6 May 2007
High-tech maintenance system installed on Subway
System could help prevent Subway breakdowns
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is investing in new technology that could help prevent Subway breakdowns. A new track monitoring system was installed two weeks ago and is now on trial. It cost £70,000.
It’s hoped that the new system will allow engineering staff to have a better advanced warning of possible breakdowns and so take action before a breakdown occurs.
The new technology means the electric current around the Subway track circuits can be monitored much more effectively than was the case before. Drops in the current usually indicate that equipment is about to fail. The new system allows engineers to have a much better picture of patterns of current and therefore have better information of potential problems in the system.
The Subway’s commercial and production manager Liz Parkes said: "You might say the new system helps Subway staff to be forewarned and thus forearmed. It should mean we can hopefully identify potential problems on the network before they occur. If we can be pro-active about problems the end result should be less Subway suspensions."
Every time the Subway service is suspended it costs £5000 in lost revenue as well as inconveniencing thousands of customers. So over a short period of time the new system should pay for itself in less suspensions and less loss of revenue.
ends
Notes to editors
- The track circuit monitoring system is provided by Bombardier. It is part of the total upgrade of the Subway’s train management and customer information system. When all of that is complete it will have cost £2.3million.
- The annual figure for Subway reliability for financial year 2006/07 was 98%. The most recent figure, for the four weeks leading up to 29 April 2007, shows the Subway operated at 98.3% reliability.