Hitachi Rail is set to install new digital maintenance technology on Great Western Railway’s high-speed fleet of 93 intercity trains.
In a world-first, the rail arm of the Japanese tech giant will attach wireless monitoring equipment to the trains, which the firm said will boost availability by more than 100 days per year.
Hitachi’s ‘Perpetuum Onboard’ sensor system will gather real-time data from wheel trucks or ‘bogies’ located underneath the vehicles to provide live updates on the conditions of gearboxes, traction motors, bearings and wheels.
The company said the move would deliver “significant benefits” to passengers and train operators, including improved safety and reduced maintenance costs.
Hitachi said the overhaul of wheel trucks accounts for about a third of GWR’s maintenance cost for the fleet, with trains currently requiring an average of seven days a year in a depot for inspection or repair.
The firm said its new digital tracking tech would help reduce this downtime by up to 50%, allowing for more flexibility in timetabling or fleet management.
Hitachi also said the ability to “pinpoint" faults would reduce the time required by maintenance staff to conduct their work. The company said additional workforce days and hours gained would be re-allocated to other maintenance tasks, maximising the "skills" at its depots.
The system has already been installed on some initial GWR units, with rollout across the rest of the fleet taking place over the coming year.
Angus Thom, group service and maintenance operations director at Hitachi Rail, said the move was an “important step” towards the UK being a “pioneer” in digital railways.
Mr Thom said: "As the rail sector adapts to new challenges, I strongly believe that digital maintenance is a solution that benefits everyone. Through collaboration, and Hitachi’s digital solutions, we can deliver real value for money, improve safety, and create new digital skills at our depots.”
Simon Green, engineering director at GWR said: “We welcome the introduction of this wireless monitoring solution, which will help to improve the maintenance and reliability of our high-speed fleet, enabling us to deliver an even more robust timetable and higher quality journeys for the benefit of our customers.
“At GWR we are committed to reviewing emerging technologies and we look forward to working with our partners to assist in the rollout of this digital maintenance solution.”
Last year Hitachi Rail won a multi-million pound contract from Network Rail to help design digital train signalling technology for lines around Gloucestershire.
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