The challenge
Transport for London (TfL) is the integrated transport authority responsible for operating London’s public transportation network, the underground, buses, trams and river services that serve millions of Londers daily.
Transport for London faced several challenges with their aging product register system, called APR (Approved Product Register), which ran on a legacy platform that was prone to crashing and couldn’t provide a complete audit trail for product assessments. Inefficient processes could cause duplicate assessments, inconsistent product information and their ability to collaborate across the organisation was limited. A newly refreshed S1011 standard also required a more comprehensive approach to product acceptance than their previous system could deliver. Safety and compliance requirements for UK rail networks are extremely specific and, with no purpose-built software available, to digitise their processes for product acceptance, rail network operators must develop their own solution.
From breakdown to breakthrough
Transport for London worked closely with Network Rail and was inspired by their Product Acceptance portal, built in Liberty Create, our low-code solution. Transport for London wanted to use Liberty Create to develop a Product Information Register (PIR), the initial scope was to support London Underground (LU) assessed products. This is a great example of the type of collaboration that should be encouraged across the Rail sector as mentioned in the National Audit Office (NAO) Rail Transformation Programme.
“The solution has improved efficiency, collaboration and compliance while creating opportunities for future enhancements and information sharing across the industry. It’s inspiring to see how technology can solve complex regulatory and operational challenges in large infrastructure organisations.”
Andy Gordon
Principal Engineering Leader, Engineering Delivery Optimisation, Transport for London
The solution
Transport for London worked with Netcall to develop a new Product Information Register (PIR) solution using Liberty Create. The application includes:
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A public portal allowing manufacturers and internal staff to submit product applications and view certificates
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An internal register providing a secure environment for Transport for London staff to conduct assessments
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Structured workflow defining clear roles and approval processes
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Automated generation of standardised product certificates
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Netcall’s Liberty RPA bots were used to transfer legacy data from the old system to the replacement PIR.
The system categorises products into controlled products ie those used in a safety-critical application, (which require assessment before purchase), repeatable products (items used regularly that don’t require formal control) and replacement products (items replacing obsolete or discontinued products).
This use of Liberty Create highlights the value of collaboration across the rail sector and how best practices can be successfully transferred between organisations “to continue building culture change and support a ‘whole systems’ approach to the rail sector ahead of any legislative changes” as per the National Audit Office (NAO) Rail Transformation ProgrammeRail Transformation Programme.
The solution was originally developed for Network Rail by Netcall, and then enhanced and expanded by Netcall to meet the specific requirements of Transport for London, following these key steps:
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Standard development – Transport for London rewrote their S1011 standard to inform the platform requirements
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Platform adaptation – Building on Network Rail’s existing solution, it was enhanced to meet Transport for London’s needs
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Workflow design – A streamlined process was created, from application to certificate generation
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Legacy data migration – Liberty RPA bots migrate information from the old system without impacting on the business as usual (BAU)
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User training – Transport for London staff were trained on working with the new platform.
Transport for London now has the potential to share enhancements back with Network Rail. There are many future opportunities to exchange information and elements of applications between both organisations.
The Elizabeth Line, which straddles both London Underground and Network Rail infrastructure, has proved to be case in point for future collaboration and utilising the same information and systems.
Transport for London has identified several areas for future enhancement including cross-modal functionality which will expand to cover operations, such as the Docklands Light Railway, and a tool to manage variations against their standards.
An API integration is being developed to create connections to other internal systems to prevent duplicating information, and another will use AI to evaluate product sustainability credentials.
Reporting and information will also be continually enhanced and developed.
“By successfully implementing a modern Product Information Register, we have enhanced our product assessment process, migrated legacy data and created a standardised approach to product management across the whole organisation.”
Andy Gordon
Principal Engineering Leader, Engineering Delivery Optimisation, Transport for London
The result
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Improved stability: A stable platform which avoids regular crashes
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Enhanced compliance: Better audit trails and documentation
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Efficient assessment: Streamlined processes with clear role definitions
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Improved collaboration: Multi-disciplinary assessment capabilities and a real example Rail sector collaboration
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Accessible information: Ability to view certificates without subscription and all Transport for London staff can access completed assessments
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Consistent certification: Legacy and new products appear in identical certificate formats
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Future-proof platform: Able to adapt to future needs.
Future-proofing through innovation
Transport for London has a much more stable platform, which complies with their standards and allows multi-discipline collaboration. With features like data migration, AI integration and cross-modal functionality, the system addresses Transport for London’s current challenges and positions them to adapt to future needs. This creates opportunities for ongoing improvements and information-sharing across the transport industry.