HRS exhibited for the first time at this year’s Rail Live. The event which took place on recently at Quinton Rail Technology Centre, Warwickshire, is the only exhibition bringing the entire rail industry together in a real railway environment, with over 200 exhibitors and 6000 visitors each year.

HRS demonstrated how the use of technology enabled traffic management solutions can protect workers and the travelling public during the maintenance, repair and renewals of railway assets and the roads that cross them.

Their Incursion, Prevention and Mitigation (IPM) system significantly increases levels of safety for the workforce by detecting and alerting them to a breach in the work-zone. Motion sensitive Intellicone traffic cone lamps detect unauthorised movement and activate an audible alarm to deter the intruder from entering the work site.

Wireless monitoring of each work-zone enables all the work sites to be viewed on a live operations map through their portal. Their platform enables live and historic views across all locations, such as level crossings. All incursion data is subsequently available and may be used to generate historical incursion maps and site-specific safety information prior to works taking place.

These systems have been shown to reduce site incursions by members of the public by 50% whilst also increasing the working window.

Also being showcased at the event was their Mobile Customer Support (MCS) Terminal. This digitally enabled interactive terminal provides members of the public with a method of seeking support and communicating with the site team, safely and without entering a work-zone. During a shift the Controller of Site Safety (COSS) is provided with a Portable Site Alarm (PSA) which geo locates the level crossing and the work site. Members of the public who wish to raise the attention of the COSS can then use the MCS Terminal, remotely activating an alert on the COSS’s PSA. Authorised personnel and emergency services that require access/ escorting through the work-zone can also gain access safely using the ‘escort’ mode on the PSA.

In the event that a closure is in place over a prolonged period, the MCS Terminal will automatically contact a designated phone number, enabling relevant information and support to be provided to the public directly.

The MCS Terminal is geo-located and self-configures when places in the perimeter of a pre-defined work site. It is fully rechargeable and may be combined with external battery packs for long lasting operation. The terminal can be quickly assembled by traffic management operatives and the information boards may be customised accordingly.

MCS Terminals are currently in use across the UK in different infrastructure projects. Their use has been shown to improve safety with members of the public less likely to enter a work site, and by reducing levels of aggression and confrontation against on-site personnel.