big data

Deep Dive

Using data science to better understand and maintain rolling stock performance.

Big Data Journey: From Collection to Analysis to Predictive Use

RAILWAY AGE, MARCH 2020 ISSUE: The December 2019 Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Planning Conference, held at the University of Delaware, continued to highlight the advances the railroad industry is making in addressing the growing volume of data from inspection and other systems, and learning how to apply it. This was clearly shown in the keynote address, where the keynote speaker, Jeffrey D. Knueppel, P.E., now retired as General Manager of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) presented how his agency is already using a range of data collection, data analysis and data management tools in the everyday running of SEPTA. In fact, he titled his presentation “SEPTA’s Journey Into Big Data” and presented a range of Big Data applications that are currently implemented or being implemented on SEPTA.

Rolling Asset Health

Railway Age, June 2019 Issue, Combining Big Data Analytics With Remote Monitoring: Advancing safe and efficient rail operations continues to be a primary focus of North American freight railroad operations. What is particularly exciting right now is that the data available to railroads, both in its detail and volume, enables them to manage their operations in ways that were not possible before.

Big Data drives big results

Railway Age, February 2019: As railroads continue to expand their data collection technologies across all of their operational areas, they simultaneously continue to expand their ability to analyze this data and convert the data into actionable information—in other words, to generate information that can be directly used in their operation or maintenance activities.

Cloud architecture for Big Data

Railway infrastructure does not provide much information in and of itself, however, high-tech inspection vehicles, equipped with sensors and radars, frequently perform inspections of the track. They capture millions of data points when inspecting miles of track, by measuring numerous characteristics, such as rail, track and substructure quality. Further, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones, are now being used to take images and scan tracks.

Big Data conference: “Moving from talking to action”

The 2018 University of Delaware Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering “Big Data in Railroad Maintenance Planning Conference,” held Dec. 13-14, spotlighted the progression the industry is making in dealing with Big Data—“converting the mountain of data collected by railway systems into effective maintenance planning information, with a focus on railway needs and practical applications.

Bridging the Big Data gap

Railways are harvesting increasing volumes of data on the performance of their assets. But converting raw data into meaningful insights remains a challenge for many industry organizations. At the May 29 Rise of IoT and Big Data in Rail conference in Munich, organized by Rotaia Media, suppliers, tech companies, train operators and infrastructure managers described how they are harnessing the power of data through advanced asset management systems.

Rolling with Big Data

The emerging role of Data Science, commonly known as “Big Data” in railroad maintenance, was discussed earlier in Railway Age (“Better Railroading Through Big Data.”) As noted, railroads are developing and implementing new generations of sophisticated inspection and monitoring systems, and as a result are finding themselves collecting large volumes of data.

Better railroading through Big Data

As railroads develop and implement new generations of sophisticated inspection and monitoring systems, they find themselves collecting large volumes of data, at increased frequencies across a variety of interrelated systems.

LOAD MORE