A promising future for the UK’s rail industry: Our experience at Railtex

What was clear to us over the course of the event was that new technologies and innovations can support the sector to achieve their ambitions and goals. It was evident that a lack of understanding and cross discipline collaboration was limiting the progress. A good example would be how crucial lighting's role is within the built environment in terms of energy consumption and that a simple upgrade to LED lighting technology is a solution that can reduce the energy consumption in buildings like ticketing halls, stations, train depots, car parks etc. by 50% to 80%, when compared to their incandescent counterparts.

It was encouraging to see that many professionals were keen to learn how the latest connected lighting innovations and solutions can support the rail sector improve it's maintenance & operations procedures, plus push towards carbon neutrality.   For example, many of the professionals were unaware that IoT of lighting could further enhance and provide benefits in operational efficiency through our Interact platform; not only reduce energy consumption and cost but reduce the bottom-line operational cost in managing their estate and assets.

Another topic of interest that emerged from the conversations was that of how to keep passengers and staff protected against virus and pathogens, a growing concern from the pandemic. This is where our UV-C solutions was the hero of the conversations. On the stand, we had the Philips UV-C disinfection floor standing unit that was running in the background over the course of the 3 days. The Philips UV-C disinfection air unit is a powerful and effective way to disinfect circulating air. It draws air into the unit where UV-C radiation inactivates up to 95% of micro-organisms in 80m3 within just 1 hour (circular coverage 28m2). With no need for mounting, the free-standing unit can be wheeled into place in a wide range of professional applications, from offices and retail to hospitality. The aesthetic design delivers well-controlled UV-C radiation (RG0) and can also be used when people are present.

For more than 35 years, Signify has been at the forefront of UV technology with a proven track record of innovation and strong application expertise. Recently, new families of UV-C products have been launched – portable, and fixed ceiling/wall mounted air units, disinfection chambers for objects, and surface luminaires that disinfect environments when no one is present. UV-C disinfection technology can add an extra layer of protection to their passengers whether they in a waiting room, ticketing hall or on a train.