The Sydney Light Rail (SLR) network in Australia frequently experiences flooding, causing disruptions to transit service and sometimes leading to costly and labor intensive replacements of critical tram infrastructure. Transdev Sydney – the operator of the bus, light rail and ferry services across the city – recently announced a new venture in an attempt to mitigate this problem.
Working with Alstom – the maintainer of SLR – Transdev Sydney has introduced the Kallipr Rail Pit Monitoring kit. The kit is an IoT solution designed for proactive water level monitoring within rail pits. The monitoring kit features: Kallipr’s Captis Pulse Lite, a durable device capable of withstanding submersion and transmitting crucial data; bespoke mounting brackets that are customized to guarantee optimal installation and stability; adjustable float level switches for accurate water level detection; device-level alarms on flood triggers, ensuring optimal battery performance during idle periods and immediately sending alerts when issues become critical; and an external antenna designed to ensure reliable data transmission, even in challenging environments.
With the strategic placement of these units in critical flood-prone areas to proactively monitor flooding events, the new system will allow crews to be dispatched to sites to manage issues before they escalate – not only protecting the infrastructure, but also minimizing service disruptions and the associated costs.
“Ensuring our customers can depend on a reliable light rail service rain, hail or shine is at the heart of our commitment,” said Arsene Durand-Raucher, managing director, Transdev Sydney. “This project exemplifies the growing importance of IoT in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of rail networks, showcasing a proactive stance against environmental challenges.”