3 Urban Rail Trends and How Surveillance Can Help

1. Reducing environmental impact  

Urban rail is considered critical to global decarbonisation efforts. To optimise these benefits, minimising maintenance issues that waste energy and resources is vital.

Integrating technology such as train-mounted LIDAR (Light Detection and Radar), AI tools, drones, and on-vehicle telematics with security and surveillance software will help. Paired with workflows and remote access solutions, train and track engineers can be alerted to faults or maintenance issues before they can cause issues.

This integrated approach can also help detect natural hazards that may impact travel, addressing another aspect of this trend—reducing environmental effects on transportation. As weather patterns become more unpredictable, integrated surveillance technology will play a growing role in identifying and responding to risks like floods, strong winds, snow, and extreme heat.

2. Doing more with less

The growing demand for urban rail, along with factors like aging infrastructure, economic conditions, and staffing shortages, makes it more important than ever to maximise efficiency and do more with less.

Integrated surveillance, remote access and mobile apps like Synergy mobile can assist by empowering field-based teams to do their jobs quicker and more efficiently. Workers can view live and recorded footage, receive alarms and work assignments, and report on progress in real time.

Remote access solutions also help operators move from resource-intense localised management models to centralised monitoring of rolling stock and stations. On-vehicle gateway technology now connects trains to the cloud, streamlining systems such as ticketing, passenger information, surveillance, and Wi-Fi – reducing costs and maintenance compared to separate systems.

AI-based tools enhance urban rail safety and security while helping operators ease the workload on busy staff. For example, person detection can assist with end-of-line train clearance checks.

3. Simplifying multi-modal journeys

Urban rail operators have a valuable opportunity to enhance the passenger experience by seamlessly integrating data from different transport providers, making journeys more connected and convenient.

Secure cloud-based video and data sharing, alongside integrating third-party updates such as scheduling details, delay notifications and replacement services, is of value here. With it, operators gain a clear picture of factors that may impact the services they provide and the information they need to give passengers a more seamless experience.

Thanks to on-screen guidance and wider systems integration, these passenger information updates can often be automated with relevant real-time details conveyed via public address systems, help point systems, and station and rolling stock visual displays.