Purple Transform wins Innovate UK funding for AI rail safety

Purple Transform has secured funding from Innovate UK to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology aimed at reducing safety incidents at level crossings across the UK rail network.

The Oxfordshire-based company's project, “Levelling Up Crossings,” will utilise its intelligent SiYtE platform to monitor and flag potentially dangerous situations in real-time.

The company was awarded the funding as part of Innovate UK's 'AI Solutions to Improve Productivity in Key Sectors' competition. This competition seeks to enhance UK safety, productivity, and public services through the development and deployment of AI.

Gregory Butler, CEO of Purple Transform, said, “Level crossings are a major safety concern for the entire rail industry; not only do they represent a serious risk to the public, they are often the root cause of costly and frustrating service delays. As it’s simply not feasible for rail employees to monitor all of these crossings all of the time, radical new solutions are required. That’s where AI comes in. Our ‘Levelling Up Crossings’ project will help identify safety incidents before they develop, empowering relevant personnel to rectify the situation, keeping the railway moving and people out of harm’s way.”

Between April 2022 and March 2023, five fatalities were reported at mainline level crossings, while there were 298 near-miss incidents involving pedestrians from April to October 2023 — which represents a 31 percent increase from the previous year. With nearly 6,000 level crossings along the UK railway network, many of which are unmanned, there is a focused need for improved monitoring and incident management.

The SiYtE platform can scan CCTV footage in real-time and integrate with existing camera infrastructure, making it a cost-effective solution. The AI model is trained to identify abnormal behaviours like objects blocking crossings, people loitering or trespassing, and children playing near the tracks. Once such behaviours are detected, the system can automatically alert designated personnel, who can then respond promptly to address the situation. These alerts could be sent to railway employees, emergency services, train drivers, or guards.

Purple Transform's technology not only aims to reduce the number of safety incidents but also seeks to prevent service disruptions, which can lead to significant financial penalties for rail operators. The integration of this AI technology with legacy camera systems represents a practical step forward in improving the overall safety and efficiency of the rail network.

Innovate UK's funding will assist in the development and trial of these AI models, positioning this project as a prominent example of how AI can be leveraged to enhance public safety and operational efficiency. Using advanced data analytics and machine vision, the system is designed to enhance human decision-making capabilities and ensure a higher level of safety and reliability in the rail sector.

Purple Transform exists to create better human outcomes by unlocking the full potential of ethical AI, advanced data analytics, (IoT), and computer vision solutions. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Oxfordshire, UK, its core platform SiYtE uses a combination of AI, Machine Vision/Learning and Human Intelligence to enhance human decision-making capabilities.