Security
A new approach to securing the rail network
Magnus McEwen-King looks at how developments in fibre optic technology are heralding a new era in rail security and condition monitoring, as well as proving highly cost-effective
G
lobal rail networks face a wider range of threats today than at any time in the past. In addition to the perennial
challenge of keeping children and vandals off the track, we now have to mitigate much more serious threats. This includes planning against ‘black swan’ events such as terrorist attacks, as well as more common security threats such as copper theft.
Copper theft is a particularly intractable problem. Caused by the high market value of copper, and no doubt exacerbated by our prolonged economic torpor, Network Rail estimates that it costs more than £19 million1
per year. And
these are just the direct costs. Copper theft also delays freight and passenger services, having a knock-on effect that is hugely damaging to the nation’s economy. Until now, the approaches available for securing the rail infrastructure have been somewhat limited. The obvious solutions, such as CCTV and the use of chemical marking agents have been reactive. They are used forensically, and in helping to catch people after the event, but can do nothing to prevent theft or trespass actually taking place. The only real alternative has been to employ additional British Transport Police officers or to hire third-party security staff: an expensively unattractive option in austere times.
Solution already built-in
The ideal would be an approach that is proactive and preventative while at the same time cost-effective. Such an approach has already been developed and, importantly in the interest of efficiency and ease of implementation, it is built on the existing assets of the rail network. Currently used to provide communications for signalling and control equipment, the fibre optic communications infrastructure already installed on the railways can be used to alert rail operators and Network Rail to events in real-time as they occur across the network. It can actually tell operators
when a theft or act of vandalism is occurring, or if any other suspicious activities are occurring. This means that the BTP can be alerted immediately and criminals caught red handed. Using distributed acoustic sensing, OptaSense, part of QinetiQ, uses its patented technology to turn the fibre optics communications cables into what is effectively thousands of virtual microphones. It is so sensitive it can differentiate between the different sound profiles of animals and humans walking next to the rail track and can determine the speed and direction of vehicles in the vicinity of the tracks. Malicious attacks, such as copper theft, are often preceded by reconnaissance and preparation. The OptaSense systems can detect, classify, and locate such pre-incident activity and will alert the operator to a range of potential threat scenarios along the protected asset – in this case rail lines. Moreover, the data that is generated by monitoring these acoustic patterns can, over time, discern behavioural trends that may not have otherwise come to light. This includes everything from which parts of the network are most likely to record a trespass, and what time of day these are likely to occur to what type of trespass it is likely to be: theft or vandalism for example. This means that where money needs to be spent, it can be spent in an intelligent and effective way, based on statistically probable insights presented to us by the data. All of this brings a level of sophistication and proactive cost management to network security that simply has not been seen before.
Security and damage detection Importantly, this technology can bring a range of ancillary benefits to the operator and track owner alike. The software can, for example, use the fibre network to monitor the condition of assets: everything from track beds, machines and generator pumps on the track side through to wheel flats, wheel drag and hot
box on the train side, can be acoustically monitored for faults. As soon as a suspect sound pattern is discovered the asset owner can be informed and a repair made, ensuring that train operations are not only more efficient, but also safer. Given the tendency towards extreme weather conditions that the UK seems to be experiencing at present, our Victorian rail infrastructure is going to come under extreme pressure. This new ability to be able to accurately detect damage in real time will be as important in securing the track against the weather as it is in securing copper against theft.
A new era in security and monitoring It is true, therefore, that rail professionals today are facing challenging times. Not only do they need to protect the infrastructure from malicious human activity, but they have to counteract the degenerative effects of time and the eroding effects of the weather on our increasingly fragile rail infrastructure. The good news is that we are better equipped than ever to take on this challenge. We can detect crime and network faults more accurately than ever before and respond as they occur. This is a whole new era in rail security and condition monitoring - and one that will prove very cost-effective. Magnus McEwen-King is CEO at OptaSense Email:
contact@optasense.com Tel: +44 1252 392000
www.optasense.com
May 2013 Page 73
1www.networkrail.co.uk/cabletheft
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