Digital Twins - optimising our transport networks, can we make them DANCE?
Ryan Hood, Digital Highways Leader, Arup
While the outcomes we seek from transport remain largely consistent, what’s really changing is how we use the network and the technological landscape. Ryan Hood, Digital Highways Leader for Arup, outlines how creating a national mosaic of operational digital twins could be key to realising a multi-modal integrated transport network
The outcomes we seek from transport remain largely consistent – safer, cleaner, accessible, lower cost, more efficient, resilient, personalised, seamlessly integrated – we all aspire to trips without guilt or glitch.
What’s really changing is how we use the network, and the technological landscape. This last point, sometimes referred to as DANCE – Data, Algorithms, Networks, Cloud, Exponential growth in computing power – is enabling us to think differently about how we achieve these outcomes, now and into the future.
One such way of thinking differently is the application of Digital Twins, a term gaining popularity, and nearly always presented as a future state never to be achieved. A journey rather than a destination. Yet NASA has been applying such concepts with real benefits for decades. And many of us use Waze every day.
This new state is really the adoption of the digital twin concept at massive scale – cities, regions, nations. It connects agencies across geographies – connecting place to place; across transport modes – land, sea, and air; and across environments – connecting transport with adjacent sectors such as the environment, energy, and telecommunications.
Collectively this increases situational awareness of what is happening across our networks, improving our responsiveness and resilience when disruptions occur. We’re not talking about one single monolithic twin of the UK transport system, rather a complex mosaic of connected twins sharing relevant data about the performance of the network, with emergent action to optimise the transport system both locally and as a whole.
We’re not talking about one single monolithic twin of the UK transport system, rather a complex mosaic of connected twins
TfL has already developed a digital twin for surface transport operations, part of the Surface Intelligent Transport System (SITS) programme generating a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) exceeding 7:1 with expected benefits of £1bn from 2028. It is leading to improvements in situational awareness, incident management, congestion relief, air quality, road safety, and supporting the prioritisation of bus services and active travel across London.
Similarly, Transport for West Midlands’ Regional Transport Coordination Centre (TfWM RTCC) and Incident Management System has led to significant improvements in situational awareness and network resilience, providing better coordination with local authorities, transport operators, and emergency services, and communication with transport users, with reported improvements of 10% in bus route punctuality in some instances.
Similarly Portsmouth City Council’s Network Management team has begun to track ferries against timetables, utilising anomaly detection and alerts to get ahead of consequential impacts on approach roads to the ports in the case that there is a problem with the ferry system.
Across the pond, my Arup colleagues are working on pioneering projects such as the Virginia Department of Transport Regional Multi-Modal Mobility Programme (RM3P), supporting the implementation of Integrated Corridor Management (ICM). RM3P facilitates a multi-agency approach to major multi-modal transport corridors, with the concept building on previous ICM pilots that have demonstrated a BCR of 10 to 20:1 – improving coordination of response to travel disruptions, collaborative planning, enhanced connections, and dynamic incentives for individual travellers, ultimately leading to more reliable commutes, better journeys for users, and a potential 20% reduction in crashes.
DfT has created a dedicated Digital Twin team, sharpening the focus and programme of activity to drive benefits and change
These developments have not gone unnoticed. The DfT Transport Research Innovation Board (TRIB) has picked up on these, connecting with wider Government initiatives such as the National Digital Twin Programme (NDTP) and Cyber-Physical Infrastructure, generating greater focus and starting to apply increased investment in this space.
In 2023, the then Decarbonisation and Technology Minister launched the TRIB Roadmap as a guide for the sector through to 2035. This year, the DfT created a dedicated Digital Twin team, sharpening the focus and programme of activity to drive benefits and change.
One key aspect of this, is to ensure developments are based on solid foundations. This includes the business case, evidencing the potential scale of economic benefits to the nation and identifying the challenges in realising them. Afterall, a truly integrated transport system enabled by digital infrastructure might seem attractive and intuitive, but what really are the benefits we expect to users and the economy, and how do we breakthrough hype and wishful thinking?
This requires understanding the value of the transport network to the UK, how much of this relies on digital infrastructure, and identifying the primary uses cases that will drive the benefits and lead the change.
To me, already, there are significant benefits to be achieved as illustrated by the examples above. But to do this will require recognising the value in data and digital infrastructure alongside strong leadership, wide engagement and coordination and attracting the relevant talent and skills.
If we can do this, we really can expect a more optimised integrated network. I’m all in if it improves my experience of travel in the UK.
Ryan Hood is Digital Highways Leader for Arup and a Director at ITS UK.
At Interchange in Manchester on 28 February, Ryan will be joined by senior representatives from DfT, Transport for London, and leading figures from across transport, to discuss the benefits and challenges of achieving Multi-Modal Transport Network Management Digital Twins.
Interchange is at Manchester Central on 27/28 February. In addition to the Interchange progamme, it comprises a series of co-located events including the ITS UK annual conference, the STB Conference and TIP Live. A single FREE registration gives access to all activities across the two days. You’ll find more information here including how to register