Sara Carnduff

Said the following about Team Project SWIFT (NRT, NR, Scotrail, CISCO, telent):

“Delivering the complex ‘Superfast Wi-Fi In-carriage for future travel’ (SWIFT) Innovate UK trial between Edinburgh and Glasgow, a first of its kind in the UK, rail infrastructure owner – Network Rail, train operating company – ScotRail, technology provider – Cisco and system integrator - telent came together as ‘team SWIFT’ to design and build a multi-disciplined railway specific trackside Wi-Fi network. Working together to deliver the trial, team SWIFT overcame significant challenges including successfully engaging multiple and varied stakeholders to gain their buy in, product approval, design approval and to deliver to tight timescales, often in challenging weather conditions.

“Never before has the appetite and opportunity for transformation in mobile connectivity along the railway been so great. Working collaboratively across industry, ScotRail, Cisco, telent and Network Rail, have collectively broken new ground on how connectivity can be delivered, demonstrating a better digital passenger experience along the Edinburgh-Glasgow route. I am very proud of everyone who has contributed to this successful programme and their efforts, which have established a blueprint for cross-industry collaboration, in the delivery of digital connectivity for passengers.” Simon Atterwell, Director, Network Rail Telecom.

Funded by Innovate UK and Cisco and as part of the UK Government’s strategy for connecting trains, Network Rail, ScotRail, telent, Cisco and its technology partners worked collaboratively to deliver this innovative and complex multi-functional pilot project. The scope included; demonstrating that the technology worked in the rail environment, carrying out trials on test tracks and trains, reprogramming work to align with other critical projects on the route, undertaking various design iterations, installing new equipment and integrating with existing safety critical infrastructure, all within tight timescales and in challenging weather conditions.

“We are delighted that ScotRail’s customers have been the first in the UK to experience on train WiFi at broadband speeds. We are even more proud that the established collaboration between Network Rail and Abellio ScotRail through the ScotRail Alliance was a key factor in attracting this trial to Scotland to benefit our customers.

After years of talking about using trackside equipment to improve digital connectivity to trains, the cross-industry team of Network Rail, Cisco, Telent and ScotRail have proven it can be done on an operational railway. We now look forward to team SWIFT’s innovation, hard work and learnings being used to enable a step change in digital connectivity for all UK rail customers.” Scott Prentice, Head of Business Development – ScotRail.

Utilising existing relationships, developing new ones and in collaboration with several key stakeholders, including station staff and other contractors carrying out work in the same areas, team SWIFT reprogrammed the works to meet the tight timescales. This involved agile re-planning around existing possessions and isolations, while always considering the multiple and varied dependencies, in order to accelerate the standard eight-week window to meet the required timescales safely and compliantly. Working together, team SWIFT identified efficiencies and undertook re-designs to accommodate this which led to changes in the installation and commissioning methodology, reducing the time needed on site and resulting in safer and less disruptive delivery. One of the re-designs eliminated the need to excavate a car park, minimising the disruption to the travelling public.

Due to the innovative nature of the project, team SWIFT continually worked together to understand the new equipment as well as engaging with both local station and infrastructure maintenance staff to prove there would be no interference to the safety critical infrastructure and existing systems.

Through fantastic collaboration and stakeholder engagement, approval was granted, and agreement was given as to where the new equipment could be installed and attached to existing infrastructure and access points. The new equipment was then built and tested offsite; which delivered further efficiencies by reducing time and risk on site. With 11 GSM-R sites and 4 infill sites, the process became quicker and easier as the programme progressed, lessons learnt were taken forward and working relationships were established through collaboration.

While each party had their own set of objectives, challenges and operational dependencies, this diverse group of stakeholders worked together to deliver this innovative solution. Team SWIFT worked collaboratively and agilely to accommodate each stakeholder’s requirements, including all parties carrying out visits to site to discuss and understand the challenges and dependencies involved. This proved fundamental in providing the best solution to achieve the project’s goals of improving customer experience and providing high-speed wireless connectivity for UK rail. As part of this work, designs were amended and approved to benefit the local maintainer’s requirements, another great example of teamwork and agile working between all the parties.

Despite this being a new team, all parties were proactive throughout, constantly working together to find solutions to the various challenges to accelerate safe delivery of the trial project. As a first for UK rail and team SWIFT, all parties worked as one team to overcome significant challenges to deliver an innovative trial which has the potential to transform the customer experience for UK rail passengers, a proven example of what can be achieved through collaboration and agile working across the industry.

“As a company committed to enhancing communications as a systems integrator across the rail industry, it was an honour to work collaboratively as one team with the infrastructure owner, train operating company and technology provider to deliver an innovative complex trial aiming to make train to trackside wireless connectivity a reality. We are really proud of how the whole team, made up of Network Rail, ScotRail, Cisco and ourselves, worked collaboratively and overcame a number of significant challenges to deliver what could be ground breaking in terms of improving the customer experience.” Steve Dalton, Managing Director – Transport, telent.

“Project SWIFT has been a pioneering model of collaboration and partnership between Network Rail, the UK Government and private industry to drive innovation on the UK railway. The UK government has provided the political will to drive and incentivise, Network Rail has ensured that Project SWIFT was delivered without any risk to one of the safest railway systems in the world, and Cisco has leveraged its skills in networking, delivering on our commitment to investing digitally in the UK. Together, this partnership has proven truly innovative technology can be safely delivered to make a step change in passenger experience” Scot Gardner, Chief Executive - Cisco UK & Ireland.“