The document discusses the event driven real time disruption (RTD) system used on the Victoria Line in London. It describes the challenges of providing timely customer information given the line's high speeds and extensive interchange connections. The system allows control centre operators to select predefined disruption events which then generate associated messages. These messages are transmitted to stations and trains to be dynamically prioritized and displayed based on location. The system provides customers with trusted, journey-specific disruption information to help them make informed travel decisions.

1. Victoria Line
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
John Palmer
Customer Information Project Engineer
Victoria Line Upgrade
© 2013 London Underground

2. • Some of the Challenges
• Event Driven Real Time Disruption Architecture
• At the Control Centre
• On the Trains
Victoria Line Event Real Time Disruption
© 2013 London Underground

3. Some of the Challenges
Victoria Line Event Driven Real Time Disruption
© 2013 London Underground

4. • Currently the Victoria line has 2 million customer journeys per year and increasing.
• The population of London is projected to increase equivalent to the population of
Birmingham over the next 10 to 15 years.
• VL Stations have multiple interchanges to other LU lines, National Rail, International
Rail, London Overground and multiple Bus routes.
• Suspensions and delays on other LU lines and transit services are reflected as
interchange disruption on the Victoria line.
• VL is fast moving, any disruption develops quickly and requires immediate customer
information from the control centre.
Victoria Line Event Real Time Disruption
Some of the Challenges
Overground
Overground
Overground
Extensive Interchanges
© 2013 London Underground

5. Victoria Line Event Driven Real Time Disruption
• Other line part suspension can be distant and not
directly affects a VL interchange.
• Other line suspension can severely impact an
interchange.
The Challenges
Variable
Other Line Disruption
© 2013 London Underground

6. Victoria Line Event Driven Real Time Disruption
• The Piccadilly line has multiple interchanges with 3
interchanges.
• The Northern line has multiple and complex
interchanges with 4 interchanges and 2 routes.
• So interchanging VL customers are impacted
dependant on extent, location and route of
Northern and Piccadilly lines disruption.
The Challenges
Multiple and Complex
Interchanges
Piccadilly line
Piccadilly
line
Northern line
Charing
Cross
Branch
Bank
Branch
Northern line
© 2013 London Underground

7. Victoria Line Event Driven Real Time Disruption
The Challenges
Overground
Overground
Overground
The system had to be designed and implemented to address the challenges.
• To provide a manageable maintainable Real Time Disruption system based on a
flexible and expandable model.
• To simply and rapidly instigate and manage information to customers on both
stations and trains that reflect developing disruption in real time.
• To enable exchange of Real Time Disruption data across the LU and between
other rail and transit networks based on common data.
• To provide customers with trusted disruption information prioritised for their
current location to help them make informed decisions about changing their
journey. [Traffic Shaping]
© 2013 London Underground

8. Victoria Line
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
© 2013 London Underground

9. The next station is Warren Street The Bakerloo line is suspended
Brixton 1
Brixton 3
Bakerloo line is suspended
Train integrates RTD
Messages with journey
based information
The Control Room user selects and
activates an RTD Event.
The Bakerloo line is suspended
Victoria Line Event Driven Real Time Disruption
Architecture
RTD Messages to Stations are transmitted
displays via WAN
RTD Messages to Trains are transmitted
via TRAIN RADIO
RTD Messages
Integrated with train
prediction information
Then transmitted to
station displays
RTD Messages
Broadcast to
operational train fleet
via radio
Associated
Real Time Disruption Messages
Real Time Disruption Event
Warren Street
Station
Up to 3 associated predefined RTD Messages
are added to the RTD message broadcast
At the Control Centre
On trains RTD Messages are processed to
displays using the VL RTD Profile
On Stations and Trains
Train

10. At the Control Centre
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
© 2013 London Underground

11. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
The User currently selects from a library of 80,000+ predefined Events with
associated messages arranged in up to 255 volumes.
There are currently volumes for every LU line, National and International Rail,
Overground, Buses and Airports.
Each volume covers disruption relating to Service Suspensions, Part Suspensions,
Delays and Station Closures, Station Facilities and Interchanges
For each disruption Event, the disruption cause [Alerts, Incidents, Emergency
Services, Engineering, Passenger, Staff, Weather… etc].
For each disruption Event, some additional information [Listen for further
announcements, Replacement Bus Services… etc].
The User Selects and Activates an Event.
Event Selection
At the Control Centre
© 2013 London Underground

12. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
< The Victoria Line >
< is part suspended >
< between Seven Sisters >
< and Warren Street >
< due to a passenger incident. >
< Please listen for further announcements >
Event Selection
At the Control Centre
The Victoria Line is part suspended between Seven Sisters and Warren Street due to a passenger
incident. Please listen for further announcements
RTD Events and Messages are
structured to provide consistency in
customer facing presentation and in
systematic processing
© 2013 London Underground

13. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
< The Northern Line >
< is part suspended >
< between Camden Town >
< and Moorgate >
< due to a security alert. >
< >
Event Selection
At the Control Centre
The Northern Line is part suspended between Camden Town and Moorgate due to a security
alert.
RTD Events and Messages are
structured to provide consistency in
customer facing presentation and in
systematic processing
© 2013 London Underground

14. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
< The Bakerloo Line >
< is suspended >
< >
< >
< due to a security alert. >
< >
Event Selection
At the Control Centre
The Bakerloo Line is suspended due to a security alert.
RTD Events and Messages are
structured to provide consistency in
customer facing presentation and in
systematic processing
© 2013 London Underground

15. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
< The Green Park >
< has no step free access >
< >
< >
< due to station refurbishment. >
< >
Event Selection
At the Control Centre
London Underground
The Green Park has no step free access due to station refurbishment.
RTD Events and Messages are
structured to provide consistency in
customer facing presentation and in
systematic processing

16. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
When Event activation is instigated an automatic embedded decision support
process is automatically initiated.
The selected Event is automatically assessed against current active Events for
contradictory or redundant information.
If impact is detected, decision support intervenes and the User is presented
with a list of impacted and proposed Events. The User can only select one of
the disruption Events to continue to remain active.
The active Event becomes part of the Current Active Event List
At the Control Centre
Impact assessment
Event Activation
London Underground

17. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
On Event activation associated disruption messages are added to the Current Active
Message List which is then broadcast to Stations and Trains.
At the Control Centre
VL Event Activation
Local
Operator
Information
Internet and
Travel Media
[apps]
Standardised RTD Events
exchanged with 255 other
participating control
centres – organisations.
Built-in functionality for a
future CIS network so
disruption events can be
distributed and
exchanged.
Customer Information Service Network
A future CIS network
VL Stations VL Trains
LU Line Control
Centres
National
Rail
BUS
Services
External
Services
© 2013 London Underground

18. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
RTD Messages to Trains
Current Active Message List is broadcast to
operational trains every 30 Seconds [up to
40 messages]
Each RTD Message is only 38 bytes in size
[one quarter of a phone text message]
The Current Active Message List is
broadcast to both train cabs via train radio
The inactive rear cab radio acts
as a data modem and routes the broadcast
to the train Passenger Information System
VL Trains
Data Network
VL Control Centre
© 2013 London Underground

19. On the Trains
Event Driven Real Time Disruption © 2013 London Underground

20. Event Driven Real Time Disruption
On the Trains
The Bakerloo line is suspended
As well as the customer facing text [above], the RTD Message is also
categorised and contains location and priority control flags which react with
the Victoria line RTD Profile to dynamically determine.
The locations at which a message is processed to display
The priority of the message at each location
© 2013 London Underground

21. Victoria Line RTD Profile
The RTD Profile is installed onto each train as part of a CIS upgrade.
Each Victoria Line location has an individual RTD Profile card.
The profile is a simple array of 16 bit binary values. [White =1 Grey =0]
Where the binary values of the RTD message react with the binary values of the profile, the
RTD Message will be processed to display at that priority.
Dependant on Profile and RTD Message values,, the RTD message can have 4 routes from
low to high priority.
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
On the Trains
© 2013 London Underground

22. EUSTON
KINGS CROSS ST PANCRAS
HIGHBURY AND ISLINGTON
WARREN ST
OXFORD CIRCUS
The Bakerloo line is suspended
3 [HII] disruption
4 [KCS] disruption
5 [EUS] disruption
7 [WAS] disruption
9 [OXC] The Bakerloo line is suspended
OXC RTD information low priority based on the profile
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
On the Trains
Prioritisation is conducted
dynamically by each train
dependant on train
location.
Disruption is announced at locations such that travelling customers can
make informed decisions to continue or change their journeys using
other lines or transit modes
© 2013 London Underground

