Digital technology influences rail industry positively

Rail infrastructure in South Africa is trending towards smart digital technologies that will influence the industry positively, says consulting engineers company Aurecon. “The integrated three-dimensional (3D) designs used particularly in South Africa are being used to plan and model rail infrastructure. While this technology is also used on road and construction projects, it is more opportune in rail infrastructure,” says Aurecon technical director Francois Heyns. He points out that everything – from electrical works to signalling lines – can be created using a live 3D model of the project. While rail infrastructure is linear, it can get very congested in near platforms; having a spatial reference of all the services within a 3D model can greatly reduce the number of clashes and improve building and operating efficiency.