Integrated command and control solution for UK tunnel

UK company Sicura Systems is supplying a fully fault-tolerant, integrated command and control solution to the US$416 million New Tyne Crossing project on the A19 near Newcastle in England.
January 27, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
UK company 733 Sicura Systems is supplying a fully fault-tolerant, integrated command and control solution to the US$416 million New Tyne Crossing project on the A19 near Newcastle in England. Video surveillance at the River Tyne tunnel complex is managed by software developed by the company which includes DigiSCADA to provide resilient monitoring and control of all connected devices and systems, and DigiLive workstations which provide the interface between SCADA and DigiWall, a fully-redundant video wall operating between mirrored servers. When fully operational at the site, DigiWall will display footage from fixed and PTZ cameras as well as data from client devices including access control, fire/smoke detection and ventilation.

The project is claimed to feature one of the most comprehensive interactions of camera surveillance and SCADA sub-systems to date. It exploits the full capabilities of DigiWall, an IP-based display solution for control rooms at mission-critical infrastructure locations. DigiWall users are able to view a comprehensive range of data sources including video footage, site schematics, public information displays and building management status.

IP streams from analogue cameras, which are located mainly within the tunnels under the Tyne and at toll plazas, are being generated using blade encoders. Transmission of the 25 fps footage is via a fully fault-tolerant fibre network designed and installed by Vital Technology.

“If problems occur in a road tunnel they tend not to be isolated incidents but rather a sequence of events,” said Vincenzo Roberti , managing director at Sicura Systems. “It was a requirement at tender stage that CCTV for this project should be integrated with SCADA . The sheer range of data on which the Sicura software can report is important for our clients.

“The tunnel operator will be using Sicura’s DigiWall display solution and DigiLive management software to process disparate information types, even benefiting from video analytics functionality via Vehicle Automatic Detection System (VAID),” Roberti said.

To date the New Tyne Crossing Project has included construction of a second vehicle tunnel featuring four 90-metre immersed tube sections under the River Tyne, redesign of the southern interchange at the entrance to the original tunnel and development of a toll plaza on the new northern approach to the vehicle tunnel. The original vehicle tunnel (which dates from 1967) is currently closed for major refurbishment. The Tyne Tunnels site (which includes dedicated tunnels for pedestrians and cyclists) is located 11 km to the east of Newcastle upon Tyne and forms part of the A19 road.

Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Success of London's Olympic public transport systems
    December 4, 2012
    The Olympic flame has moved on, allowing review of the relative degrees of London’s 2012 transportation success, how it was done and with what lasting effects. Jon Masters reports. This magazine’s international position provides a good vantage point for assessing impressions left by London’s 2012 Olympic Games. On the whole, it has been only praise and congratulations heard since the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in August and the Paralympics in September. The events looked great and ran smoothly
    Read More
  • Trans-Pennine road tunnel routes shortlisted, may include special lighting, caverns
    August 19, 2016
    Five routes have been shortlisted for the Trans-Pennine tunnel – the most ambitious road scheme undertaken in the UK in more than five decades. The Trans-Pennine tunnel study was launched by the government in autumn 2015, one of a number of studies aimed at addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the road network in the UK. The latest interim study shows the continued strong case for the tunnel which could provide safer, faster and more reliable journeys for motorists. All five routes join th
    Read More
  • New range of PTZ cameras from Videotec
    June 12, 2015
    Videotec’s new range of pan-tilt-zoon (PTZ) cameras, Ulisse Radical integrates full HD cameras, ½-inch CMOS sensor, and 1080p/60fps for daytime and night-time broadcast quality video and is suitable for surveillance of large outdoor areas, perimeters, border lines, harbors and airports, control of highways and military installations. High-performance lenses, 18x or 33x, up to 500mm, equipped with an advanced autofocus allow the user to quickly achieve and maintain automatic focus on a very distant subject,
    Read More
  • IP-based video management
    January 27, 2012
    Siqura, a member of TKH Group, has released Siqura Diva, an IP-based video management solution that offers a full-featured live viewing and playback user interface, with built-in intelligence for a number of applications. For instance, when combined with the company's IP cameras and codecs in traffic applications, Diva offers an ideal solution for a wide range of situations, including traffic data collection and vehicle tracking. The company claims that because the solution successfully manages the network
    Read More

Highlighted Content