Andrew, welcome to Expert Edit. Tell us a little about your rail career, and your current role.
I joined the industry through the Association of Train Operating Companies. I’ve focussed on new technologies like the European Train Control System, Traffic Management, and IT systems used in operational control. Here at RSSB, I am the technical lead for our new Data, Systems, and Telematics Standards Committee. We’re helping the industry create new data standards, and guide organisations on how data can be more easily and effectively shared and exploited.
For the past few years, I’ve been working to define the National Control Command and Signalling Defect Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System, better known as DRACAS. I’m also the chair for the National DRACAS Group. One of our main goals is to highlight the benefits of sharing data to strengthen the reliability and resilience of the network, and the industry as a whole.
Can you tell us more about what the National DRACAS is, and how it will help industry improve system reliability and resilience?
The National DRACAS is a formalised management system incorporating people, processes, and IT systems. It lets organisations share information and cooperatively investigate incidents and failures. Working together and sharing information, we can better detect underlying defects. By addressing these underlying defects, future incidents and failures are prevented. Ultimately, this supports a safe and reliable railway system.
As chair of the National DRACAS Group, what are some of the recent challenges or opportunities that you’ve been looking at?
Data sharing is something we’ve been looking at in the National DRACAS Group for a long time. This includes how we can share data and what data fields are needed. But the nature of the National DRACAS means we’re handling potentially commercial or safety-sensitive data. The questions we’re asking now are: How can we create an environment and framework where organisations feel comfortable sharing this data? And how can we assure companies that only the appropriate people see the information? If we get it right, there are opportunities for those organisations to benefit. For example, the more data we share, the more data is ingested into their local systems. Richer insights can be gained this way, and more benefits delivered.
The group is a valuable place to foster this essential collaboration. Every organisation brings a different perspective, and the benefits from the National DRACAS aren’t the same for everybody. Equally, everyone has their own background and previous experience which allows us to have fuller discussions and reach industry-agreeable conclusions.
What are the next developments in DRACAS that rail leaders will hear about?
At RSSB, we’re looking at what data is needed to support the National DRACAS. We’re thinking about the minimum amount of data that could be shared to help organisations manage shared risks.
We’ll be looking at what organisations are recording today for Control Command and Signalling (CCS) failure events and what the delta is between this and what the National DRACAS needs. This will help inform new versions of our standards.
We’re also working with Network Rail to see how a regional DRACAS, developed through the East Coast Digital Programme, can be scaled into a national system in future.
Finally, what do you think is rail’s greatest underappreciated strength?
There are so many people I’ve met that have a true passion for the industry. They are dedicated to seeing the right outcomes become reality. They go out of their way to help because they really care about our industry and want to see it succeed and flourish. The feeling of being part of the ‘railway family’ is so much stronger in this industry than any other. We should appreciate that more.