The modern railway relies on data to run smoothly, but too often it reaches the drivers cab last. While operators have unprecedented network visibility, drivers still rely on static information for real-time speed management, especially around TSRs and ESRs.
As railways generate increasing volumes of operational data, the challenge is ensuring that this intelligence reaches the place where it matters most – the driver’s cab, particularly for speed management. This is a challenge that KeTech’s real-time Connected Driver Advisory System (C-DAS) is designed to solve.
Unlike many Driver Advisory Systems (DAS) that rely on pre-calculated speed profiles or static timetable data, KeTech’s approach is built around live operational data. By connecting directly to signalling and operational data feeds, the system continuously updates drivers with real-time information about the route ahead, including permanent, temporary, emergency and blanket speed restrictions.
Rail Delivery Group’s C-DAS Concept of Operations describes CDAS as tools that link trains with operational control systems so drivers can receive timetable, routing and speed advice in real time.
The need for this capability is driven by safety risks across the rail industry. The industry is exploring initiatives to reduce the risk of over speeding, including the provision of real-time speed information to drivers in the cab. This focus follows several overspeed incidents across the network.
Across the UK network, Traffic Management Systems (TMS) exist only on pockets of track. Large sections rely on signalling and manual information flows, creating a fragmented picture for drivers.
Traditional DAS solutions struggle in this environment. Once a train departs, it provides static route data with no awareness of changing conditions such as speed restrictions or route diversions.
KeTech’s real-time C-DAS takes a different approach. By combining live signalling data, operational timetable feeds and real-time sources, the system builds a operational view of the network for the driver, even on sections without traffic management systems. Especially valuable when navigating temporary speed restrictions (TSRs), emergency speed restrictions (ESRs) and blanket speed restrictions (BSRs).
In some situations, such as severe weather or widespread infrastructure risk concerns, blanket speed restrictions (BSRs) are applied across wider areas as a precaution. Applying a blanket restriction ensures trains slow across the area, making it the safest option, but not the most efficient.
This inefficiency is reflected in operational performance. Analysis of real train traffic data shows that a single speed restriction can add around 25 seconds to a journey on average, up to a minute.
By providing drivers with clearer visibility, KeTech’s C-DAS enables precise speed management, allowing trains to slow only for track segments where necessary, while maintaining speeds or resuming line speeds quickly, improving network efficiency.
This is because KeTech’s C-DAS supports drivers with location visibility of restrictions in real time, allowing speeds to be managed accurately and supporting safer operations. When drivers are approaching a restriction, the system calculates when a reduction in speed should begin based on the train’s position and speed to meet the restriction efficiently. Similarly, it provides confidence to return to line speed at the end of a restriction zone.
Network Rail’s Speed Management Programme estimates that improved speed management could deliver £16.4 million in safety risk reduction across CP7–CP11.
Upgrading how drivers receive speed information is not simply an operational improvement, it is a critical step towards reducing safety risk across the network.
KeTech’s real-time C-DAS aligns directly with this objective.
On a railway where speed restrictions, operational complexity and safety pressures are increasing, bringing real-time operational intelligence into the cab is becoming essential to running a safer and more efficient railway.