Written by Atmo Technology.

Atmo Technology Ltd, a leading software and data company specialising in solutions for the rail industry, is pleased to announce its recent success in winning the prestigious SBRI: FOAK 2023 (Small Business Research Initiative: First of a Kind 2023) competition for “Reliable and Maintainable Assets in Rail Demonstrations”.

The competition is funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK. Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas.

This notable achievement marks the second time Atmo has secured this award, following its previous success in 2021, and is a testament to its unwavering commitment to advancing the rail sector through innovative solutions.

The Winning Solution

Working with Network Rail and South Western Railway partners, Atmo envisions an evolution of rail depot environments with the introduction of a Smart Depot concept. The approach involves integrating existing datasets with real-time information collected from a network of IoT sensors. These sensors gather essential data, including energy consumption, GPS coordinates, machinery vibration, air quality, noise levels, and more.

By harnessing this data, Atmo creates a digital twin of the depot, offering decision-makers a live overview of on-site activities that informs decisions and strategy. Using this data, Atmo’s algorithms generate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics, offering decision-makers actionable insights to improve operations, enhance reliability, and increase maintenance efficiency. This Smart Depot solution represents a step forward in ensuring the reliability and maintainability of rail assets, contributing to the industry’s progress.

Guy Barkley, Founder of Atmo, expressed his enthusiasm and confidence in delivering this project. He remarked, “We are delighted to have been successful in the SBRI FOAK 2023 competition. This win speaks to the dedication and expertise of our team and we will work diligently with our partners, Network Rail and South Western Railway to deliver a successful outcome; optimising depots and integrating existing and new datastreams to create actionable KPIs. Our Smart Depot solution has the potential to have a positive impact in the rail industry, in terms of cost efficiency and the safety of rail environments and we will take on this challenge with alacrity.”

Atmo is privileged to be working with partners Network Rail and South Western Railway on this opportunity; bringing together the best of industry expertise and a shared commitment to innovation and excellence. As Peter Ellis, Production Services Director SCO at Network Rail, aptly puts it, ‘’As Network Rail continues to rapidly delve deeper into exploring new technologies that will add value to its services provided to the Great British public, this latest Atmo solution will help accelerate our efforts to deliver a better service. We are looking forward to working with Atmo on this project and seeing how the project can help us realise some real tangible benefits.”

Dan Piner, Senior Design and Innovation Manager at South Western Railway is equally enthusiastic, stating “South Western Railway is excited to be working with Atmo on their ‘Smart Depot’ project, which is being trialled at our Salisbury Traincare depot. SWR is convinced that the investigation and adoption of new initiatives and technologies will ultimately benefit the entire rail industry – and so we are extremely glad to be the lead Train Operating Company on this innovative project, which we believe will deliver financial, safety and environmental benefits and efficiencies.”

This victory in the SBRI: FOAK 2023 competition positions Atmo Technology as an innovative contributor in the British rail industry. This transformative project offers a unique opportunity for decision-makers within the rail sector to explore the potential of Atmo’s Smart Depot solution.