NEWS

On the 5th May 2023, a 10m long landslip occurred adjacent to the rail network which resulted in temporary speed restrictions (TSR) along the line. Within 24 hours notice of the slip, our rail safety team and engineers had fully installed remotely accessed trackside monitoring equipment (Twist and Cant) on the sleepers with movement alarms. This was all done under daytime line blockages to allow us to work safely along the track. These sensors helped Network Rail asset engineers to determine whether they could remove the emergency TSR or keep it active.

In order for the data to be sent from site to the portal we utilise Internet of Things telemetry. Cutting edge technologies offer unparalleled advantages in terms of collection, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. They allow us to install equipment in remote locations with poor power connectivity and network coverage and keep the systems active throughout the year. The systems are powered by small solar panels installed with the equipment on site, these can then supply enough power to keep the batteries fully charged and operational – with alarms activated when batteries drop below certain thresholds.

Onsite, Senceive FlatMesh Nano Triaxial Tilt Sensor nodes were installed. These devices have the advantage of having a resolution of 0.0018mm/m, meaning even the smallest of ground movements can be picked up, as well as having 12-15year battery life meaning there is very little risk of losing power to the nodes. The Tilt Sensor nodes are joined by the Flatmesh 4G gateway and Camera, both of which are powered by solar panels – which reduces the need for site visit to replace batteries – keeping staff safe and reducing any damage to the environment caused by repeat visits.