Network Rail High Speed and HS1 collaborate to spearhead the digital future of UK rail

Network Rail High Speed, which operates and maintains the UK’s only high speed rail line, has demonstrated how it is paving the way on the digital transformation of British railways, following a successful proof of concept to test the capability of an AI digital twin model, originally conceived for the aerospace sector, on HS1 infrastructure that connects the UK to Europe.

After identifying an opportunity to utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in driving forward and developing the maintenance and renewals planning process in the High Speed 1 supply chain, the Network Rail High Speed team appointed business performance improvement firm, Hexagon Consultants, and Aerogility, a specialist provider of AI-based digital solutions, to undertake the project.

Hexagon Consultants and Aerogility have an established partnership, with the Aerogility team previously developing an Enterprise Digital Twin model within the aerospace industry. The firms were selected to work on High Speed 1 after collaborating and successfully providing a proof of concept on how this automated solution can be effectively adapted to a fixed, linear asset, such as a rail network supply chain.

Using HS1 as a test bed for the innovation, the teams showcased how the process and data associated with the digital twin technology can make rail operations, maintenance, renewals and inspection more efficient. The project also demonstrated how the Enterprise Digital Twin model can drive down the cost of asset management.

The project has acted as a catalyst for improvement in efficiency across the rail network, allowing HS1 to drive through refinements in every area that interacts with the AI solution to achieve its digital vision. In turn, the automated model supports Network Rail High Speed’s wider target to reduce the number of systems and processes it uses across its business concerning the efficient operation, inspection and maintenance of the railway through the application of data-led strategies.

Richard Thorp, Chief Operating Officer for HS1, said, “Most industries can be very inward-looking and not realise the opportunities that outward collaboration can bring. Working with Hexagon Consultants and Aerogility brought a fresh challenge to the way we in the rail industry plan and deliver work and opened our eyes to the benefits of an Enterprise Digital twin.

The trial was steeped in the value that it could return, and with the help of the Hexagon Consultants and Aerogility teams understanding our processes, showed the transformation that we could achieve and the steps we needed to take to get there. It can be a daunting journey, but with an honest external view of where we are, we were able to plot a path that is efficient and achievable. I look forward to seeing the project progress and see the benefits in cost, performance and safety.”

Hexagon Consultants and Aerogility have, through the success of the Enterprise Digital Twin project, further aided the HS1 team in the development of its first Research and Development Strategy for 2025-2030. This also requires the HS1 network to have a developed and detailed technology-focused strategy, including applied Enterprise Architecture, so that the business can support the roll out of the R&D project.

Sue Williams, Managing Director at Hexagon Consultants, commented, “It has been fantastic to work with Aerogility on this project to effectively prove how a best practice concept devised for the aerospace sector can be successfully transferred and tailored to an alternative industry.

Planning is the first step on a ‘digital journey’ and we worked closely with the HS1 and wider Network Rail High Speed operational teams to ensure the AI model aligned with and reflected their real-world requirements, so they are now in a position to implement the model in a real-world environment.

The capabilities of the technology we recommended in partnership with the Aerogility team means the Enterprise Digital Twin strategy can help support the HS1 team’s ongoing growth and improvement aspirations.”

HS1 is the UK’s only high-speed railway. The 109 km rail line runs between St Pancras International in London and the Channel Tunnel, connecting the international high-speed routes between London and Paris, London and Brussels and London and Amsterdam, as well as the domestic route from London to Kent.

Commenting on the project, Simon Miles, Head of AI at Aerogility, added, “We are incredibly proud to be a part of the digital transformation journey of British Railways. Working with the expertise from Hexagon Consultants, Aerogility’s AI digital twin will give access to a powerful decision-support tool, proving that you can optimise process, people and data to enhance operational success and help deliver the HS1 Digital Vision.”

Hexagon Consultants is a specialist performance improvement firm, which provides business management, strategy and optimised growth solutions. The team diagnoses the critical issues restricting business growth, profitability or that create pressure points; it delivers and implements practical solutions, which combine experience and innovation, to fix them and provide tangible results.