The historic Grade II-listed Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel has connected Jarrow and Howdon under the River Tyne since 1951, heralded as Tyneside’s contribution to the ‘Festival of Britain’ at a total cost of £833,000.

The Challenge

Having been in operation since 1951, the Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel was forced to close in 2013 for what was proposed as a two-year restoration project, but after the discovery of hazardous materials – the project was delayed and has remained closed for the past 6 years.

As part of the planned restoration, security, communications and public safety were also critical, creating the need for a full technology refresh and the introduction of a security platform that would help protect and keep safe the thousands of people who use the tunnel each month.

Joint owners, The Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel and Newcastle City Council approached Advantex to design, implement and manage fast and cost-effective IP cameras, access control and communication systems for both tunnels, ready for its reopening date in August 2019.

The Solution

Utilising Axis CAMERA MODEL IP surveillance cameras site-wide, and the Paxton MODEL access control units at key areas, the tunnel was transformed into a safe and secure environment, enhancing public safety to its maximum.

In addition to public safety, a state-of-the-art Mitel telephony system was installed – keeping the business connected. In addition to staff communications, a digital live signage system from SignageLive was installed to communicate with the public – including advertising, travel times and warning messaging.

The Results

Both tunnels now benefit from the most advanced and state-of-the-art communication and security.

Not only are the 20,000+ people who use the tunnel each month safe and secure thanks to intelligent access control and IP surveillance cameras, pedestrians can also check travel times at the entrance of each side of the tunnel, and in the event of an emergency, the signs will display messaging not to enter – making the tunnel more efficient than ever.

Hitachi Rail, one of the world’s leading suppliers of railway engines and rolling stock, opened its new £82m facility in Newton Aycliffe in 2015, where more than 750 people are employed across a 32 acre site building upwards of 35 units each month. This includes work on the production of the new InterCity Express trains (IEP) for the East Coast Mainline and Great Western Mainline, as well as new AT200 commuter trains for Scotland.

The Challenge

In keeping with a state-of-the art manufacturing complex, Hitachi required next generation, highly versatile and cost effective network-based IT services to meet the needs of an expanding workforce, operating in a modern, evolving production environment. The system also needed to be future proof so that it could accommodate growth, site expansion and the demands of additional technology.

The Solution

After a review of requirements, Advantex designed and installed an infrastructure that could support and deliver enterprise grade IT services and superfast wireless broadband connectivity site-wide. Incorporating the latest in audio-visual, Wi-Fi and network switching technology, the system was specifically engineered to provide high-grade site-wide voice and data services.

A key feature included the installation of wireless technology that enables production staff and engineers to complete inspection and audits using portable hand held devices during the production of train cars.

The Results

The solution Advantex created, which was delivered on time and to budget, not only meets but also exceeds the IT requirements of hundreds of staff and visitors to a site that’s currently seeing the first IEP trains produced going into passenger service on the Great Western Main Line.

In-built scalability has also been included as part of a bespoke solution, contributing to long term performance and delivering financial savings – the system can be extended easily and upgraded as future network needs change in line with Hitachi’s expansion and development plans for its Newton Aycliffe site.

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