Southeastern’s award winning 50,000 page Wikipedia site was developed and built by the company’s engineering team.
The website features technical processes and manuals, supported by more than 30,000 images and includes everything the company’s fleet technicians need to maintain the organisation’s 400 strong train fleet.
The wiki has transformed the engineering function at Southeastern, and has supported a more efficient way of maintaining and overhauling trains. It contains the entire management system, including all work logs and manuals, and is accessible through one central web-based portal, available from any device, anywhere. This allows colleagues to share knowledge quickly, saving critical time on the shop floor. The company no longer relies on outdated paper systems.
Maintaining a large fleet of trains for one of the most demanding commuter networks in the UK is challenging. Almost every train is in passenger service every day, so the smallest delay in a depot could result in cancelled services. Moving to a paperless system has resulted in significant time savings and improved efficiencies.
Having seen the benefits Southeastern’s innovative system has delivered, other train operators and even aviation companies are looking to replicate its success. The wiki was awarded ‘Small Scale Project of the Year’ at the 2013 Railway Industry Innovation Awards and has been shortlisted for the 2013 National Rail Awards and the National Transport Awards.
