AtkinsRéalis is a global engineering and nuclear services organisation delivering complex rail, transportation and infrastructure programmes across the UK and internationally.
Within rail signalling schemes, Wheel Detection Points (WDPs), commonly known as axle counters, are safety critical assets that require comprehensive documentation, survey validation and structured reporting in accordance with Network Rail standards.
On large rail programmes, the volume of these assets can be significant. Each Wheel Detection Point requires accurate positional data, supporting drawings, photographic evidence and formal compliance documentation.
When multiplied across hundreds of installations, the reporting requirement becomes a substantial administrative and engineering exercise in its own right.
Ensuring this information is captured, structured and verified consistently is essential not only for project delivery, but also for assurance and long-term asset management.
The cumulative impact was significant. The team faced a considerable administrative burden in preparing and managing hundreds of individual documents. Manual handling increased the risk of transcription errors, mismatched photographs and inconsistencies between drawings and survey data.
As the programme progressed, late-stage updates required repeated document edits, compounding the time pressure and increasing the potential for error.
Working collaboratively, AtkinsRéalis and eviFile digitised the full Wheel Detection Point reporting lifecycle, moving from bulk data import through to structured reporting output.
As eviFile is highly customisable and configurable, it rapidly adapts to each organisation or project teams processes rather than forcing change.
The solution enabled bulk upload of asset data, with forms automatically pre-populated using structured information. Tasks were digitally allocated to surveyors using iPads, allowing on site data capture directly within the system.
Photographs were automatically associated with the correct asset record, eliminating the risk of misfiled or mismatched images. Because asset information, survey data and compliance evidence were captured in a consistent format aligned with project governance requirements.
This ensured that the information generated during delivery could support assurance, reporting and long term asset management.
By digitising the Wheel Detection Point reporting process, AtkinsRéalis moved from manual document management to structured information capture aligned with project governance requirements. The workflow captures data once at source and produces compliant reporting through automated export rather than manual document assembly.
This structured approach ensures that the information created during construction becomes part of a reliable project data set that can support assurance, reporting and operational asset management beyond the delivery phase.
Ensuring this information is captured, structured and verified consistently is essential not only for project delivery, but also for assurance and long-term asset management.
On a recent programme involving just under 300 Wheel Detection Points, the reporting process was largely manual and document driven. Each individual form required detailed positional and line reference data, extracts from scheme and track plans, installation and survey confirmation details, four associated photographs and a fully completed title block containing compliance information.
Historically, every form was created separately, printed and issued to site teams. Once completed on site, forms were returned to the office where information was manually retyped, checked and reconciled against survey data before final issue. This approach created duplication of effort at multiple stages of the workflow.
information was captured once at source, there was no requirement for re-keying when forms were returned.
We were managing nearly 300 forms manually. Now the data is captured once, on site, and reported at the click of a button. It has removed a significant administrative burden and made the process far more efficient.
Successful rollout is supported through early stakeholder engagement and discovery workshops to discuss required forms, roles and permissions to match current processes. This enables project teams to begin shaping how the system works before full rollout and is an important consideration to consider when replacing manual or spreadsheet-based processes.
Dedicated training and ongoing support are part of a successful rollout, whilst the pilot project demonstrated value, further helping to overcome any resistance to change.
If positional data required amendment on site, built-in system logic allowed updates to flow automatically across all relevant fields. This removed the need to manually edit multiple documents and ensured consistency across the entire data set.
Final outputs were generated as structured exports aligned to Network Rail standards, transforming reporting from a manual document assembly process into a controlled digital workflow.
This approach formed part of a broader information management strategy. Rather than simply digitising individual forms, the process was structured so that The solution reduces administrative burden, lowers error risk and accelerates programme delivery while providing scalable repeat value across future signalling schemes.
The Wheel Detection Point programme demonstrates how structured information management can transform delivery workflows. By defining information requirements early and capturing data consistently on site, the project team created a reliable data foundation that supported reporting, compliance and future asset management.
This approach can be replicated across many other construction and infrastructure assurance processes, enabling organisations to move from fragmented documentation towards governed, connected project data.
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