Knowledge base Capital connection Mott MacDonalds work to integrate digital, physical and information systems on Londons new Elizabeth line provides a blueprint for how these systems can work together to create a high-performing railway with the best possible outcomes for users When a new rail line opens that has been many years in the making, inevitably its the new tunnels, stations and other physical infrastructure that catch the eye. Yet the data and digital systems that sit behind these assets can be an equally impressive achievement. These are the systems that help the rail network run smoothly and provide operators with the information they need to make decisions. For the Elizabeth line, this meant the use of objective real-time data, processed and presented as information, to underpin operational and maintenance decisions both immediate tactical ones and longer-term strategic ones. For this, it would need to mobilise its digital systems to provide real-time information in an integrated, reliable, and consistent way. Author bio A feat of integration Michael de Voil leads the Mott MacDonald rail systems asset management capability in the UK. For the last two-and-a-half years, he has been a senior adviser to TfL as it established itself as the new infrastructure manager for the Elizabeth line. This role has included aspects of resilience planning, review of the operational model and the transitioning of organisations to meet the required capabilities now required. He currently leads the Business Improvement Programme for Infrastructure. The systems and information programme was established in November 2020, with the objective of integrating and commissioning all systems and information associated with the railway. Until that point, the systems and information that had been developed was being handed over in isolated contracts. The Crossrail project team started integrating and making them work together and continued to develop them as many of them werent complete. Mott MacDonald was tasked with integrating the railways digital and physical infrastructure so that when Transport for London (TfL) assumed responsibility as the Infrastructure Manager, it would help inform asset management and operational decisions over the course of its projected 120-year life. The key challenges were bringing operational technology and IT systems together in a single systems and information architecture, and delivering end-to-end IT systems and remote monitoring systems that would support operational and business priorities. A multi-layered enterprise There were several categories of system that needed to be integrated. First, there were control systems located on the stations, for example for the platform screen doors, the building management systems and the lifts and escalators. Then there were those that would help manage the infrastructure in real time, such as the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and signalling systems; these were largely based at the Route Control Centre (RCC) in Romford. Next, there were digital systems that store data that could be used to inform operational and maintenance decisions, such as the document management system, the asset management system (Maximo), and the data, analytics and reporting systems. And finally, there were business systems, performing functions such as finance and HR that were essential to the wider management of the business. A new system architecture In all, more than 50 systems were identified as fundamental to the day-to-day business, and there were more than 10,000 data feeds from different rail systems and locations. The team needed to take these systems, many of which had been developed as part of a construction project, and piece them together into a new architecture that fully supported the operational railway. Initially, Mott MacDonald developed the systems architecture diagram with the TfLs technical and data (T&D) team so that there was a common, comprehensive understanding of all the systems, data sources and flows what they did and how they needed to be connected, integrated and supported on TfLs wider IT estate. The team recognised the importance of the asset management systems and its interfaces with the operational control systems, and the places where data was stored (known as the data lake and the data warehouse) and was able to simplify the approach to developing the overall architecture. This systems architecture provided Mott MacDonald with visibility of the Elizabeth lines enterprise as a whole, and enabled them to identify priorities for TfL to meet the readiness requirements to put the railway into operation. Until then, the business areas were developing capabilities in silos. This approach allowed the combined team to focus its effort in the areas that would make the biggest impact. The resulting programme of development work was organised in seven workstreams that impacted nearly every part of the lines operations and management. Target operating model Author bio Carmen Peraita Sanz is a Consultant Director at Mott MacDonald. She has spent much of her career client-side in senior leadership roles, designing and leading transformation programmes. She spent two years as the Programme Manager for Systems and Information, working for TfL on Crossrail, and implemented an enterprise architecture approach to help TfL move from construction to the operational environment. Currently, she is the Change and Adoption Lead in the Business Improvement Programme for Infrastructure. Understanding how data was created, processed and used over the whole life-cycle was vital to success. The systems and information architecture the team put together showed how all the systems involved in operating the railway should work seamlessly together to support business requirements. The team developed an information strategy with a high-level map of the processes, management systems and organisational design that would be required to properly exploit it. This helped to identify the capabilities that were required to put the railway into operation at key milestones, and informed organisational design during the transition period. It also allowed