Network Rail High Speed Contract Roll-Out

Cordel Group PLC

14 February 2024

 

14 February 2024

Cordel Group PLC

("Cordel" or the "Company" or the "Group")

Cordel rolls out Data-as-a-Service for Network Rail High Speed

Cordel Group PLC (AIM: CRDL), the Artificial Intelligence platform for transport corridor analytics, announces the commencement of Data-as-a-Service monitoring for Network Rail (High Speed) Limited ("Network Rail High Speed"), which maintains the railway infrastructure for High Speed One ("HS1").

HS1 is the high-speed rail line between St Pancras International in London and the Channel Tunnel, supporting domestic routes throughout Kent, and international routes to Paris, Lille, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

As announced on 24 October 2023, following a successful proof of concept contract, Cordel was awarded a Data-as-a-Service roll out contract ("DaaS Contract") with Network Rail High Speed for HS1. The first stage of the DaaS Contract was successfully completed utilising Cordel's established Wave 32 LiDAR and imaging hardware (previously certified by Network Rail).

Cordel has refined the equipment mounting design for permanent installation and, further to installation approvals, has installed this equipment on trains undertaking routine maintenance.

The Company is pleased to announce that such equipment has now commenced everyday service, autonomously capturing HS1 route data for Network Rail High Speed and uploading it to the Cloud for processing by Cordel's Artificial Intelligence platform to create a digital twin for the route. Regular automated surveys will measure the Overhead Line Height and Stagger and other critical dimensions.

Mark Devereux, Head of Electrification and Plant at Network Rail High Speed, said:

"On schedule, and within 4 months of contract award, Cordel has installed on-train equipment and rolled out automated data capture. Going forward, we anticipate that Cordel's automated inspection management service and AI processing will give us ongoing rapid turnaround times. Cordel will deliver the Data-as-a-Service insights we need to support our engineering management of railway infrastructure maintenance and renewals more efficiently and safely."

John Davis, CEO of Cordel, commented:

"We are delighted that our Data-as-a-Service is now 'business as usual' for Network Rail High Speed. It is exciting to expand our world-leading technology to deliver vital engineering insights tuned to HS1's requirements. Cordel has now captured and processed data across more than 500,000 miles of international railway lines, resulting in an unmatched depth of AI learning and data management experience."

Enquiries:

Cordel Group PLC	c/o Zeus
Ian Buddery, Chairman John Davis, Chief Executive Officer
Zeus Capital Limited Broker	[phone]
Simon Johnson / Alexandra Campbell-Harris Strand Hanson Limited Nominated Adviser Richard Johnson / James Bellman	[phone]

About Cordel

Cordel produces specialist hardware and software for capturing, analysing and reporting on large datasets within the transport sector, employing sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms.

Further information on the Company is available at:  www.cordel.ai

About Network Rail High Speed

Network Rail (High Speed) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd and is the contractor maintaining the railway infrastructure of High Speed One, the UK's only high-speed line. This means it constantly has to prove itself as a quality provider, from reliability to value for money. Network Rail (High Speed) operates to different standards to the rest of Network Rail, with its own safety management system and its own track safety qualification.

Further information is available at:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/network-rail-high-speed/

 

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