Mott MacDonald has been appointed by Network Rail to support the implementation of the Hitachi Tranista traffic management system for the Thameslink rail network in the UK. Tranista is one of several new systems being introduced to enable 24 trains per hour to run through central London in each direction by 2018, as part of Network Rail’s Thameslink programme.
Tranista will control the running of the railway in real time and support the recovery of operations in the event of delays or disruption. The integrated system will also provide signallers, maintenance staff and train operators with the necessary working information regarding the train operation status, as well as offer support with the planning and scheduling of trains.
Mott MacDonald will advise on the necessary changes to operational roles, processes and decision making to support the introduction of the new technology, as well as operator workload prediction. The consultancy will also assess how to integrate the Tranista system within existing operational centres and its impact on staff and accommodation, including physical desk design.
Robert Gray, Mott MacDonald’s project director for the Thameslink Central Engineering framework, said: “This is an important project for us as Network Rail move forward with the roll out of new traffic management systems. The award of this contract recognises the skills and expertise of our team and their ability to deal with technically challenging work.”
“A key aspect of this project will be our understanding of the capabilities of the system and how it will affect the workload of operational staff. Traffic management is a paradigm shift in the way a railway is operated, so we will need to develop a whole new approach to assessing workload,” Robert added.