Picadilly Line Upgrade boosted by One Person Operation CCTV
Not much excites the public imagination like a largescale infrastructure project – and if there’s one thing rail can deliver it’s that! The work on the Elizabeth line tunnels inspired a hugely popular TV series introducing people to the enormous range of people, equipment and skills needed just to dig a hole!
The Civils don’t stop there though, and at ADComms our current work on the Piccadilly Line upgrade is a significant part of the overall project, which include new Step Free Access, 12 substation upgrades and depot enlargements, with the objective of a 23% capacity increase and the ability to run 27 trains per hour. With more people on platforms it’s crucial that the train driver knows when it is safe to depart, and that’s where we come in.
In simple terms One Person Operation (OPO) CCTV is a safer way for the driver to control the platform/door interface, with in-cab digital displays rather than a platform-based analogue system. This is made possible through transceiver units located on the platform and onboard the train which allows for CCTV images of the interface being transmitted at low latency (i.e. in almost real time) to be viewed by the driver.
It has all been designed by ADComms’ expert team of software and hardware engineers, working closely with station design teams, site installation staff, and the wider team. In total over 70 people supported by 7 different sub-contractors have been involved in design, test and installation. The project is due to conclude in the 2nd half of 2025 when the first train is tested on the line.
OPO is part of ADComms’ wider suite of train/track interface technologies which are in use on various fleets across the UK including Northern and Merseyrail. The ‘hub’ of the system is a virtual integration platform which can receive data streams from any train system and relay them in real time to drivers, control centres, station and on-board staff. The system’s flexibility means it can be modified to suit the various needs of different end-users, whether that’s the operator, British Transport Police, Network Rail or any other stakeholder. The system is entirely configurable and can be upscaled any time new feeds need to be integrated.
Fact Box:
• Customer: Transport for London
• Project: Deep Tube Upgrade Programme
• Budget: £60m
• Duration: 5 years
• Rolling stock: 98 x Siemens Inspiro London units
• Number of stations: 55
• Cameras: 500+
• Cable to be installed: circa 90km
Article first seen in Modern Railways Newsletter, 10 May 2024 (Sponsored Editorial)
