Data is the rail industry’s primary growing asset: the amount and speed of data being generated by running the railway is growing at a very steep trajectory thanks to increasing digitalisation. But can we say the same for our collective ability as a sector to access and exploit it, with the ultimate aim to make better informed decisions?
Many studies have shown that when businesses have better access to data and have the capabilities to exploit it, new ideas emerge faster, and can be translated into successful products and improvements more easily and successfully. More than ever before, access and clever use of data underpins the success of any company or sector.
So, this priority is far from standalone. I see it at the very core of the Rail Technical Strategy, underpinning all its elements and essential for the success and competitiveness of the future railway system and offerings.
If we fail to make substantial and speedy progress with this, all other priorities are compromised: data is key to enabling the provision of greater and better information to customers; it is essential to target improvements in reducing emission; and it is at the very core of the optimisation of railway operations and real-time proactive asset management.
Every time I speak with our research and innovator partners, it is clear that we could be doing so much more in rail to use data in creative and novel ways to drive innovation and respond to customer needs. So what are the challenges to overcome?
A key one is how we successfully increase data openness, so that researchers, innovators and more generally all those working in rail can have a much better understanding of this growing asset and how to access it. One of the challenges to releasing the benefits of data arises from its dispersed ownership within industry, and underpinning contractual relationships. This is particularly true when those getting value from the data are not those bearing the cost of collecting it and enabling access to it.
Innovative data-sharing partnerships and mechanisms may be necessary to leverage all the benefits of ‘Big Data’, without forgetting smaller and easier incremental progress such as ‘access points’ and availability of data samples.
Having confidence in the cross-industry and wider societal advantages of data-sharing, and collaboratively working towards enabling them to happen, are crucial. This can only occur if we collectively develop a much better understanding than we currently have of the size of prize to be gained by improved data access and sharing at the societal, industry and individual company level. An approach based on the demonstration of benefit, using priority use cases can both help clear the obstacles and light the way.
A further challenge is the lack of harmonised governance on data quality, metadata and data characteristics that would make integration, aggregation and fusion easier.
A strong cross-industry approach will also be necessary to deal with the undoubted cyber-security issues that will accompany a greater use of and reliance on data. There have been several recent examples of cyber security breaches significantly affecting organisations’ ability to function and incurring reputational damage. Data dependence must go hand-in-hand with watertight data protection.
And we should not forget the foundational skills required for this. This can be a win-win for rail and its workforce, allowing the sectors to develop the capabilities needed and enabling individuals access to professional development and life-long learning opportunities that make their jobs more fulfilling today and prepares them for tomorrow’s needs.
The industry is making strides in these areas through the work of Rail Data Council, which is leading progress against the data pillar of the Rail Sector Deal, and many other initiatives. The journey we need to make requires the whole industry to be behind the imperative of a data-driven railway, and work together to overcome the barriers and challenges to its achievement.
