Perpetuum has been awarded the contract to supply a sensor system for Eversholt Rail to use in monitoring the condition of eight Southeastern trains.
The Perpetuum system will be used on eight London Southeastern Class 465 trains while they are in service to extend wheelset overhauls and improve reliability.
Mark Johnson, engineering director of Southeastern, said: “London Southeastern has been committed to maximising the performance of its fleets as it endeavours to deliver some of the most challenging timetables in the country.
“Using live information on the bogie’s true condition to inform our maintenance regime has been instrumental to this, along with building a systems approach to asset management by integrating track condition into the wheelset management decision making.”
Perpetuum’s self-powered system, which has previously been used by Eversholt on Bombardier Class 375s and 376s and Alstom Class 466s, produces vibration and temperature data – enabling clients to view the real-time health and predict the failure of rotating components on trains, such as wheel bearings, motors and gearboxes.
Steve Turley, CEO of Perpetuum, said: “We are extremely pleased to continue our collaboration with Eversholt Rail and Southeastern, helping to change the expectations of what can be achieved with existing rolling stock by using methodologies proven in other sectors.”
Andy Course, chief operating officer of Eversholt Rail, added that wheelset and bogie condition monitoring is part of an ever larger Eversholt Rail policy of moving its maintenance methodology towards a “data-driven and real-time operation that will increase availability and reduce cost for our valued clients, like London Southeastern”.
Perpetuum has also been awarded a contract to install wireless sensor systems to monitor when maintenance is needed on Govia Thameslink trains.
