Preventive maintenance has been taken to a whole new level with the new Thameslink trains.  From ‘Big Data’ we now have ‘Smart Data”, which delivers a real opportunity to better manage both the mass transit rail services, and vehicles, and support for the underlying rail infrastructure.

Delivering this 21st Century railway, and providing sophisticated maintenance and support – not forgetting their involvement with Network Rail and the rebuilding of London Bridge Station – is Siemens.

Along the route that the new “Desiro” trains are operating, a vast array of sensors, including lasers and cameras automatically monitor key components such as wheels, brakes and pantographs.  This is in addition to the trains’ on-board management systems and logging processes.

The data gathered is returned to enable maintenance and/or repairs to be undertaken, more efficiently, allowing improved service intervals through analysis of that data, to schedule any work at either the Three Bridges or Hornsey Depots.  These depots are being built and operated by Siemens, with Three Bridges already open, and Hornsey planned to be open next month – July 2016.

The train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) was set up in 2014, as a successor to the First Group franchisee of the Thameslink line, which operated as First Capital Connect between 2006 and 2014.