Sytze Bisschop
Product Owner of the ProRail Datalab
Title:
Innovation in analysis: Nice technologies and a little bit more…
Summary:
Sometimes it’s hard to see that, although technically possible, data and analysis is not used to their full potential. Why is it that we can judge predict the failure of switches before rush our starts but still have disruptions in the peak hours? Why can we follow the track quality almost live but still have unexpected settlements? Why can we determine the quality of the ballast from measurement data, but are we still going outside to check?
Within the semi-public environment as an infrastructure manager, we are obliged to spend public money wisely. This is why we stimulate innovations in the sector and invest in new technologies. But it has also some difficulties, for example: There is no real awareness of costs, because there is no profit to be made and a lot of work is outsourced, mostly by public tendering.
Besides these properties that come from being a semi-public service, the railway sector also has to deal with an increasing average age and a quite conservative atmosphere which is partly induced by the high safety standards.
In this talk I’ll show you some innovative analysis and will focus on the use of the outcomes. I take you through the lessons learned about why some results end up in the drawer and others become a success. I’ll share some thoughts about the ways to influence this outcome. Taking the proper measures it’s possible to let our effort in developing reach the full potential. And make sure that it attributes to safer and cheaper tracks.
Speaker biography:
Sytse Bisschop is a railway engineer with a mathematical background. He ended up in the railways at the end of his master applied mathematics because of the drive to do something he would be able to explain to his neighbour. This drive to do complex things but make it understandable to everyone is still visible in his current work. As an expert Sytse is responsible for the geometry regulations, but also for the analysis and monitoring of the track. With always the focus on the application of the technique and how difficult measurements and analysis can be made useful to the end user.
The last years Sytse introduced the switch measurements by train and currently he is the Product Owner of the ProRail Datalab to get new analysis, and busy with introducing measurements on passenger coaches.