The Benefits of Real-Time Rolling Stock Surveillance

A European rail operator can now remotely access, share, and manage surveillance footage from its rolling stock in real-time – improving passenger safety, incident management, operational efficiencies, and enabling collaborative investigations.

Camera footage, vehicle performance and location data, and alerts from integrated alarm systems can all be securely monitored from any authorised web-connected device.

The project leverages Synectics’ rail-certified T2000 solution to connect to Synectics’ Cloud Services, enabling new vehicle-to-ground surveillance and fleet management capabilities.

Improved connectivity for better service provision

“Help us achieve train-to-ground connectivity so we can improve fleet management and service provision.” This request kicked off what has become a groundbreaking project for the operator. 

The first step was to design a suitable IP-based foundation that seamlessly blended old and new. This was vital as the rolling stock in question featured a mix of analogue cameras, third-party alarm systems, and dated hardware, all of which had to remain compatible with any new technology introduced. 

Digital-to-analogue conversion technology retained native functionality in the existing onboard management systems, new IP cameras, and Synectics’ T2000 solution. Thus, a fully integrated IP-based surveillance solution enabled connectivity from trains to the control room. With this foundation in place, the potential for technology innovation was unlocked. 

Real-time situational awareness

The T2000 solution acts as a secure gateway to Synectics' cloud services. It features built-in GSM capabilities for 4G internet connectivity, giving seamless access to the Microsoft Azure cloud environment. Synectics leveraged the customer's existing passenger Wi-Fi system for internet connectivity, reducing overhead.

This means that centrally located surveillance operators can now view and review footage from any camera via live playback on any carriage in real time – dramatically improving situational awareness.

Secure evidence-sharing for improved collaboration

Footage can also be searched and ‘snipped’ by time frame and quickly uploaded to the cloud. In the cloud, it can, if needed, be annotated, bookmarked, and either stored or shared with authorised personnel and external stakeholders – from co-workers and other internal teams to police and insurance investigators. This dramatically speeds up incident response and investigation times by giving the right people access to the focused footage they need when they need it.

Guaranteed data control and passenger privacy  

Crucially, Synectics’ cloud evidence-sharing solution ensures the rail operator has complete control of footage, including where their data is hosted. Some operators are legally required to host data in a specific geographic area, so this functionality is very important.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is mandatory, and role-based access control (RBAC) dictates who can view footage, manage it, or download it. Shared footage can be set to delete after a specific time period in line with job roles, GDPR requirements, etc.

Facial redaction can be applied to shared footage to protect the privacy of passengers who may be in-shot but are not the subject of investigations. Inverse redaction is also available, blurring everything but the areas selected, making it easier to protect the privacy of others in sensitive scenes.

Rolling stock management made simple

GPS data paired with the system’s integral use of Google Maps means that, at a glance, operators can see train location, speed, surveillance system health, and vehicle health. Integrated telematics ensures that any readings or performance parameters outside the norm, such as indicating possible maintenance requirements, can be quickly identified and addressed. This helps prevent unplanned service downtime and improves passenger satisfaction and operational efficiency.

In the cloud-based viewing environment, operators can also see an array of alarms generated by specific onboard activities, such as when emergency doors are used, fire extinguishers are moved, the intercom system is activated, or passenger help buttons are pushed.  

Dynamic carriage identification for flexible fleet configuration

Importantly, the integrated system deployed by Synectics enables complete configuration flexibility, such as carriage changes and different carriage types having specific surveillance layouts and monitoring requirements. For instance, a storage vestibule will have different monitoring requirements from a first-class carriage.

This is achieved by each carriage broadcasting essential data via MQTT, such as type, location in the active train set configuration, and orientation, to a special ‘discovery mechanism’ that makes sense of the data to present the complete train set layout accurately.

Consolidating services for future efficiency gains

In addition to meeting current needs, Synectics' solution opens up exciting opportunities further down the road – or, in this case, down the track.

Chris Brown, Synectics Product Manager and the technology lead on this project, commented: “Because the T2000 solution is essentially an IoT device capable of hosting multiple containers running isolated virtual environments, it has significant potential for system consolidation.

“In the future, everything from ticketing and passenger information systems to surveillance and Wi-Fi could be managed through it – at less cost and with lower maintenance than running individual systems in isolation with their own peripheral devices. This IoT hub approach is also more energy efficient.

“I’m sure as our partnership grows with this customer, we’ll be able to work with them to capitalise on opportunities like this and more.”