LONDON: Cordel Group PLC (AIM: CRDL), the Artificial Intelligence platform for transport corridor analytics, announced that Network Rail has provided a Certificate of Approval for Cordel’s AI-powered Gauging File Production.

Cordel has formally achieved certification under the Network Rail “Gauging Survey, Equipment, Editing and Outputs” standard (ref NR/L2/TRK/3204 Module 1 Issue 1 March 2024) to produce all the infrastructure data needed for network and vehicle clearance management and optimisation. This complements the NR/L2/TRK/3100 Issue No. 5 certification announced by the Company on 12 June 2023.

The Network Rail certification now covers the entire Cordel pipeline, with point cloud capture from Cordel Mobile Laser Scanning systems flowing seamlessly through Cordel’s automated AI processing, to produce the Gauging Files that define the shape of the infrastructure with respect to trains and identify, classify and measure the defined attributes of all relevant structures (from signs to tunnels), station platforms (for stepping distances) and the intervals between adjacent tracks (for passing clearances).

Cordel’s process was proven using one-pass data capture from the Company’s LiDAR installations on Class 165 passenger trains operating in all weathers, daylight and darkness, in normal service at up to 90 miles per hour. The rigorous validation process involved analysis of multiple sets of outputs for different asset types in different circumstances. Cordel met all the criteria for precision (exact overlay of successive runs), accuracy (compared to the existing mix of specialist equipment and manual measurement), and format (achieving the exacting standard to facilitate downstream processing by Network Rail and third party consumers).

CEO John Davis said, “Cordel is the first company to achieve this approval for capturing and processing data from trains running at full speed in passenger service. Network Rail has the most stringent infrastructure monitoring standards in the world and our position is now confirmed as the most advanced supplier of AI-driven rail infrastructure insights.”