01.03.07
Effects of digital mapping on rail transportation security and safety
Once an esoteric technology, digital mapping is powering mainstream applications like in-car navigation. The same technology is also transforming business operations including transportation.
Transportation infrastructure operators strive to provide a safe, reliable and profitable service. But increasing demand for capacity and heightened security concerns mean individual incidents can have disproportionate effects. Timely response is key in moderating the consequences, whether in terms of containing incidents, achieving better outcomes for injured parties, mitigating potential impacts on the environment or reducing disruption and financial loss. A significant obstacle to achieving a quick resolution to incidents is the sheer complexity of major transport infrastructure.
Whether dealing with an engineering fault, an on-track incident, or a security alert, responders have to operate in a complex environment: assets, personnel and access points can be geographically dispersed; numerous and diverse information feeds contribute to building an understanding of the situation on the ground, and responses commonly involve multiple agencies, organisations and jurisdictions as well as large numbers of passengers.
Computer maps can aid decision making by presenting large volumes of complex information in clear and actionable forms. Essentially, maps provide a framework that brings together disparate data sources to synthesize a clear, up to date picture of the situation. Their power is readily illustrated using the example of emergency response and security.
In emergency situations, staff can be overwhelmed by information arriving in different forms from an array of sources. Their task is further complicated by the need to co-ordinate with a broad range of response organisations. By integrating data within a map, all relevant information can be delivered to responders’ fingertips. Examples of spatially linked information include the data feeds from CCTV, alarm states and the current location and status of mobile resources and personnel. The systems used by Berlin Metro or Chicago O’Hare International Airport can automatically zoom the operator’s map view to the location of an alarm and display relevant CCTV coverage together with the location and state of nearby alarms and personnel. By providing this additional information about the context of the alert, the operator can quickly assess the situation and effect an appropriate response.
The introduction of intelligent sensors and CCTV represents a further refinement in situational awareness. Instead of relying on operators physically viewing banks of CCTV monitors or read-outs to detect anomalous behaviour, sensor data are pre-processed filtering out normal states but alerting operators when operational conditions are exceeded or broken.
Mapping can also help co-ordinate and shorten response times. Once the system receives data detailing the location, nature and severity of an incident, it can identify the organisations needed for the response and their most appropriate dispatch centres. In addition to identifying the response team, the technology tracks automated call-out using telephony, email and SMS. For example, upon deployment of their new infrastructure, Dutch Rail reduced initial call out times (the stage of the response cycle where delays have the greatest impact on outcome) from 46 minutes to less than three minutes. As well as reducing the call out phase by 95%, the system has increased the response centre’s capacity and ability to handle multiple simultaneous incidents.
Referencing information on maps is also fosters inter-agency and multi-jurisdictional communication. Initially, this supported interaction between transport operators and the emergency services. More recent projects have included real time collaboration with associated agencies such as national border guards and with federal and national security agencies in the United States.
Finally, numeric models and simulations have been applied to various aspects of transportation security and safety ranging from pedestrian flow through stations to plume dispersion and contamination models. Such analyses are commonly used for planning, but are also beginning to be applied to operational roles including preparedness training. The US Warfighter protection lab has developed simulations to generate virtual scenarios that feed response systems with simulated events and alarms. This enables operators to experience the conditions and pressures of major incidents without the disruption and cost of physical enactments. These elements were combined with physical enactment in the ‘vigilant shield’ exercise - a U.S. northern command (NORTHCOM) exercise conducted in December 2006 as one in a series of national training exercises focusing on national security and emergency responses to concurrent and related incidents.
Once a niche technology, digital mapping is now an established tool facilitating the smooth and efficient operation of transportation infrastructure. Its integration with real time information and key business systems (ranging from security to asset and works management) is delivering significant benefits to national rail and mass transit operators across Europe and around the globe.
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