Project – East Kent Phase 2 Re-signalling (EKR2)
Client – Network Rail
Designer – Atkins
Date – October 2012 – May 2013
Services Provided G-RASTx Process – Desktop Signal Sighting HD & VR, Auto Signal Sighting Form Production and support Sightable objects Circa 400
Remit
The Network Rail EKR2 project comes under the Atkins design framework and as such the team decided that a desktop signal sighting approach was necessary to ensure programme compliance. Having worked with some of the Atkins team on other projects they were already convinced that Gioconda should have a part to play in the process. An initial meeting was held and Gioconda presented its new G-RASTx process to the team which covers video survey, integrated SSF production and signal sighting in HD & VR. The project was convinced and we were commissioned to provide video, models and form production for 400 Signals & Signs.
Process
Gioconda liaised with South Eastern Railways to provide a special train to complete the video surveys during October 2012. As a trial we added an extra camera view to our filming to pick up a direct down-view of the track. Despite a few initial technical problems this has proved quite successful in providing an alternate image of track and line side assets. Once the video runs were available we supplied these to the Project as standalone movies in order to view and assess the railway. These were supplied with the G-Player software which has functions for making basic measurements and capturing individual frames with overlaid notes. Atkins remit involved the production of an Aerial Survey to provide high accuracy asset locations and route meterage. Once this was available, Gioconda correlated the video to the same meterage and provided the project with the G-RASTx software for initial signal sighting assessment of the as-is railway. The project confirmed the asset IDs to be sighted, which included a combination of new and existing signals and signs. Armed with this list, Gioconda’s own SSC Chair set about collating all available data for these assets and populating the Gioconda Master Datasheet. Once created, the Datasheet was used to generate the initial Draft Forms, additional details such as signal diagrams, photos and obscuration diagrams were added. This process was very quick and once completed, the Draft forms were delivered to the project SSC Chair for review and to use in the SSC meetings. HD & VR models were produced and delivered along with the Forms to enable 98% of the signals and signs to be desktop sighted. The initial SSC Meetings were originally planned over 4 weeks, however, due to the speed of the G-RASTx process only 2 weeks were required.
The schedule below highlights the high volume of items covered in these sessions.
- Day 1 43 New Signal/Signs
- Day 2 42 New Signal/Signs
- Day 3 41 New Signal/Signs
- Day 4 9 On Site manual Sighting
- Day 5 Office – New form creation
- Day 6 71 Existing Signal/Signs
- Day 7 Office – New form creation
- Day 8 60 Existing Signal/Signs
- Day 9 93 Existing Signal/Signs
- Day 10 41 New and Existing Signals
- Days 11–20 Not Required