Comply Serve secures Banedanmark electrification contract

Alan Moon, Susan Andersen, Soren Thorpstrup, Steve Tosh

Comply Serve, specialists in progressive assurance software, has secured a new contract with Banedanmark, Rail Net Denmark, to implement its ComplyPro® project compliance software across the billion-krone electrification of the Danish railways. This ambitious electrification programme will benefit the most heavily travelled railway sections in Denmark, currently amounting to over 500km of track.

Alan Moon, Susan Andersen, Soren Thorpstrup, Steve Tosh

The electrification process requires massive investments in contact lines, transformer substations, remote control and bridge works. Ultimately electrification will deliver significant cost benefits in rolling stock purchase and maintenance as well as reducing environmental and climate impact. Electric trains also use less energy and generate less CO2, and electric tracks pave the way for the use of high-speed trains running up to 200kph, dramatically reducing travel times and improving passenger efficiency across Denmark.

Compared to the traditional spread sheet –based assurance approach which is limited in scope and results, ComplyPro provides the industry with a unique, collaborative progressive assurance and compliance system that fully automates and simplifies the assurance process. It is fast becoming the system of choice for major infrastructure projects and engineering organisations to deliver consistent processes, on a global basis – designed by engineers for engineers.

Flexible and very intuitive to use, the system is being used to manage tender assessment, requirements management, build assurance, change management, and hazard management throughout the electrification programme. The ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to ComplyPro, via just an internet browser, allows the geographically dispersed network of users to securely manage data and compliance across all project functions. All teams will be working from a single, guaranteed data source to manage requirements and progressively assure the build of the electric tracks, bridge works, land, power supply stations and control systems.

Commenting on the partnership, Soren Thorpstrup Laursen, programme director at Banedanmark, said: “We have made the decision to combine all the electrification projects into one programme, to benefit from the design and build of one unified system, with a common architecture based on a single set of requirements and components.”

“This ambitious goal is underpinned by the use of the ComplyPro system across all programme disciplines, to act as the shared interface between all parties in our complex supply chain. Adopting ComplyPro gives us a fully integrated single platform for complete visibility and traceability, top down and bottom up, on all project requirements.”

ComplyPro has already been proven on the Danish signalling programme, where it is being successfully used as the single assurance and requirements management solution for all project parties.

Commenting on the contract win, Steve Tosh, managing director at Comply Serve, said: “We are thrilled that Banedanmark has standardised on ComplyPro for progressive assurance and requirements management across the complete electrification programme, bringing the total number of Banedanmark ComplyPro users to around 120 licenses, with the anticipation of more as the project matures.”

“Based on one open architecture database, ComplyPro gives a progressive view on the true health of the project and is being used throughout the entire project supply chain from Banedanmark’s headquarters in Copenhagen, to the COWI/Systra lead engineering consultancy consortia, and the many D&B suppliers. It delivers a joined up, real time view of the project at all times, and supports right-first-time engineering processes.”

The first section between Esbjerg, on the Jutland west coast, and Lunderskov, near the east coast, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2015. In addition to electrification, the programme sees an enhanced power supply upgrade to the existing system to facilitate the increased amount of electrified traffic running through the existing lines. The system around Copenhagen carries the highest volumes with trains for all the new electrified lines originating from the capital.