ESRC Presentation by David Laird Head of Projects

Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge

1st February 2002

Information Communication

“ if Translink only knew

what Translink knows”

Background to Translink

• Merger of 2 Bus Companies, Ulsterbus & Citybus & 1 Rail Company, Northern Ireland Railways in 1996

• ‘Translink’ trading name of NITHCo Holding Company, which is part of Department of Regional Development

• £100m Turnover, 25% Pupils Revenues

• 3,600 Employees ( 2,870 bus, 730 train )

Background to Translink

• Integration - Provision of integrated Bus & Train services across all N Ireland,

• 15 manned/45 unmanned train stations, • 23 bus depots with a fleet of 1,460 buses • 32 train sets ( mainly three car ) 160 miles of track• Cross Border Services (Bus & Train ) with

Republic of Ireland ( Euro Land Boundary )• Some Cross Channel services

Information Systems Strategy Review

• Merger brought integration of services /timetables, management and cost savings at front end.

• But also duplication/lack of integration at back end:-

– Systems, resources, data collection, procedures, information inaccuracies, decision making,

IS Strategy Recommendations

• Main recommendations were a series of 30 IS projects with a capital investment of £10m.

• Rationalisation/streamlining of data flows• Creation of accurate ‘information pools’• Establishment of single sources of

information provision• Implementation of a modern IT & project

management culture across organisation.

Main Areas of Change• Rationalisation of fares and integration of timetables –

bus & rail• Rationalisation of fleet control/maintenance scheduling • Standardisation of depot duties and dynamic

scheduling of vehicles/manpower/routes• Integrated financial & management accounting

systems.• 100 non-integrated Pc’s to 500 networked Windows

2000 PC’s• Integrated voice and data telecommunications network

Main Areas of Change

• Creation of a Call Centre ( 30 staff )• Design of a Web Site/Journey Planner• Replacement of Ticketing systems with common

bus & rail equipment & smartcard.• Introduction of free fares for elderly – smartcard

based for electoral purposes• Replacement of PIS/LLPA system at stations +

on-train for DDA compliance• Creation of Corporate Positional Database

Specific Projects

• Web Site

• Replacement Ticketing

• Corporate Positional Database

Translink Web Site

• Journey Planner

• Timetables

• Call Centre 15 minutes update

• Caters for Disabled

• No fares information yet

• Job applications/Feedback• Design Awards (Ireland/Great Britain/Europe)

WAP Enabled Latest Travel News

Website Awards

• Northern Ireland Web Awards – Best Content and Information Based Website (September 2001)

• Institute of Logistics & Transport – Award for Information Management (October 2001)

• European Day of Disabled People – Design for All Award (December 2001)

Replacement Ticketing System

• £6m project replacing bus (static) & rail (hand held) equipment

• GPS ( non-differential ) for automatic stage fares updating ( excellent driver feedback )

• Introduction of Smart Cards – Units/Value

• Comprehensive MIS

• Point of Sale and Ticket Vending Machines

Corporate Positional Database

• Standardisation of all corporate information on positional data. ( currently variable levels of accuracy )

• Corporate co-ordination of data compilation

• Mapping across Ordnance Survey data

• Passenger & Operational Planning needs

Corporate Positional Database• Passenger information :-

– Static Bus stop timetable displays– Regional Transport Strategy Planning

Information needs (Route Profitability)– Real Time Journey Planning

• Call Centre• Web Site

– Real Time Displays – Stations and Bus Stops

Corporate Positional Database

• Operational Information:-– Timetabling – Journey statistics from ticketing system– Scheduling of manpower/routes/vehicles

• Working time directive impact– Bus Stop location and asset register– Automatic Vehicle Location

• Questions?