OVERVIEW
As a first of its kind in UK rail, Transport for Wales (TfW) took ownership of the Core Valley Lines (CVL) infrastructure from Network Rail (NR). The assets are leased to Amey Infrastructure Wales (AIW) who perform the role of Infrastructure Manager. CVL are the lines that run between Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Treherbert, Rhymney and Coryton
TfW was seeking to champion a data driven asset management culture to inform economic and efficient decision making. This presented a significant opportunity to design and implement a new suite of asset management IT systems (AM ITS) including an Enterprise Asset Management System (EAMS) from the ground up. Enterprise asset management is a combination of software, systems and services used to maintain and control operational assets such as tunnels, track and associated infrastructure.
The novelty is not the implementation of a Maximo EAMS, which has been done successfully many times before, it is implementing a cloud-based Maximo EAMS that permits the near-seamless transfer of asset management from NR to AIW while complying with NR and regulatory standards. The NR data estate compromises over 600 disparate systems (on premises and cloud based).
APPROACH
A discovery phase enabled us to develop an ‘as-is’ picture of the existing Network Rail architecture, further informing the detailed specification for the ‘to-be’ architecture. We created an Asset Information Specification (AIS) database to define a single data model against which all source systems could be mapped and validated against. We used the AIS in conjunction with SQL Server Information Services (SSIS) to build a configurable migration pipeline to provide the data in the target format.
BENEFITS
- We created value in developing the requirements and architecture for the new AM ITS. Our collaboration with the client ensured they met contractual milestones to secure delivery payment.
- Unified information system across asset disciplines.
- Web-based AIS enabled stakeholder visibility to be maintained throughout, ensuring there is no surprising, or mis, communications.
- Automated migration process reduced the opportunities for human error.
- Auditable and traceable migration process helped ensure data was validated prior to loading and that the result of errors could be quickly identified.