A fresh approach to on track automated protection
Neil Bradbury is Managing Director of Schweizer Electronic, a leading supplier of level crossings and
warning systems in the UK. Speaking to Rail Director, he explains how the business is “working
smarter” to keep track workers and crossing users safe
Neil Bradbury isn’t afraid to think outside the box. If a junior member of his team shares a bright
idea, he’s quick to implement it – and, when a conversation with a Network Rail engineer led to a
new innovation last year, he backed it wholeheartedly.
This attitude extends to the safety culture Neil has fostered since joining Schweizer Electronic (an on
track automated protection specialist, headquartered in Switzerland) three years ago. He said:
“Everyone has input into the culture. I’m a firm believer that sometimes, my ideas aren’t always the
best way to get things done short term or longer. If somebody’s got a better idea that brings a
solution in simpler, easier, quicker, , let’s sit down and discuss it.
Business development specialist Neil believes that it’s equally important to listen to clients, adding:
“If somebody at Network Rail says, ‘What if we put this piece there?’ and it makes the equipment
safer, simpler to use, and easier to understand, we will, as long as it retains the safety aspect and also
doesn’t detract from equipment use and in turn, worker safety.”
An innovative new warning system
The Schweizer Electronic team was willing to listen when, in 2022, during a technology briefing, a
Network Rail engineer identified a potential safety issue.
Neil explained: “In a fully automatic track warning system (ATWS), there are strike in and strike out
treadles or sensors. You don’t have to press any buttons; you’re informed that there’s a train in the
system, automatically a warning is issued, you head to the position of safety, and you can check on
the screen at any time.
“But a Network Rail engineer quite rightly said, ‘What if a train stops here and dwells or has to
perform an emergency stop? If it’s longer than the preset and built in number seconds, the system is
reset, and your train is still sitting there. Then another train strikes in, again, your warning will go off,
and you’ll be off track – but then that first train starts again, and it tells the system the train has left.
The second train is still in the system and There is a potential for a near miss or worse.
“And that’s when we said, ‘We know what to do about that – we’re going to replace the train
detection with axle counting,’ which we’ve successfully achieved in our Level Crossings solutions.
What we needed to do was look at how to interface our proven Level Crossing technology with our
warning systems. We found that we already had an approved product from within an already
approved solution from 1995 that provided the answer; it was a very simple interface. We
immediately set about to prove that it worked, proof of Concept done, we took the step of building a
product that married the best of our SIL 4 technology into one new system.
Today, the business’s innovative new warning system – christened Overwatch, is powered up in
Kensal Green. Even at this early stage, it’s being seen positively and viewed as transforming the way
maintenance teams can work.
Neil said: “were looking to give the maintenance teams more time on track to carry out vital
inspection and supervisory work. Having this system which sits high in the worker protection
hierarchy is providing the workforce confidence that they can do their jobs safely, which can only
improve the rail infrastructure longer term.”
The UK’s leading supplier of UWC
This agile, forward-looking approach, championed by Neil, has served Schweizer Electronic well in
the UK. Reflecting on his time as managing director, he commented: “We’ve grown the business,
we’ve grown the team, and I can safely say that we’re now the leading supplier of user worked
crossings (UWC) in the UK. And we’re expanding what we deliver. We will always be an extension of
our Swiss head office, but we’re now offering things that only they do – like soft services, technical
support, spares and repairs, and even design services.”
Neil explained that, in order to deliver these complementary services, the business will partner with
other SMEs – which, like Schweizer itself, can operate agilely and cost-effectively.
“Our systems are now in signalling and telecommunications (S&T), and our training is being
suggested to be Sentinel-approved,” he added. “There are all sorts of things that, when I started in
2020, were aspirational – but have happened sooner rather than later. It’s a nice position to be in – a
fresh challenge each day. And it means we’re not standing still, but rather constantly evolving. We’ve
got a good, solid team together, and a number of exciting things in the pipeline.”
The business has come a long way since 2005, when it entered the UK market - primarily as a
supplier of warning systems for hire. Today, Neil believes that its user-friendly products speak for
themselves.
