RSSB. Accelerating the adoption of new technology
Are you getting the most from new technologies?
We’re on a mission to help rail benefit safely from the latest in tech, data, and AI.
Advances in technology can make our industry more efficient, resilient, and cost effective. But in our safety-critical world, any change carries risk. We’re on a mission to bring standards, research, and sustainability together to realise these benefits in the safest way we can.
In the past few years, AI in rail has gone from ‘buzzword’ to ‘bona fide’. It’s being used in several of our new tools already. In Safe Insights, where industry reports their safety event data, we’ve introduced AI to improve user experience and data quality. By recognising key topics and making helpful prompts and suggestions, it streamlines the process from entry to review.
But AI could help in many other ways. To facilitate exploration of these opportunities in the rail, we’re developing an AI assessment toolkit. It will allow organisations to better understand the implications of potential AI projects. The more learning we can share in this space, the faster our industry will benefit.
Besides AI, there are myriad ways we can harness technology to gather the data we need to make the railway safer. Air quality at stations is a known factor in the health of our passengers and staff, regardless of operator or network area. A scheme to monitor air quality using diffusion tubes, reference monitors, and low-cost sensors, is now giving us a better picture of key pollution issues at stations. Using these technologies benefit the whole industry by building up a bank of data to inform targeted interventions to improve passenger and staff health. Since 2022, data has guided collaborative efforts to reduce harmful pollutants like NO2 and particulate matter. Thanks to these new technologies, industry can develop targeted plans for intervention.
Decarbonisation is a priority for the industry as a whole, delivering an even more sustainable network for passengers and freight. Our climate credentials are undeniable. But going green doesn’t mean we’re compromising on power. New technologies for traction power are bringing more opportunities for advancement and innovation. They’re bringing challenges, too. Smart energy management demands new solutions and standards to ensure evolution is efficient and safe.
New rules and real-time data will improve battery train reliability, preventing power shortages and optimising battery use. This is crucial for expanding electric train services.
The integration of battery trains requires new standards beyond power network capacity. We're developing guidelines for vehicle design, batteries, and charging systems, alongside operational procedures for normal and emergency scenarios. The complexity arises from diverse charging infrastructures and the need to align charging with timetables. These standards, created in collaboration with industry, aim to ensure safe and efficient battery train operations, and are scheduled for publication in December 2026.
The path to a smarter railway lies in harnessing new technology, data, and AI, but only with a steadfast commitment to safety. Prioritising responsible innovation will unlock rail's full potential.
Realising data and AI benefits. Read the blog ❯
Applying technology, safety. Find out more ❯
New podcast episode: Navigating technological change in the evolving rail industry. Listen now ❯
Expert insight: Vaibhav Puri, RSSB’s AI expert talks regulation, assurance, and innovation. Go to the interview ❯