Metro control room gets £8.8 million upgrade

A North East transport operator has completed a multi-million-pound digital upgrade aimed at improving network reliability and reducing service disruptions.

Metro operator Nexus has completed an £8.8 million overhaul of the control room systems used to monitor and manage key parts of the network’s infrastructure.

The project involved replacing the Metro’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA), which oversees systems including power supplies, alarms, lifts, escalators, lighting and tunnel drainage pumps.

New digital technology will allow engineers and control teams to identify faults more quickly and respond to issues before they impact passenger services.

The upgrade has also transformed the layout of the Metro control room, pictured below, creating additional space for operational teams and introducing a new four-metre digital display screen for monitoring the power network.

Delivered by Sella Controls on behalf of Nexus, the project was completed alongside live Metro operations to minimise disruption for passengers.

The new system uses technology already widely adopted across the UK rail industry and provides real-time monitoring of the network’s infrastructure and power loads.

Officials say the investment marks the most significant control room improvement since the installation of a computerised signalling control system in 2018 and forms part of wider plans to modernise the network while improving reliability for customers across the region.

Paul Welford, major projects director at Nexus, said: “This major upgrade of our control room technology is a vital investment in Metro’s long-term future. 

“I’m delighted to say the project is now complete.  

“The new SCADA system transforms how we monitor key assets, including the power supply, and allows us to respond more effectively when issues arise, which means less disruption for customers.  

“What we have installed is the very latest digital technology, which is the most advanced currently in use in the UK railway industry. 

“It enables us to remotely manage the high and low voltage power supplies and other key things like lighting, lifts, escalators and fire alarms. 

“The project has allowed us to refresh the layout of the Metro control room, introducing a new four-metre-wide bank of digital screens, while creating more  space for teams who work there. 

“Sella Controls provided us with amazing support during the transition to the new technology.”  

Chris Elliott, sales director, global account management rail, at Sella Controls, added: We recognised very early in the pursuit process what the Nexus team wanted from a delivery partner. 

“We believed our strongest differentiator was our overall engineering competence, experience and proven track record in delivering this type of project, alongside the technical capability of the TrackLink Traction Power Management System. 

“I firmly believe we delivered on the commitment we made during the tender assessment process, providing a flexible approach, working in partnership with the client, and executing the project on time and to budget.

“Sella Controls has over a hundred years of combined competence in Traction Power SCADA within the business. 

“This level of knowledge and expertise ensures the successful delivery of this type of control system renewal.”

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