Your train is on time thanks to big data

guest · Jan 1, 2020

Your train is on time thanks to big data
December 31, 2019
https://thenextweb.com/insider/2019/12/31/your-train-is-on-time-thanks-to-big-data/

While most Dutch trains arrive on time — 92.6 percent, to be exact — some delay is inevitable. Falling leaves can make the railway slippery. Snow sometimes causes the railroad switches to freeze up.
Thanks to thousands of sensors and big data analytics, train maintenance has become much more efficient.

[...] check-in data, status measurement points on tracks, and information sent by sensors in the trains. All this data continually flows through the Data & Analytics (D&A) division of Dutch Railways (NS) through more than 140 sources.

“What we do is crucial. Without data analytics, we’d be lost,” Martijn Scheele, head of the D&A department, says.
Although the average traveler may not notice it, behind the scenes their travel experience is being continually improved by an orchestrated use of Advanced Analytics.
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Great power, great responsibility
The use of data creates privacy concerns. The Dutch government, for example, wants to use NS’ data to help guarantee the safety of travelers.

“In the event of an emergency, data — anonymized of course — is shared with, among others, the police,” says Scheele.
If this data was misused or fell into the wrong hands, it could present a significant breach of privacy. That’s why this information is handled with great care.

“We have to handle data responsibly, store it properly, 100 percent GDPR-proof, and of course always consider the impact on our company and the traveler,” Scheele adds.
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“Try telling a mechanic who’s mastered his job for 30 years he no longer needs his maintenance booklet, because we now have data to predict exactly when a train must go to the workshop,” Scheele adds.
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