Train monitoring in Ireland: challenge accepted!

Lucky me to get a train set for birthday 20 years ago. A toy train ran smoothly across the room – pure magic and no worries. As I grew up and started traveling by train, I found myself in a completely different world. The world where every minute counts and the railway companies have dozens of things to consider to save time and money, operate successfully and get me satisfied. 

Again, lucky me to see the inside of this business when one of our partners in Ireland started to use telematics to make the railway work more efficiently. Quite unusual and interesting project. A great number of tasks. And Wialon as a solution. Read the article to learn more. 

The challenges

Irish Rail has contacted our partner GMT Connect to optimize the process of train maintenance and operation, as well as to save fuel costs. After detailed and careful analysis of working processes and taking into account the client’s demands, the integrator has defined the areas to be improved. 

Here we have the list of challenges as long as a train set:

• Fuel monitoring. The long-term operation has led to the breakdown of factory-installed fuel level sensors. As a result, the client couldn’t detect the level of fuel, and there was a risk of engine cutoff. “Complete disaster!” – said the client.  

• Filling up. Broken fuel level sensors made the fueling process more challenging. As you can’t control the actual fuel level, you have to fill up the train every time it arrives at a depot. You have to be 100% sure the fuel is enough for the next trip, as you can’t fill up the train in the middle of nowhere. As a result, the client suffered time and fuel losses.

• Idling time. It usually takes 30 minutes to warm up the engine for its correct operation. That’s why drivers don’t stop the engine after the end of the shift and leave it running until the next shift begins. It’s difficult to say whether it’s an attempt to save time or just ordinary human laziness. The one thing is evident: idling of the train causes fuel losses. Again.

• Remote monitoring. During the process of operation optimization, the client decided not to keep to just fuel issues. One more task was to ensure the monitoring of unforeseen stops and other force majeures on the way.    

The solution

After careful examination of the current situation, GMT Connect has offered a complex solution consisting of Wialon, DCT trackers (Digital Communication Technologies) and Technoton fuel level sensors.

The results

The tasks given by Irish Rail can hardly be called simple as ABC. Nevertheless, our partner has managed to perform all of them. If you have some doubts or don’t want to believe bare words, here are the numbers:

• 10% fuel savings is achieved, meaning that each train consumes 30 liters less per each 100 km; 
•  idling time is reduced by 80%.

The above-mentioned numbers are not the only indicator of the successful project implementation. After fruitful cooperation with the railway company, GMT Connect has signed several contracts on train monitoring in Ireland, Great Britain and other countries of Western Europe.

As you can see, the geography and the field of Wialon application is really wide and varied. Today we’ve told you about Ireland and railways. Your story of success from the other part of the world can be next. Contact us at marketing@gurtam.com or fill in a special form at my.gurtam.com in “Marketing support” section.

Photos: https://commons.wikimedia.org/