23. EUSTON
KINGS CROSS ST PANCRAS
WARREN ST
OXFORD CIRCUS
The Bakerloo line is suspended
3 [KCS] disruption
4 [EUS] disruption
5 [WAS] disruption
7 [OXC] The Bakerloo line is suspended
9
OXC RTD information rises in priority based on the profile
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
On the Trains
Disruption is announced at locations such that travelling customers can
make informed decisions to continue or change their journeys using
other lines or transit modes
Prioritisation is conducted
dynamically by each train
dependant on train
location.
© 2013 London Underground

24. EUSTON
WARREN ST
OXFORD CIRCUS
3 [EUS] disruption
4 [WAS] disruption
5 [OXC] The Bakerloo line is suspended
7
9
OXC RTD information rises in priority based on the profile
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
On the Trains
The Bakerloo line is suspended Disruption is announced at locations such that travelling customers can
make informed decisions to continue or change their journeys using
other lines or transit modes
Prioritisation is conducted
dynamically by each train
dependant on train
location.
© 2013 London Underground

25. WARREN ST
OXFORD CIRCUS
3 [WAS] disruption
4 [OXC] The Bakerloo line is suspended
5
7
9
OXC RTD information rises in priority based on the profile
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
On the Trains
The Bakerloo line is suspended Disruption is announced at locations such that travelling customers can
make informed decisions to continue or change their journeys using
other lines or transit modes
Prioritisation is conducted
dynamically by each train
dependant on train
location.
© 2013 London Underground

26. OXFORD CIRCUS
3 [OXC] The NEXT station is OXFORD CIRCUS
Change for the Central line
The Bakerloo line is suspended
[OXC] THIS station is OXFORD CIRCUS
Change here for the Central line
The Bakerloo line is suspended
At OXFORD CIRCUS
Journey based interchange information is modified to
reflect the ongoing disruption previously announced
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
On the Trains
London Underground
The Bakerloo line is suspended
Prioritisation is conducted
dynamically by each train
dependant on train location.
Modification of train journey
based information is conducted
dynamically by each train
dependant on control flags within
the RTD Message

27. • The system is based on an end user fully configurable RTD database based on evolving customer
needs.
• Functionality for an interactive Traffic Shaping common CIS Network.
• Functionality to drive future TFT screen displays with Text, Images, Video and Icons.
• Structuralised RTD messages to facilitate the application of message component shedding with
the message remaining understandable.
• Reduced RTD messaging by announcing common disruption across multiple lines.
• The functionality to attach multiple RTD Messages to a single RTD Event to address high priority
RTD messages at multiple locations.
• The ability to background upgrade the full Train fleet upgrade and provide automatic
changeover facilitated by the use of current and upgrade RTD databases.
• The functionality to monitor user behaviour with the Impact Assessment Process during times
of high task load.
• The functionality to schedule RTD Events to reduce user repeditive task loads.
• The system is provided embedded backup system so that in times of data network failure the
Control Centre user can operate normally and provide RTD information via voice radio to train
operators.
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
Other CIS RTD Functionality
© 2013 London Underground

28. VL Service Control centre
Design Team [Templar House]
Integration and Testing of the CIS RTD service into the Line
Management System
S Walling
London Underground
C&I [Griffith House]
Development of the CIS RTD Message distribution system and
commissioning support
P Stevenson S Brennan
London Underground
Operations
System end user and behavioural development and rigorous
testing
P Wood M Cowland
London Underground
VLU Rolling-stock Team and NPD depot
support
09TS fleet upgrade, implementation and rigorous testing
J Foster C McMahon
London Underground
VLU and BCV Senior Management Team
For the foresight and vision to bring CIS RTD from concept into
reality
A Hadjiry
Siemens UK Development of the CIS Services User front end as part of the
LMS
FOCON [Denmark] Development of the 09TS Passenger Information System
Event Driven Real Time Disruption
Many thanks to those LU departments and organisations involved
© 2013 London Underground