The Intelligent Infrastructure programme is Network Rail's strategic solution for remote condition monitoring of fixed assets. Based on the Schneider Electric Wonderware suite of products, the system started as a pilot project in Scotland. It has since grown rapidly over the past few years and now monitors over 38,000 assets across the entire network. In order to do this, it is now made up of over 100 servers and has to cope with around 4 million packets of data a day.
The goal of the programme is to help move the organisation from a ‘find and fix’ approach to asset repairs to a ‘predict and prevent’ asset failure. It allows NR to:
Detect faults earlier than currently possible
Predict faults to allow for planning of remedial works
Understand asset behaviour to assist in making a case for changing the maintenance intervention intervals
Better understand the useful life of an asset for renewals planning purposes
To achieve these goals, rail assets are monitored using non-intrusive techniques. Measurements are collected by data loggers which are then transmitted to a centralised alarm/alert processing and storage platform.
Network Rail requires a supplier to help them take this system forward by providing development and support capabilities. Therefore, Network Rail seeks expressions of interest for the following services:
The provision of software development and implementation services. The service provider is expected to provide build (including software design), test and implementation services for system enhancements including the implementation of new asset templates, which will be hosted within Network Rail infrastructure. Support and maintenance is also required. This specifically excludes Wonderware Licences.
Post the delivery of the software development and implementation services, the supplier is expected to provide a market leading managed service wrap, ensuring the platform is monitored, managed and maintained, achieving an enterprise class high availability standard via proactive, reactive and preventative means.