The implementation of the digital twin of the railway system (IN2SMART2 Project)

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In the series of articles tagged 'R&D,' we invite you to delve deeper into the research projects in which we participate with other companies. In this article, discover the IN2SMART2 research project.

The challenge surrounding the railway digital twin

Asset management in the railway sector needs significant improvement. This can be achieved through innovative technologies, new economic possibilities, and enhanced legislative standards.

In this regard, the IN2SMART2 project, funded by the EU, is part of the Shift2Rail alliance, which aims to converge the efforts of key players in the European railway industry in areas related to digital twins.

This European research project aims to support the implementation of the digital twin of the railway system, facilitating intra and inter-company collaboration and making the railway sector more efficient.

The ambition of this large-scale project is realized through the development of intelligent asset management systems in the railway sector, creating new and optimized strategies, processes, tools, products, and systems to contribute, among other things, to the realization of a single European railway space.

Altametris' objective

Altametris has joined WP6 of this project, which aims to create digital twins of new track sections and a new section of catenary system in the French and Spanish railway infrastructure.

The work involves developing processes to record and digitize their evolution as they are constructed (referred to as "As Built Records" or "ABRs"). The result of this use case is a TRL 7 level demonstrator, meaning a digital twin and the "as built" records of the actual work carried out on the railway network.

The techniques, technologies, and methods deployed

The digital modeling of stations, tracks, and catenaries through digital twins will substantially enhance maintenance operations of installations by providing better control and understanding of railway assets. This transition will enable a shift from corrective and preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance.

Results and Development Perspectives 

With our online platform Altametris Suite, Altametris contributes to the management and visualization of railway assets in the form of digital twins. Our main challenge is the continuous improvement of our platform to meet the requirements and constraints of this concept, which is still relatively uncommon in the railway domain.

Did you find this article interesting? Would you like to learn more about this project? Are you interested in being supported in creating your industrial digital twin?