Sydney Trains, the entity offering railway services in the city of Sydney and its area of influence, has awarded Indra a multi-million contract to modernize the railway network video surveillance system, using state-of-the-art technology, in Australia's largest, most populated urban center.
Sydney Trains, the entity offering railway services in the city of Sydney and its area of influence, has awarded Indra a multi-million contract to modernize the railway network video surveillance system, using state-of-the-art technology, in Australia's largest, most populated urban center. The project, awarded to Indra through an international tender in which over 30 companies from around the world participated, has a 5-year execution period and includes three years of maintenance.
Indra will implement its technology in the two control centers for managing the entire video surveillance system in a network of over 150 commuter stations and will install state-of-the-art software for its operations and control. The multinational will replace the current 11,400 analog cameras with IP cameras that will be connected to the existing trunk communications network through a new network to be deployed in the stations. They will also supply the servers and storage devices for recording images during the period stipulated by the client.
The new video surveillance system will include all of the advantages of IP (Internet Protocol) technology, given that by connecting directly to the cameras of the Sydney Trains computer network, any user station may operate as a control console for visualizing the images of any camera in real time and for recovering video recordings. Mobile devices connected to the network may also access video. Likewise, any tablet or cellphone may become a mobile console with which patrolling security employees may view images, thereby increasing their effectiveness.
Intelligent solution for automated incident detection
The software that Indra will deploy in the project will include algorithms that continuously analyze the station camera images to automatically detect situations implying a potential risk, like a traveler falling onto the rails or the entry of unauthorized persons in tunnels, amongst others. The system also automatically generates alarms, allowing for the immediate implementation of appropriate measures, and thereby reducing response times.
In addition to its modern video platform and the inclusion of new, more powerful functions, the Indra solution facilitates the video surveillance system's expansion, something that is currently impossible due to the limitations inherent to analog technology. On another hand, access to video using mobile devices provides the client greater flexibility for managing its resources, and the use of megapixel cameras entails a major improvement of video image quality.
All of this will result in increased security in stations to the benefit of the over one million commuters using the Sydney trains commuter network daily.