Metrol Melbourne aerial images at Brighton Beach railway station in Victoria

Customer Story

Fast-tracking Rail Incident Response

See how Metro Trains Melbourne uses Nearmap imagery to help gain a clear, accurate view across its network.

Feb 2022 | Melbourne, VIC, AU

Metro Trains Melbourne moves more than 400,000 people daily, servicing 15 lines and 222 stations across a network covering 998 kilometres of track, seven days a week. Metro Trains is held accountable by the Department of Transport (DoT) and is committed to delivering safe, consistent and dependable service.

The Challenge at a Glance

Improving Response for up to 200 Incidents Daily

The Metro Trains Melbourne control centre oversees the entire Greater Melbourne metropolitan rail network. During regular weekday services — outside of pandemic lockdowns — Metro Trains deals with up to 200 daily incidents. Staff work directly with police, supported by an Emergency Management Liaison Officer (EMLO) permanently embedded at the centre. For effective incident response, the EMLO needs up-to-date, accurate aerial imagery and location data to inform decision-making.

Metrol rail southern cross melbourne aerial images

OCT 2021 | SOUTHERN CROSS RAILWAY STATION, MELBOURNE, VIC, AU

Metro train incident response high resolution aerial imagery

OCT 2021 | METRO TRAINS RAILWAY, CARRUM, VIC

The Solution at a Glance

Entire Rail Network View — In High Resolution

Nearmap provides Metro Trains with easily-accessible, frequently-updated aerial imagery for streamlined incident response. In the fast-changing urban environment, this provides an important view of road changes, access points and recent building and construction near tracks and stations. Unlike satellite images, Nearmap high-resolution aerial imagery is captured frequently, dated clearly and provides the high-resolution detail necessary to co-ordinate responses effectively.

Business Impact

Faster Response Times with Aerial Imagery

Nearmap aerial imagery gives Metro Trains a detailed view of the entire network, including tracks, stations and surrounds, to respond to incidents or disruptions. If a train is stuck between two points, Metro Trains staff can use Nearmap imagery to check for suitable access points to provide safe access instructions to responders. During an incident in 2020, Metro Trains staff found that satellite imagery for the location was years out of date, while Nearmap had flown 11 aerial surveys since.

Aerial images of metro train in Melbourne, Victoria

OCT 2021 | FLINDERS STREET STATION, MELBOURNE, VIC, AU

Vertical view of Dunedin railway in New Zealand

Nearmap 3D

Unlock a new perspective and immerse yourself in city surroundings with 3D reality models from Nearmap.

Discover Nearmap 3D

High resolution satellite aerial maps for transportation

Oct 2021 | Blackburn, VIC, AU

Explore Your World

Immerse yourself into an actionable environment that’s stuffed with the insights that empower greater decisions. Uncover the truth in the details with Nearmap.

See What You're Missing

Introducing: Nearmap for Post-catastrophe Response