Frazer-Nash is supporting Bristol-based start-up Atmo Technology Limited (Atmo), as it demonstrates how its novel monitoring technology could help the rail industry to improve air quality at stations and depots.
As part of a £9 million ‘First of a Kind’ demonstrator initiative organised by the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), and funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), the project will deliver real-time air quality measurements at Bristol Temple Meads station and St Philip’s Marsh railway depot, using data from wi-fi and GPS enabled sensors.
Chris Ward of Frazer-Nash, who has been leading the development of the digital twin, said:
“The rail industry is becoming increasingly aware of its impact on air quality at both local and national scales, and this has led to a number of programmes of work to monitor, understand and improve air quality. This First-of-a-Kind project will combine Atmo’s cutting edge real-time air quality measurement technology with a digital twin of the station being developed by our experts to provide an unparalleled understanding of air quality at a rail station.
“Once this understanding has been developed it will pave the way for informed decisions to be made on how to manage and improve the local air quality in the future. Using Bristol station and depot as a test case Atmo and Frazer-Nash hope to demonstrate the effectiveness of this technology, and how it can be applied across the rail sector to benefit both rail staff and passengers.”
Jake Bird of Atmo, said:
“Atmo’s mission is to help save lives through reduced exposure to pollutants; minimise emissions off-site; and maximise operational efficiency. Our combination of IoT hardware, advanced data visualisations and real-time alerts enables data-driven decision making.
“We are excited to be working in stations and depots with Network Rail and other stakeholders to help drive the eventual decarbonisation of the industry, and are delighted to be partnering with Frazer Nash, whose world-class modelling technology and risk-mapping capabilities perfectly complement our own offerings.”
The SBRI competition aims to accelerate innovation in the UK rail sector by using novel technologies that can be integrated into a railway environment. Atmo and Frazer-Nash are delivering a project focused on Theme 3 of the competition, ‘Low emissions and a greener railway’ to explore how technology can help rail organisations to improve the air quality at their stations.
