Trimble and Totalmobile win HS2 contract

Trimble and Totalmobile’s new vehicle management booking system and integrated inventory management system will allow EKFB to monitor, manage and analyze the status of subcontractors’ vehicles and inventory in real-time.

Construction technology company Trimble and field service management software specialist Totalmobile are to provide a new vehicle management and booking system for the HS2 rail project in the UK.

The companies, which were awarded the contract by joint venture firm EKFB, said the new cloud-based system would improve the logistics of EKFB’s operations, “helping prevent potential delays and support contractor compliance while maximising value for the public purse.”

EFKB, which comprises the civil engineering and construction firms Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and BAM, is carrying out civil engineering works to an 80km section of the new high speed rail link.

The works, which include the provision of 15 viaducts, 6.9km of green tunnels, 22km of road diversions, 81 bridges and around 30 million cubic metres of excavation, will be carried out between the Chiltern Tunnel and Long Itchington Wood. 

Described as the “first of its kind”, the new system developed by Trimble and Totalmobile will enable EKFB to monitor and track vehicles travelling to and from its HS2 construction sites in real-time. It will provide details on vehicle loads, collections and deliveries through a single dashboard.

While the value of the contract was not disclosed, the new jointly-developed system uses Totalmobile’s Mobilise mobile workforce management application and Trimble’s MAPS platform, which “will allow EKFB to provide near real-time updates to HS2 Ltd”.

Trimble said, “EKFB fleet managers will be able to plan routes that automatically factor strict capacity and routing compliance requirements determined by HS2. EKFB’s subcontractors’ drivers will also be provided with Totalmobile’s Mobilise app integrated with Trimble’s CoPilot® truck-specific satellite navigation application.

“This allows EKFB to communicate directly with each delivery vehicle, based on live data feeds and potential route deviation alerts from the system.”

Peter Bimson, the operations director at EKFB, said, “Historically, the management and monitoring of routes has been the responsibility of carriers or shippers; however, Totalmobile and Trimble’s innovative solution hands that control to us.”

Bimson, who was appointed to role earlier this year, said “It will help overcome the significant complexity associated with maintaining oversight of the hundreds of thousands of journeys when working at scale across such a large and diverse area.”

Speaking of its work with Totalmobile, Chris Quinn, commercial director of Trimble’s MAPS division, said, “This is an exciting collaboration for Trimble and Totalmobile to support EKFB by delivering technology that is focused on improving efficiency, compliance, and most importantly, driver safety to and at the site during the construction of HS2.”