Northern is set to transform the way the rail network is maintained by fitting up to 40 of its trains with equipment that will monitor the track and surrounding infrastructure while operating normal services.

The trains so fitted will effectively become ‘data hoovers’.

Each night, the information captured would be downloaded to Network Rail so that it can be analysed. The equipment consists of Horizon-scanning LIDAR cameras, thermal imaging software, and high-definition CCTV cameras.

Information to be recorded will include infrastructure defects, environmental factors, and maintenance issues.

In 2022, Northern introduced an Intelligent Trains programme, which is a collaboration with Network Rail designed to help make journeys by rail safer, more reliable and efficient. This latest project is part of the programme.

Northern estimates that each year this will save tens of thousands of ‘delay minutes’ caused by urgent, unscheduled maintenance, and is in talks with Network Rail to secure funding for the programme.

Northern was recently shortlisted for an award in the Engineering & Safety category at the 2023 Railway Innovation Awards. These are organised by Modern Railways magazine in association with the Railway Industry Association and will take place on Friday, 23rd June.

Rob Warnes, strategic development director at Northern, said: “We have always sought ways to do things smarter, safer and more efficient.

“Each of our trains travel, on average, 100,000 km around the North of England every year and that presents an amazing opportunity for data capture.

“We would only need 40 of our fleet of 335 trains to be fitted with this technology to regularly sweep our entire network, which spans 3,000 km of track.

“Those trains could provide engineers with data from the same section of track over many days, weeks and months – enabling maintenance issues to be identified and repairs scheduled whilst they are within operational safety standards.”