Cordel awarded five-year contract with Angel Trains

Transport analytics artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer Cordel has been awarded a five-year contract with Angel Trains to install fully-automated hardware in in-service passenger trains, it announced on Tuesday.

The AIM-traded firm said its lidar and imagery capture technology would be installed on passenger trains operated by FirstGroup subsidiary GWR.

Its automated processing would deliver “prompt monitoring” of Network Rail infrastructure, minimising the need to run special measurement trains.

Cordel said the technology would provide Network Rail with AI-powered inspection automation on a high-frequency basis, delivering a 'digital twin' of survey-grade lidar with co-located high-resolution video, aligned to the network's linear reference system.

Cordel's machine learning would include vegetation management, ballast profiling, track clearance, overhead line equipment height and stagger assessments, switch and crossing advance location, signal sighting measurements, and materials estimation.

Angel Trains is rolling stock leasing company which owns more than 4,000 vehicles, equating to one-third of the UK's passenger train fleet.

It includes the suburban diesel-powered class 165 fleet, which would begin operating with Cordel lidar and imagery later in the year.

The board said the class 165 12-month pilot deployment was the first project of its framework agreement, supported by Network Rail as part of state-owned infrastructure operator’s mobile infrastructure monitoring strategy.

“This is a major initiative for Cordel, Angel Trains, and the UK rail network,” said chief executive officer Nick Smith.

“By capturing data in real-time from in-service passenger trains, we can provide Network Rail with a far more detailed picture of the state of rail infrastructure, moving from time-based maintenance to condition-based maintenance.

“As well as being more efficient in terms of resources, by focusing maintenance on key issues more promptly, we can help Network Rail provide a more resilient railway.”

At 1259 BST, shares in Cordel Group were up 14.29% at 6p.

Reporting by Josh White at Sharecast.com.