Enabling greater use of cross-industry remote condition monitoring

`Train monitoring train' and `infrastructure monitoring infrastructure' Remote Condition Monitoring (RCM) systems are well established in the rail industry and have demonstrated significant benefits. However, it can be more efficient to use cross-industry systems i.e. to monitor some aspects of train condition from the line-side and some aspects of the condition of the infrastructure from passing trains. There has not been a wide uptake of these systems and previous RSSB research suggests that this is due to difficulties in setting up the technical, commercial and data sharing arrangements between different industry partners. RSSB project T1010 has addressed these issues by creating a template contract that can be used when negotiating the commercial arrangements for the introduction and continued operation of cross-industry RCM systems. This is supported by a business case tool that helps to identify the most efficient use of RCM and the associated benefits for each party. A draft data-sharing architecture has also been developed. These tools should make it easier to introduce new cross-industry RCM systems.