“The great thing about our products is that we keep them simple,” he said. “Our crossings now use
off-the-shelf components, so that we can plug and play. It’s what is driving those components that
makes it unique to us. And that also means we can keep costs down, which is why we’re one of the
most cost-effective solutions for the end user.
“Keeping it simple also means that our training courses can be three days rather than a week – but
those three days include all the theory work and practical elements. We’ll show you how to fix the
equipment, and how to ensure that it’s entered back into service correctly.”
Safety first
For safety-focused Neil and his team, ensuring that clients understand their equipment – and remain
competent – is a priority.
He added: “We’re a training provider as well as an OEM, so it’s imperative that we confirm that our
products are supported correctly, and we’re looking to get full accreditation to deliver SWTH and
SMTH, so we can ensure our crossings are supported fully and correctly. At present, we can train
people at Network Rail, who can then go out and deliver training themselves. But one thing we want
to do is ensure that, year on year, they retain their competence.
“All it takes is for somebody’s knowledge to diminish, and something could go wrong. We must make
sure that everybody is up to speed.”
During his time as MD, Neil has built on Schweizer Electronics safety culture. He explained: “I wanted
to ensure that, in the UK, we were fully conversant with what’s required to keep things safe. We’ve
adopted our Swiss quality system, enhancing it for UK Rail.”
Most recently, this has involved ensuring that the lithium-ion batteries used in Schweizer Electronics
equipment are charged and stored correctly – all with a view to protecting the end user.
“Driving that safety culture internally has been key to what we do, and we’re always looking to
improve it,” he reflected.
Today, father-of-two young children, Neil is as passionate about protecting the public as he is “the
orange army”. Schweizer Electronic is a proud member of the Rail Safe Friendly scheme, which aims
to improve rail safety awareness in schools.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s overhead catenary or level crossings – it’s all about education on the
railway,” he said. “Educating a child is one of the better ways to educate an adult. We’re educating
children, and they’re going home and educating their parents. It’s a great initiative.”
Crossing in a box
And, while Neil likes to think outside the box, he isn’t against putting a level crossing in it. Vamos,
Schweizer Electronics SIL4 level crossing system ‘in a box’, is based largely on standard industrial
components. An innovative, turnkey solution, it’s already in use across the UK, Europe and now
globally.
“In theory, you could unpack, install, test, and commission it in five days, providing you have the
right access of course,” he said. “Recently in the press, there were articles about a crossing that took
two years to install. And when you look at the complexity of what’s involved – the permissions,
possessions, planning, and welfare – you can understand why it takes so long. But we’re looking at
ways in which we can do it more efficiently, easier but without removing the safety elements – watch
this space.”
Renowned for its UWCs, the UK business is also looking to expand into barrier drives and full
crossings, as the parent company have very successfully across Europe.
A bright future
Indeed, Neil is optimistic about the future, explaining that Schweizer Electronics transparent
approach sets it apart from competitors.
“People come to us because they trust us to deliver,” he said. “We like to have open conversations
with our clients, and we like to be honest with them. If it can be done, we’ll do it, and if it can’t – or
doesn’t need to be - we’ll explain why. The more conversations we have, the better our products will
be.”
He’s equally optimistic about the future of the rail industry, commenting: “It’s a bright future, and I
think a consolidated message from all the suppliers to the infrastructure owner is ‘If there’s
something that you’ve always done, don’t think that it can’t be changed or improved on.’”
Neil (who began his career as a Control Equipment Technician with the Royal Electrical & Mechanical
Engineers) is particularly keen to hear from the next generation of rail professionals.
“What we’ve got to do is not stifle the young people coming through as graduates and apprentices,”
he concluded. “I’m a very firm believer that there’s no such thing as a silly question in the rail
industry, and we must allow them to bring fresh new ideas. It’s about working smarter and adopting
things safely, efficiently and quicker, and there are a number of people within the industry, in senior
positions, who are really embracing this.”
Visit https://schweizer-electronic.com/en/ for more details.