i-TRACS (Internet-Based Train and Railway Applications Collaboration System)

The i-TRACS project will build a new and innovative 3 tier demonstrator for the rail industry in which strategic data sets will be ingested into an open access and interoperable platform upon which a number of "apps" will be created to improve both the operations and customer service for Train Operating Companies and Freight Operating Companies. The project will demonstrate the concept of a digital "ecosystem" in which value will be created by a community of apps developers using a range of data sources and hosted on a resilient and cost effective platform. The initial use cases will be in container freight transport, passenger transport and transport service analytics and the project will be carried out in Liverpool in collaboration with Freightliner Ltd and with Merseyrail Ltd. The data layer will include GPS data from hauliers and container consignment data from shipping lines, real-time train location data from Network Rail and passenger location data in the form of off-call mobile data from INRIX. The interoperable information platform will be provided by BT based upon their Information Spine technology and the project will be hosted at the AIMES ISO 27001 data centre campus at Liverpool Innovation Park. Applications will be developed by the consortium partners who include Containerport Ltd, Glow New Media Ltd and Placr Ltd, to optimise inter-model container operations, to provide improved end-to-end journey information to passengers and to create new analytics services for Rail Operating Companies