On Friday 22 July 2011, Serco Docklands Ltd. has ordered POSS hardware (a preventive maintenance and failure diagnosis system developed by Strukton) from Strukton Systems, a division of Strukton Rail, for the monitoring of the points and axle counters along the Docklands Light Railway. This order is part of a monitoring project initiated by Serco to prevent failures and reduce the mean time to recovery (MTTR). This is an important issue for the year 2012, when Docklands Light Railway will be the backbone of the public transport in the area of the Olympic Games. Strukton’s POSS will help Serco in this issue. The POSS monitoring system is a proven concept for preventing failures and reducing downtimes.
The order placed on 22 July includes 50 micro POSS units. Serco will install the hardware on 149 point machines at 30 stations and 25 axle counter cabinets. Additional orders are expected for the delivery of software, the commissioning of the monitoring system and the training of Serco’s engineers. The complete monitoring system should be in operation by the end of 2011, when POSS should monitor all points and axle counters along the 31 kilometre (19 miles) long Docklands Light Railway line.
Serco has selected Strukton´s POSS monitoring system after two successful pilot projects. The first POSS system was commissioned in February 2005 at Canary Wharf station in the well-known Canary Wharf Offices Area. POSS monitors three point machines at this station, which move approximately 300 times a day due to the short headway of the trains. A second POSS system has been in service at Royal Mint Street Junction since January 2008. This system does not only monitor the 6 points of the junction but also the Alcatel axle counter system.
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated light metro system serving the Docklands area of London. It covers several areas of London, reaching north to Stratford, south to Lewisham, west to Tower Gateway and Bank in the City of London financial district, and east to Beckton, London City Airport and Woolwich Arsenal. The line is operated under a concession awarded to Serco Docklands Ltd. The DLR is used by up to 100,000 people every day.
POSS is the world´s largest point monitoring system and can also be used for the remote monitoring of point heating, level crossings, axle counters, track-circuit current flows, rolling stock and other objects. POSS monitors some thousands of points and other objects world-wide. More information about POSS: www.possinfo.com. More information about the pilot projects on the DLR: click here.