business areas to focus on the development of the processes and tools that they require. This was an iterative process that is leading to a new operation model for how the digitally integrated railway can function in a way that best supports business needs. Mott MacDonald then set about transforming the digital and business capabilities to move towards this model. In deciding what development work to prioritise, the team always went back to the overarching business goals and objectives to confirm that the investment would deliver against these. It established a governance process that guaranteed all systems were developed only after considering requirements from all business areas. In some cases, business processes and management systems needed to be revisited or rewritten to align with the new systems, and the team was asked to modify these as part of the overall scope of work. This was the catalyst to implement an enterprise architecture approach whereby the team could consider the alignment between the five layers within the business: the high-level business objectives, the operating model, the management system, the technology layer and the data layer. Enterprise architecture By linking and leveraging the underlying data behind the various systems, the team was able to better align the information they provide with the business needs. A data and analytics platform was created that ties together multiple subsystems and provides information in a holistic realtime fashion, and enables reporting at different levels of the organisation. The platform needed to be user-friendly for operational staff including those working at the RCC, with only a manageable number of alarms and notifications from the different systems. Working with TfLs T&D team, Mott MacDonald developed a solution called Right Click that allows people in the control centre to raise work orders in Maximo and prioritise them according to the criticality of the alarm. Mott MacDonald also helped TfL improve the management structures, job roles and processes that would allow the workforce to perform better, including upskilling staff if necessary. TfLs timeline ince World War II, many proposals for an east-west railway under London have been made, S culminating in the first full Crossrail scheme submitted to parliament in 1991. It did not pass the committee stage, but the route was used for the central section of a revised scheme in 2000 A joint venture between the Strategic Rail Authority and TfL was set up in 2001. Outline design, consultation and business case development led to a scheme ready to submit to parliament The main construction phase was launched in 2011. Tunnelling for the new rail tunnels began in May 2012 and was completed in May 2015. Eight tunnel boring machines (TBMs) created the new tunnels under London with further works on stations, platform tunnels, shafts and portals continuing after the tunnelling finished Installation of railway systems such as track, power and signalling began in 2015. Systems were fitted into stations and other structures, then tested and commissioned as an overall system In 2015, TfL Rail services were introduced from Liverpool Street to Shenfield, operated by MTR Elizabeth Line. MTR provides train drivers, station staff and control room operators and will continue to work alongside TfL colleagues to provide the service across the Elizabeth line In 2016, the Queen visited Bond Street station and the railway was renamed the Elizabeth line In 2017, the first of the new Elizabeth line trains was introduced between Liverpool Street and Shenfield 2018 saw the introduction of TfL rail services between Paddington and Heathrow (taking over Heathrow Connect) and, in 2019, services began between Paddington and Reading with new Elizabeth line trains Extensive commissioning of the railway commenced in spring 2021 when trial running began, and trial operations commenced in November 2021 The Elizabeth line opened on 24 May 2022, with full services across the entire route set to be introduced by May 2023. All-round benefits The Elizabeth line opened to passengers on 24 May 2022. As well as the physical railway and its assets, TfL assumed control of an integrated network of digital systems that was aligned with its organisational objectives. The functionality of its operational technology and business systems has supported the opening of the railway throughout each stage of the operational readiness process, and has enabled the business to meet its tactical imperatives in a way that supports progress towards its end vision. Through the creation of the enterprise architecture, Mott MacDonald has helped align processes, people, information and technology with its enterprise-level vision. There is now a clear line of sight between vision and tactical delivery, which is one factor that has allowed the transformation from a construction project to a digitally enabled enterprise transport solution. Having handed over all systems and software to TfL, the team continues to work with TfL on business improvement, strategy and tools for managing the software in a similar way to a physical asset, with a robust configuration regime. A positive legacy TfL now has access to real-time information relevant to all its key assets, to allow evidence-based decision-making at all levels. There is flexibility in the way that reporting can be called off to service stakeholders throughout the business. As the line is still in the early stages of development, the team is continuously learning and improving its ways of working, processes and its tools and TfL is able to use data analytics to achieve continuous improvement in its service to customers, improve capacity, improve the health and wellbeing of staff, and to make services more efficient and resilient against disruption. The Elizabeth line is already a high-capacity and high-reliability transport solution and it is only through analysing data from multiple sources that it can maintain the highest standards and improve even further in the future, creating the best possible outcomes with respect to sustainability, safety and cost. Take a journey on the new Elizabeth line
