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Rail Surveys

Rail Surveys

At Murphy Geospatial, we are proud of the quality and accuracy of the data we produce. Our experience and skills are ideally suited for the quality demanded in railway surveys.

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Murphy Geospatial have extensive experience delivering railway surveys for multiple stakeholders across the UK and Ireland. We work closely with railway owners, principal contractors, engineers and designers to provide the geospatial certainty they need to safety maintain and construct our railway infrastructure.

We have extensive experience working with Network Rail, Transport for London, Irish Rail, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Translink, Skanska, Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke, Mott MacDonald, and AMCO, helping them to successfully complete work on the renewal and construction of major projects, including HS2, Crossrail, Luas CrossCity, as well as various station upgrades. We have also mapped the entire Irish Rail network, producing a valued geospatial dataset hosted through a web accessible platform.

We employ a number of different survey types and methodologies to capture the data required by our clients. From aerial survey creating line mapping, orthophotography and digital terrain models to the creation of as-built BIM models from laser scan data; track surveys and gauging, rail monitoring and utility surveying; through to full geospatial management of railway projects, our railway surveys provide geospatial certainty across the project lifecycle.

Rail surveys require accuracy. The design, construction and maintenance and maintenance of railway infrastructure requires accurate survey data to meet the tight tolerances required for safe and efficient operation. Accurate measurement of rail gauge is critical to avoid potential safety issues in their day-to-day operation. Accurate measurement of station platforms is critical so that gaps between trains and platforms are kept to a minimum for the safe boarding and alighting of passengers. Accurate measurement is critical to allow railway operators to understand the dynamic envelope available to their rolling stock through tunnels or past trackside equipment. Murphy Geospatial have the people, process and technology to deliver this accuracy and geospatial certainty in the railway environment.

Over the last 30 years Murphy Geospatial have built up extensive railway project experience in Ireland and the UK. We use these shared experiences to advise our clients on the various survey options available when capturing data in this constrained and challenging environment. Our multi-disciplinary approach is often employed by our clients to create a comprehensive, federated dataset of above and below ground data and a mix of various data types. We understand that a civil infrastructure project will have different survey requirements to a signalling project for example. Therefore, we work with our clients to define the optimum approach and potentially offer a solution that benefits multiple stakeholders.

Our experienced people apply developed processes using the latest, rail specific technology to deliver our client requirements. We have developed the service over time, and now, supported by our GeoCert™ platform, we continue to innovate in this sector. We continually invest in the latest technology to ensure we can capture data quickly and effectively to minimise time of track closures and reduce risk. Our teams are available 24 hours a day to meet the time constraints of the rail sector. Working weekends, nights and during the holiday period, we recognise the pressures involved during rail possessions.

Safety is paramount in railway surveying. We invest in the training and safety certification of our people to maintain the highest standards of health, safety and risk management. We hold various railway accreditations and are regularly audited to ensure procedures and processes continually meet the highest industry standards for rail works.

Murphy Geospatial understand the particular set of challenges that exist in the railway environment. In addition, we understand that railway operators need to keep actions that effect the operation of trains on the network to an absolute minimum so as not to impact on revenue generating train movements. Our experience working within railway corridors means we understand the amount of data that can be captured without impacting the operation of the railway while keeping safety of our staff and railway patrons at the core of everything we do. In addition, we understand the methods of working in railway possessions and the need to capture the maximum amount of data in the time window made available.