D2’s Digital Technology Team explore Innovation Solutions in Canada

D2 is excited to announce a research project that will explore bringing Digital Innovation to the Canadian rail sector. During the 3-month project, spearheaded by Innovate UK and the Department for International Trade, D2 Rail aims investigate and develop a digital planning and operations tool for use in the Canadian Rail industry. The aim is to provide a safer, more efficient way to gain visibility of works with improved access planning and analysis.

‘Real planning’ engagement is where realistic and achievable programmes are developed by individuals that can relate to both the building and sequencing of works. Real planning addresses human interfaces, risk, opportunity, and wider rail network operations.

Since our launch in 2011, D2 Rail has been dedicated in their pursuit of providing integrated real planning services, empowered by cutting edge digital capability. Our collective experiences and shared passion define who we are and what we do every day. As a strong and independent company, we thrive on maximising value for our clients and their stakeholders. From the executive team to our newest colleagues, our combined effort sustains increasingly higher levels of product and service quality.

The focus of the project will be to investigate what geographical rail data is available and how it can be used in conjunction with maintenance planning data. The solution will provide planning tools, artificial intelligence, analytics and better visibility, efficiency and safety to planners, operators, the public and all other involved parties.

By pulling in geographical route information, real time data, possession information, and building routing algorithms, a system could accurately represent planned rail works in a geographical format and in a standardised data format that could be easily understood. This opens the doors for, previously unachievable speeds of data analysis, reducing human effort, time, and the potential for error.

The ability to quickly detect clashes between projects, diversionary route analysis, train scheduling impact reporting, change tracking and more will massively enhance the industry’s ability to plan works and communicate efficiently.

Innovation through technology will enable planners to have much more control and visibility on long running projects far in advance of ‘T -52 weeks’ from the date of the works, a thing that is currently difficult to achieve.

Automated data handling and analysis reduced manual task overheads considerably, freeing staff up for other important tasks and reducing the risk of human error. Geographical representation removed any confusion that interested parties may have regarding the footprint or location of the works and supported much easier and productive stakeholder engagement.