technology that allows us to automatically detect where the critical event happened, and this is possible using three-dimensional surveillance with the sensors that we do provide.
Listen to the full podcast on HxGN Spotlight.
Learn more
Are you ready to get on track? Find out more about Hexagon’s new Security & Surveillance portfolio for rail.
Mark your calendar!
We’re preparing now for HxGN LIVE Global 2022. Join us in-person (or online) June 20-23 in Las Vegas for a tailored, hybrid event experience to discuss, debate and encounter the autonomous future.
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