All articles by Julian Turner
Julian Turner
Security on the railway: does collecting personal data have a place?
The Belgian Government has approved a pilot project to collect data on Eurostar travellers, part of the Passenger Name Record regulation that applies to international flights. Should the rail industry bear a similar responsibility to airlines when it comes to security issues?
Rail apps: unlocking the power of open data
The Joint Rail Data Action Plan aims to remove barriers to information-sharing between train operating companies and tech companies, allowing app developers to provide better mobile services for passengers.
How IT is revolutionising rail resource planning with Quintiq and Ab Ovo
Belgian freight operator SNCB Logistics has replaced its rail cargo planning systems with a single platform. We speak to suppliers Quintiq and Ab Ovo about the challenge of installing an integrated IT system that offers synchronised planning across SNCB Logistics’ business processes and resources.
Step change: Network Rail’s Neal Lawson talks platform safety
In the past five years 18 people have died and 7,000 have been injured on the UK rail network as a result of falls from the station platform or accidents while boarding trains. Julian Turner talks to Neal Lawson, director of maintenance and operations services at Network Rail, about the new platform- train interface (PTI) project, wayfinding strategies and securing buy-in from industry stakeholders.
Battle lines: the fight for California’s High-Speed Rail project
Cost overruns, public apathy, staunch Republican opposition and a multitude of environmental and legal lawsuits have turned California’s dream of a high-speed rail line into a nightmare. With ground finally broken on the $98bn project, we ask if it now has a realistic chance of success.
Intelligent design: the future of fare-dodging surveillance technology
The Detector system pioneered by Spanish firm AWAAIT employs artificial intelligence algorithms to identify fare dodgers, sends photos of offenders to staff and compiles statistics to track trends. We talk to AWAAIT founder Xavier Arrufat about the company’s partnership with rail operator FGC, black swan events, and teaching computers the difference between right and wrong.
Talking Integrated wireless connectivity on trains with Nomad Digital’s Jay Saw
Integrated wireless connectivity is revolutionising the way rail operators interact with passengers and rail vehicles. Julian Turner talks to Jay Saw of Nomad Digital about condition-based monitoring, captive portals and the company’s record-breaking collaboration with Dutch rail operator NS.
Introducing the UK’s first Tram-Train
The tram-train concept allows a railway vehicle to run as an on-street tram serving city centres and also as a commuter train running on existing local rail networks. Julian Turner gets the inside track from the University of Huddersfield’s David Crosbee on the pioneering, £60m Tram-Train project, which promises to transform the transport network in the city of Sheffield, UK.
Axell Wireless’s Ingo Flomer talks DAS technology and mobile broadband
Network Rail intends to spend £1.9bn rolling out high-speed mobile broadband across the busiest parts of the UK’s rail network. Julian Turner talks to Ingo Flomer of Axell Wireless about the ambitious project and why distributed antenna system (DAS) technology may provide a cost-effective solution.
The Italian job: supply chain software optimises NTV rail operations
NTV, Italy’s first private operator on the country’s high-speed rail network, employs integrated fleet and workforce planning software to optimise operational resources. Julian Turner gets the inside track from Giancarlo Broggio, business consultant at Quintiq, about long-term strategic planning, real-time rescheduling and balancing business imperatives with employee preferences.