Predator PTZ cameras selected for monitoring at Limehouse Link Tunnel

The Limehouse Link Tunnel opened for use in 1993. It stretches for a little over a mile under London’s East End. Travelling along the A1203 from The Highway to Canary Wharf, it takes vehicles under the Limehouse Basin, Limekiln Dock and Dundee Wharf then curves under Westferry Road to emerge near the West India Quay Docklands Light Railways station.

It’s apt that the entrances and exits to the tunnel are known as ‘portals’: the Limehouse Link Tunnel ‘transforms’ commuters into virtual time travellers as they enter from the historic, fabled streets of the East End and emerge, blinking, into the hyper-modern glass and steel-emblazoned environs of the reclaimed Canary Wharf.

Underground safety

For a massively busy tunnel like this one, safety is absolutely paramount. Speed limits are set at 30 mph. Transport for London traffic management teams constantly monitor the live video feeds from cameras sited strategically along the tunnel’s course to ensure traffic flows smoothly and any incidents can be acted upon swiftly and safely.

The camera system in the Limehouse Link Tunnel is maintained by Cubic Transportation Systems. The companu has worked with Transport for London for many years now, helping to deliver the famed Oyster payment system, and has continually striven to reinvent the way in which integrated technology is used for managing traffic and public transport across London.

Recently, it was decided that the existing cameras in the Limehouse Link Tunnel needed an upgrade. Cubic Transportation Systems’ senior field services manager Neil Ashford explained: “The older cameras that were being used in the tunnel had become obsolete. This was due to camera part obsolescence, fault levels increasing and critical areas of tunnel coverage becoming more challenging to maintain with adequate CCTV coverage. Roadside cameras need to be tough and reliable, so we had to source a ruggedised model that could withstand the rigours of constant use in that kind of environment.”

Learning by experience

Cubic Transportation Systems had used Predator Ultra HD cameras from 360 Vision Technology on an earlier tunnel project and this experience convinced Neil Ashford that the same model would be up to this latest task.

The Predator PTZ camera range is a high performance, fully-featured series of ruggedised PTZ cameras designed and manufactured in the UK. The distinctive Predator range comes with multiple protocols as standard, allowing quick and simple integration with DVRs, matrices and IP VMS systems.

Importantly, the Predator Ultra cameras provide HD images, deliver 30x optical zoom and can operate in extremely low light conditions.

Technically adept

One challenge the Limehouse Link Tunnel upgrade project team faced was transmission: how best to ensure the 1080p HD images captured by the cameras could be sent to the Transport for London Control Centres.

Thankfully, in addition to its direct IP connection options, the Predator cameras feature a 12-pin connection in the base of each unit, allowing the new replacement cameras to be connected directly to the existing cable infrastructure of the old camera system. This feature alone saved significant time and installation costs on the project.

“Being able to install the new Predator cameras without making any changes to the local camera infrastructure was a great advantage in reducing installation time and the overall cost of the project,” explained Ashford. “Another key factor involved when it came to selecting the Predator cameras was the relationship we have with the manufacturer. 360 Vision Technology is the true expert here. Working directly with the business can help us to quickly and efficiently solve any issues that might arise.”

Ashford added: “Being UK-based is part of it, but the crucial thing is access to knowledgeable staff. I have a highly technical team of engineers, and thankfully 360 Vision Technology have highly technical staff who listen to and address any problems that we find with a camera. It’s a very good working relationship. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the company is the best supplier I’ve ever worked with. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them for future projects.”

Proactive monitoring

A total of 56 Predator Ultra 30:1 HD cameras are now in active use in the Limehouse Link Tunnel. The cameras are monitored at a variety of locations, including at the primary Transport for London Network Management Control Centre (NMCC). The complex, 24-hour NMCC operation integrates previously separate control departments into one central hub, providing a more efficient and linked-up approach to road management. It’s part of the ‘Vision Zero’ approach to traffic and transport strategy, with a long-term aim of eliminating all deaths and serious injuries from London’s streets.

Operators watch not just for active incidents such as accidents and collisions, but also for anything that has the potential to cause one, including loose manhole covers or potholes. When one of these situations is spotted, the Predator camera can confirm the cause and help to diagnose a swift solution (which could include closing the tunnel for rapid repairs).

Both Cubic Transportation Systems and Transport for London have been extremely impressed with the performance of the Predator models. “Transport for London has received the new cameras very well,” explained Neil Ashford. “Image quality is remarkably high and allows the operations team to derive the pictures that they need to assess and respond to incidents as they occur. We’re very satisfied. So much so, in fact, that further use of the Predator cameras will be at the forefront of future projects.”

Jason Wyatt, national account manager at 360 Vision Technology, responded: “We’re extremely happy to be able to provide our ruggedised Predator cameras for crucial traffic projects such as monitoring the Limehouse Link Tunnel. Being able to work with Cubic Transportation Systems and Transport for London is a real vote of confidence not just in our products, but also in the technical knowledge and skill sets of the team at 360 Vision Technology.”

*Further information is available online at https://www.360visiontechnology.com