At Network Rail’s Ambergate rail site, images from Wisenet XNP-6040H PTZ domes made by Hanwha Techwin are being streamed to a Network Rail control room, enabling operators to monitor work around the site to minimise walkouts and aid compliance to health and safety rules.
Network Rail required live video streams of their site. The Nottingham-based firm Inside Out Group won the contract to provide four separate monitoring systems for the Derbyshire site, after being invited to participate in a tender process.
Jay Dale, Head of Time Lapse for Inside Out Group, said: “This was an interesting, as well as a challenging project to work on in that the monitoring systems needed to be sufficiently robust to be able to work in tough track side conditions. With the rail improvement work being carried out in remote locations, the camera systems also required standalone power sources without any reliance on generators. We met with staff from Network Rail to establish their exact site monitoring needs. This helped us give detailed advice and recommend specific CCTV products that fit Network Rail’s needs.”
Although the CCTV installation tender was a national one, the first site highlighted was Ambergate. After evaluating cameras from a number of manufacturers, Inside Out Group decided to specify the 2 megapixel Wisenet XNP-6040H pan and tilt domes for all the required locations. Image quality was a major factor in the decision, as was the XNP-6040H’s relatively low operating power requirements.
The vandal-resistant and weatherproof H.265 Wisenet XNP-6040H domes have an auto-tracking PTZ feature which enables operators to monitor detail. This means that Network Rail can remotely control the systems and focus on areas that they need to see. The XNP-6040H dome’s also come with gyro sensors for more accurate image stabilisation if they are disturbed by wind or vibration, while built-in SD memory card slots enable the short term storage of video in the event that there is any network disruption.
Working with Network Rail’s S&C North Alliance Doncaster team and through product distributors Norbain, Inside Out Group were able to have all the cameras delivered to site and working within 48 hours of the start of the project. Each of the four systems are battery powered, negating the need for any cabling and the cameras have been attached to existing site structures which helped minimise installation time. H.265 compressed live video streams from the domes are sent over the 4G mobile network to the control room. Secure log-ins let authorised staff remotely access the video via their smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Inside Out Group also installed one of their durable time lapse systems on site. This was mainly for film production purposes, as Network Rail were also keen to showcase the Ambergate works.
Inside Out Group have received good feedback from senior staff at Network Rail for the quality of the systems installed and for organising the installations within the required tight timescales. From the S&C North Alliance Doncaster team, Alliance Director, Neil Johnson said that the captured images “are crystal clear’ and Project Manager, Rachel Cox stated that the systems are “working brilliantly”.
Jay Dale said: “Following on from the installation of the four systems, we have continued to work closely with Network Rail so that we can obtain feedback from staff on their experiences of using the live video. This will help us going forward to optimise benefits we can offer Network Rail from these type of monitoring solutions.”
