Riding into the Future on Digital Transformation and a World-Class Railway Network

In recent years, the Construction Industry Council (CIC) has been motivating the industry to undertake digital transformation and use digital technologies to enhance efficiency, reduce costs and resolve labour shortage issues. Not long ago, the Council invited Dr Jacob Kam, Chief Executive Officer of Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTR), to share how the corporation is using digital transformation to plan and build the next generation of MTR lines.

Building for people – a business philosophy for operation

Since its inception, the MTR has maintained a business philosophy of "Building for people". Its mission is to connect communities, offer safe, comfortable and convenient railway services to Hong Kong residents, and drive Hong Kong's evolution as a metropolis.

“On the mainland, there is a saying that ‘building railways is building cities’,” stated Dr Kam, citing the Tung Chung Line and the Airport Express Line as examples. The lines have connected Tung Chung and Hong Kong’s airport to urban areas while providing land for property development. Since the launch the lines, Tung Chung has developed from a fishing village into a new town which will eventually accommodate more than 300,000 people.

Elsewhere, another project to redevelop the Siu Ho Wan Depot will open up a large area for building 20,000 public and private housing units.

The MTR business philosophy of “Building for people” is also evident in its determination to upgrade services continuously. Compared to railway operators worldwide, the train service performance level of MTR is among the highest in the industry, with 99.9% of passenger journeys achieved on time.

However, Dr Kam expressed that the company’s pursuit of excellence doesn’t just stop there: “We are striving for 100% on time.” Though the international railway industry has stated it is impossible, Dr. Kam is confident that “if it is ever achieved, it will be achieved in Hong Kong.”

Develop a common data environment

Following a new direction of "Go Smart Go Beyond", the MTR has studied and adopted smart technologies and innovative solutions, merged technologies with its people-centric business philosophy, and continuously improved the efficiency of every aspect of its business. One of its key digital initiatives was to develop a Common Data Environment (CDE) to integrate complex and disparate engineering data.

In recent times, several railway construction projects – including the Tung Chung Line Extension, Tuen Mun South Extension and Northern Link – have been initiated as outlined by the Railway Development Strategy 2014. Their scale is huge, and their challenges and complexities comparable to other large-scale construction projects.

In view of this, Dr Kam said, “We are building a CDE to collect all kinds of information and data about project life cycles and contain it in a single source of truth.”

The CDE can consolidate documents from contractors, construction plans, design diagrams and so on a single platform. It also allows users to review BIM three-dimensional models and any project modifications, progress and records, facilitating monitoring and follow-up actions.

“The CDE also enables us to do analysis, data analytics, forecasting and more,” Dr Kam added. For example, forecasting and avoiding design conflicts regarding beams, columns, steel bars and other elements can save time on redesigning and schedule adjustments, increasing the probability of projects being completed on time.

The MTR plans to develop its own CDE first and an industry-wide one next, creating better connections for practitioners to share and exchange data.

All-round application of digital technology

In recent years, the MTR has introduced a variety of digital management systems with functions ranging from project planning, cost control, design, DfMA and the application of MiC, to routine railway operation and repair. Ultimately, all these systems enable passengers to reach their destinations smoothly and quickly.

“We are building a data lake to store and monitor data related to customer service, asset conditions, operations and maintenance, in order to enable smart maintenance, smart operations, and more importantly, smart customer service,” said Dr Kam.

For instance, MTR has upgraded its mobile app to offer real-time information to passengers. One of the more popular functions include station alighting and interchange reminders, as many passengers focus their attention on their mobile phones and may forget to alight at the right station.

For maintenance and asset management, MTR uses an all-in-one smart platform to collect train and railway data for real-time analysis, enabling them to avoid possible failure events and perform maintenance in advance.

The MTR has also introduced a series of carbon neutral pilot designs which use digital technologies. These range from installing transparent solar panels at Hin Keng Station, to an AI-controlled chiller, and an electromagnetic braking system which generates electricity that can be used by stations.

Moving forward in solid partnership

Looking forward, the MTR will simplify station design to further adopt DfMA and accelerate digitalisation to establish partnerships across industries. Dr Kam firmly believes that the company cannot create and upkeep a world-class railway network alone,but shall rely on an orchestrated effort of experts and all industry.

“To promote DfMA, digitalisation, strong stakeholder engagement and new engineering contracts, we need to partner with the whole industry, experts, government, regulators, technology providers and others,” Dr Kam declared. MTR will continue collaborating with a variety of partners to build a world-class and sustainable railway network and services, allowing Hong Kong to move forward into the future.