Delayed journeys cause passengers stress, cost operator’s money and have wider socio-economic consequences.
London’s population alone is expected to hit 10 million by 2030. Having the right transport infrastructure in place is crucial to meet this demand, manage capacity and ensure the UK can continue to operate smoothly.
Capacity management has become even more essential in the post-COVID-19 world where social distancing measures need to be taken into consideration.
Our digital transportation services are helping to manage demand and spot problems before they arise, in order to ensure the everyday mobility of people and the distribution of goods.
On the roads, we are already managing the smooth flow of traffic with our National Traffic Information Service. The data service provides millions of road users every day with real-time information on digital road signage so that drivers can make informed decisions about their travel. This ensures that the UK’s strategic road networks can keep functioning in the event of an incident, using speed limits and diversions.
When it comes to disruptions on the railways, we understand that companies pay a great price when they cannot mitigate unplanned shutdowns. Trains out of operation due to repair also means a reduction in service availability, which negatively impacts passengers.
Thales’s smart maintenance platform, TIRIS, helps to avoid unnecessary disruptions and ensure networks can run efficiently. Using data, TIRIS works to reduce the number of unplanned shutdowns by giving operators the ability to analyse the performance of individual assets and undertake predictive maintenance based on this knowledge. This helps to reduce maintenance costs, increase safety and improve efficiency.
Keeping road users better informed and managing capacity with the National Traffic Information Service
From road works to predicted journey times and congestion warnings. Passengers require timely, accurate information so that they can efficiently and effectively complete their journeys and capacity can be managed.
Since 1991, Thales has worked with Highways England to provide drivers with real-time traffic information on digital road signage along 4,300 miles of motorways, trunk roads and A roads which are utilised by a third of all UK traffic.
The National Traffic Information Service (NTIS) uses Thales technology to collate and process data from across the strategic road network in order to provide up to the minute information to road users so that they can make educated decisions about their travel and manage capacity.
Controlled as part of Highways England’s National Traffic Operation Centre, the service keeps roads users better informed and helps to create smoother flowing traffic.
The NTIS service is provided by a joint venture between Thales and WSP, known as Network Information Services Ltd.