Quadrant Security Group (QSG) secures Virgin Trains surveillance project
Synectics’ Integrated Systems business Quadrant Security Group (“QSG”), has secured a highly competitive tender to replace and maintain CCTV infrastructure – spanning over 200 miles of railway line and incorporating nine key stations – for Virgin Trains on the east coast.
The upgrade is part of Virgin Trains’ continuous development programme to deliver an ‘enhanced passenger experience’, encompassing customer safety and security, as the East Coast Main Line franchise operator.
The fully-IP solution, scheduled to be completed by May 2017, includes replacing approximately 500 analogue cameras and provisioning a new substantial fibre-based communications infrastructure.
A key component of the solution designed and deployed by QSG is the level of integration it will enable, for example with data analytics systems capable of detecting virtual boundary breaches – such as track trespass – and other potential features that include left object detection. Multiple levels of system resilience and redundancy built into the surveillance solution will also ensure highly secure operations, mitigating the risk of data loss or system downtime.
In addition to improving localised surveillance provision at the nine stations – which include Peterborough, Wakefield, Doncaster and Darlington – the highly scalable IP solution developed will also enable real-time footage from the different geographic locations to be viewed remotely for enhanced incident support or escalation, and for training purposes.
The solution deployed, which fully meets quality regulations around areas such as ‘safe station’ and ‘safe car park’ accreditation, also enables secure access to live feeds by authorised third parties including British Transport Police and Network Rail.
David Byrne, Head of Property at Virgin Trains on the east coast, said:
“We are very excited to be working with QSG as we strive to improve our CCTV and communications infrastructure now and in the future. We have been impressed by the QSG team and appreciate the time and energy it has dedicated to interpret our requirements, demonstrating commitment to its customers.”
In addition to meeting key technical requirements, the tender also specified several unique challenges and considerations essential to successful delivery and deployment.
David Byrne continued:
“As well as being one of the UK’s busiest arterial routes, the East Coast Main Line also boasts some of the country’s most historic stations – five of the nine stations included in this project have listed status. We therefore needed a provider capable of fully addressing these needs in their approach and tailoring quite precise details, even down to the colour of equipment and cabling in order to be sympathetic to their surroundings.
“QSG more than met this challenge and in the solution they have proposed, also reflected our commitment to limiting any potential disruption to passengers or services through providing an ‘out of hours’ works schedule active between the hours of 9pm and 5am.”
Iain Beadle, Managing Director at QSG, said:
“Designing, deploying and servicing surveillance solutions for complex infrastructure environments – where the ability to identify and react to potential threats is paramount – is exactly where our strength and business heritage sits. Paired with our extensive transport sector experience, this really is an ideal project for us.”
“The scalable solution we’ve developed for Virgin Trains will not only heighten situational awareness and incident response capabilities at the individual stations and track specified within this tender, it will also ‘future-proof’ surveillance by enabling seamless integration of additional stations in the future.”
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