From Data to Delivery

Rail networks have a huge positive impact on the communities they serve, providing fast, safe, and clean transportation for passengers and enabling the efficient transit of goods. With governments around the world committing to net zero carbon, the expansion of rail with its significant environmental advantages will play a key role in achieving these targets. However, the economic challenges of the current global pandemic has slowed investment for the expansion of new networks and lines forcing the industry to address current market-driven efficiency, cost control, and profitability challenges by optimizing existing brownfield assets.

Challenges of Brownfield Railway Design

Globally, but especially within Europe and North America, many of these existing brownfield assets are aging and in need of upgrade.  By their nature these upgrade projects are complex requiring innovative design solutions to address limitations such as constrained sites with existing infrastructure developments, the need to avoid existing service conflicts and the pressure to work within limited track possession windows.  Design teams are under increasing pressure to meet contract requirements on time and budget regardless of change. Using generic CAD or civil design software and traditional workflows for rail design makes this job even harder.

There is a better way. With design tools and workflows developed specifically for rail infrastructure, OpenRail helps design teams solve these critical business issues to deliver better outcomes faster.

Benefits of BIM for Brownfield Rail Projects

Upgrading brownfield rail infrastructure goes beyond rail tracks and requires a holistic view of your project from the outset. A key challenge is the continued reliance on 2D paper-based deliverables, such as design drawings, procurement requests, change orders, and progress reports. Accurately conveying project and design intent across multidiscipline teams through digital models ensures improved project deliverables. Project delivery methods are evolving, making it increasingly challenging for rail engineers and designers to efficiently meet contract requirements using traditional methods and processes.

Adopting digital workflows where accurate and trusted project data is managed and remains accessible to those who need it from conception to completion, means teams can produce intelligent digital models that add value to downstream activities and phases throughout the asset lifecycle.

To collaborate efficiently and successfully deliver rail infrastructure projects, multidiscipline teams need the ability to access trusted project data via an open and connected data environment.

The OpenRail Connected Data Environment

Bentley’s OpenRail connected data environment establishes an open extensible framework for collaboration and asset information management throughout the lifecycle of rail and transit infrastructure. Spanning project planning and delivery through asset management and performance, a connected data environment is the common source of trusted information needed to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective services. A connected data environment means you can ensure the availability of project and asset information including, but not limited to, survey data, design models, construction documents, and operational records, that allow faster project start-up, more streamlined workflows, greater adherence to standards, risk mitigation, enable more-informed decisions, and deliver increased asset performance.