The Digital Railway

Michel Spruijt, Brain Corp’s European Director, explores the increasing adoption of autonomous robots across railway operations, and what it means for the sector’s future

The key to survival is adaptation. This truth has applied to many sectors in the wake of Covid-19, and train stations have been no exception. In their fight to keep the virus at bay and restore public confidence in rail travel, train stations have introduced a variety of workarounds and technologies. Chief among these has been autonomous cleaning machines, or robots, which have made their first tracks across European platforms.

Owing to the greater transmissibility of the Delta variant of the virus, railway companies have increased their cleaning and sanitisation methods to ensure a safe environment for passengers. The obvious solution for many railway companies has been high-tech cleaning crews, sanitisation routines and touchless systems. A selection of major train stations, such as Rotterdam Central station, are testing autonomous cleaning robots to assist staff and protect passengers.

How these machines work Modern cleaning robots resemble traditional devices that can be operated manually but differ from older machines in one key respect: they have an additional feature that allows them to go about their cleaning route autonomously. This function is achieved by equipping robots with sensors and an AI-powered operating system which acts as a ‘brain’ within the machine.

In this setup, the cleaners still oversee the cleaning operation; they clean as they would normally clean, but now aided by a robot able to track and report surface areas that have been covered. Heat maps and other metrics reports are generated that trace each cleaning route. Cleaning of these routes can be repeated with a simple touch of a button on the user interface. The robot will then follow the track it learned from its human ‘trainer’.

This ‘teach and repeat’ feature is very straightforward, which means that it is easy and intuitive for non-specialist staff to program these devices. What’s more, the data that the robot generates on the job is published on a cloud-based portal, so that managers can see what sections of a station have been cleaned, and when the cleaning took place. Managers can access the heat maps, which depict pre-programmed cleaning routes, and verify that predetermined standards have been met.

How cleaning robots help cleaners and passengers In essence, automated cleaning means reliability when it is needed most. And in the context of a virulent global pandemic, keeping passengers safe by way of greater hygiene efforts has become top of mind in train station operational priorities. It was announced earlier this year that traveller numbers and rail fares have collapsed in the context of Covid-19. This problem is not without deeper precedent. A continent-wide EC survey on railway passenger satisfaction found that as early as 2011 a considerable proportion of passengers (36 per cent) were dissatisfied with the cleanliness of station facilities. allowing more platform space to be cleaned with the same number of staff. Robots tackle the most repetitive aspect of the cleaning beat – namely, floor scrubbing – which allows for more high-contact, infection-prone non-floor surfaces to be dealt with more assiduously by station staff.

With floor cleaning staff allocated to other tasks, it becomes possible to draw more value from the team, which can in turn handle more tasks with the same amount of people as before. Moreover, as robots never call in sick or late, they offer a more secure operation. This division of cleaning labour means more safety for day-to-day passengers.

The difference between manual methods and an AI-driven machine is that the latter provides greater consistency when cleaning. When a human sits on a cleaning machine, or cleans a platform manually, the consistency is commonly not to the standard of what can be achieved by a trackable automated machine.

In addition, it should be noted that cleaning robots are a strong visual symbol for supercharged hygiene and general technological innovation. Autonomous cleaning robots are a visible upgrade on previous hygiene efforts. The visual effect created by such devices is unmistakable: when a passenger sees a cleaning robot in action, they recognise that the station and its management is doing its utmost to keep the space clean and virus-free. Both customers and staff alike can feel confident their safety is prioritised.

Certifiable clean With standards high for the post-Covid world we are now entering, safety is set to remain a key public concern, with cleanliness a top priority for railway passengers. According to a recent report from Milestone Systems, in the fallout from Covid-19, almost four in ten (39 per cent) are more reluctant than before to use public transport.

To fight this fear, cleaning robots continually update with improved software via the cloud to include features that allow them to upgrade their performance. Being able to amass rich cleaning data while deployed allows users to track robots’ cleaning performance, which helps improve best practice. These machines provide verifiable snapshots of their cleaning routes, which means that managers can ensure compliance with safeguarding guidelines. Data can also be used to optimize the performance of their operations over time. With a digitised overview accessible in real time, managers can meet corporate hygiene goals with greater confidence and accuracy.

Robots to the rescue Autonomous cleaning machines have entered a plethora of industrial sectors on the back of the pandemic. Sales of mobile cleaning robots have soared, with 73 per cent of supply chain managers stating that robotics will be important in the future. As potential hotspots for Covid-19 infections, train stations have their image at stake. By increasing their efforts to keep platforms clean, railway managers have taken bold strides to reassure the public that trains and stations are safe and open for business.

However, the significance of robots is not limited to the context of Covid-19. An alarming report published recently found that the UK rail industry is on track to face a shortage of critical skilled workers in the near future, facing a shortfall of 120,000 people in the sector over the next five years. Innovations such as cleaning robots can help offset this shortage, allowing stations to become more self-sufficient in keeping up with steadily climbing passenger volumes. What this means for the future Autonomous cleaning robots are one addition among many in railway operations that are modernising constantly. Habitually, such drives look to make trains run more punctually for the sake of improving customer satisfaction. But with the instant need to reassure passengers back on board, platform hygiene quickly became a pressing concern.

With Covid-19 set to linger in some form beyond the point of herd immunity, according to McKinsey’s research, longer-term planning is on the agenda for station managers looking to ensure resilience and keep platforms running at capacity. Naturally, meeting increased demands means making the most of apt innovations. In light of this, the RSSB published a report that bemoaned the absence of an innovative mindset: ‘Industry is not fully using and realising the benefits technology can bring to station operations.’ We all know the cliche that crisis is another word for opportunity, and the needs created by the virus can be seen as a chance for train stations to get cleaner and smarter, with the aim of an improved service for passengers.

The past year and a half has seen a breakneck automation spurt owing to an unprecedented health crisis. Within a relatively brief period, robots have become benchmark partners in cleaning operations across high-density public spaces, such as train stations. This is a timely intervention, given that the most recent Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors report states that the importance of cleaning is tipped to grow considerably throughout next year. Within the foreseeable future, the greater usage of autonomous robotic units will become associated with safer train stations and more efficient site maintenance.

Michel Spruijt is Brain Corp’s European Director