Railway infrastructure management

Transport drainage infrastructure is a system of pipes, channels, and other assets that safely transport water away from the track. When drainage infrastructure is compromised or inadequate, flooding can occur. Flooding causes delays to users and costs to asset managers, but crucially can affect “parent” assets such as structures and signaling, which endangers human life (e.g. Watford Tunnel Derailment, Stonehaven derailment). This project aims to collaboratively develop a holistic whole-system approach, an understanding of the drainage impacts on nearby assets, and provide a framework for a risk-based approach to drainage asset management. This will enable optimised monitoring for real-time disaster response, prediction of performance and failure under future climates, and efficient maintenance and strategic financial planning. Ultimately it will enable a more reliable transport network that is safer for all stakeholders, and empower the UK to become a global leader in intelligent holistic transport drainage management.