Tag Archives: Innovation

Connecting York’s Rail Community: Highlights from the YoRIC Networking Event

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On Wednesday 23 July 2025, we were proud to take part in the latest YoRIC Networking event, held near York Station at West Offices, where our offices are also located. With around 100 rail companies based in and around the city, York is a true centre of rail expertise, so it made perfect sense to reactivate quarterly networking events. This event brought together innovators, operators, suppliers and specialists, all keen to connect, share and explore how we can work together to move the rail sector forward.

An evening of insight, innovation, and collaboration

Incremental were proud to take part in a packed programme of speakers and discussion at the recent YoRIC Rail Networking event,  held right here in York’s historic West Offices. The evening included:

  • Opening remarks from the Leader of City of York Council, Cllr Claire Douglas, setting the tone for why York remains a national hub for rail innovation
  • York Central – Rail Innovation Hub update from Allan Cook, outlining the exciting plans for this transformative project
  • A future-focused session with Adam Lowery from GBRX, on From Friction to Flow: Making Innovation Scalable Across the Rail Supply Chain
  • Incremental’s own showcase, where our CEO and co-founder Dan Lee-Bursnall shared how we’re turning real-time rail data into smarter, safer, more efficient journeys
  • A second spotlight session, with Graham North of YNY (York and North Yorkshire) Combined Authority, highlighting regional innovation
  • A forward-thinking presentation from DfT Operator Future Labs, led by Ross Wellham, exploring fresh ideas, opportunities, and innovation
  • Plus plenty of networking, both in West Offices and later at the York Tap, just over the way at York Station

Thanks to all who joined, contributed and connected. It’s collaboration like this that connects and moves rail forward.

The Incremental story

During our showcase, Dan shared how Incremental turn data into actionable insights. By blending AI, GPS, sensor data and advanced algorithms, our mission is to help the rail industry spot problems earlier, make smarter operational decisions, and keep services running smoothly and safely. To be more specific, some of the issues we can help resolve by leveraging our data and technology include:

  • Overhead Line Equipment – monitoring for faults or anomalies
  • Train System Monitoring – tracking onboard system performance
  • Track Deterioration – detecting wear and degradation
  • Track Vibration – measuring vibrations to assess track quality
  • Performance Metrics – analysing data for operational insights
  • Adhesion Levels – monitoring rail-to-wheel contact for safety
  • Exact Real-Time Location – live tracking of train positions
  • Level Crossing Monitoring – ensuring crossing safety and reliability
  • Delay Attribution – identifying causes of service delays

Each of these elements contributes towards smarter, data-driven rail operations and improved safety, reliability, and performance.

Why the York networking event matters

What stood out on the night was the depth of rail innovation, experience and expertise concentrated within a relatively small area.  The evening was also about synergy – connecting the dots between people, ideas and organisations: the suppliers, operators, planners, infrastructure experts, rail technology experts – all of us in the rail sector, working in collaboration towards a smarter, safer railway that provides a fantastic passenger experience.

As our CEO Dan put it:

“We’re proud to be based in York, in the heart of the UK’s rail community. And by staying connected to our rail colleagues and network, whether here in York or further afield, we can tackle shared challenges – making rail safer and more efficient through smart rail tech – and keep pushing the industry forward towards a digitalised rail.”

Looking ahead

We left the evening feeling that one of York’s main strengths lies in its thriving and innovative rail community.  We also felt that by keeping the conversations going in  York and beyond, by sharing what we learn, listening to others, and exploring new collaborations, we can continue to make a difference across the network.

If anything at the YoRIC networking event has sparked your interest, or if you’d simply like to continue the conversation, then we’d love to hear from you.  You can contact us here: www.incrementalsolutions.co.uk

#YorkRail #RailInnovation #IncrementalSolutions #YoRIC #Collaboration #ConnectingTheDots #FutureOfRail

Incremental Head to Rail Live during Rail Safety Week 2025

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Incremental Head to Rail Live during Rail Safety Week 2025

We're at Rail Live 2025 during Rail Safety Week 2025

We’re excited to be back at Rail Live 2025, one of the UK’s most dynamic rail exhibitions, where innovation meets action across the industry.  Some even call it the Glastonbury of Rail! This year’s event feels even more timely as it coincides with Rail Safety Week 2025 – a national campaign focused on improving safety across the railway network.

At Incremental, safety isn’t ust a slogan – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our smart rail software is designed to give rail operators, infrastructure managers, and frontline teams the real-time insights they need to prevent incidents, reduce risk, and respond faster when seconds count.

Where to Find Us at Rail Live 2025:

Railway Industry Association Lounge
Stand M99, Table N
18–19 June 2025

Meet the team: Daniel Lee-Bursnall, Luke Powley, and Carol Sarreti will be on hand to demonstrate how our award-winning digital tools are delivering measurable safety improvements on the ground.

What We’re Showcasing

 OLErt – Real-Time Overhead Line Monitoring.  In partnership with the University of Oxford, OLErt monitors overhead line equipment continuously and in real-time, using regular passenger trains. It spots early signs of wear, pan flips, vegetation encroachment and more—helping teams act before minor issues become major safety risks. It’s smarter, safer infrastructure monitoring without the need for boots on ballast.

RAPPORT – Incident Management, Reimagined.  Every second counts in an incident. RAPPORT gives control rooms and frontline staff instant visibility and communication, bringing everyone onto the same page fast. The result?  One single source of truth. Faster, coordinated response, safer outcomes, and less disruption for passengers.

AEGIS – Intelligent Movement Monitoring.   AEGIS provides operators with GPS-powered performance and movement analytics – identifying anomalies, risk areas, and delays with pinpoint accuracy. With these insights, teams can manage network performance with safety and precision in mind.

Why Visit Us at Rail Live 2025?

This Rail Safety Week, we’re proud to be showcasing technology that doesn’t just improve performance – it helps keep people safe. Whether it’s spotting faults before they escalate, responding to incidents in real time, or gaining full visibility of movement on the network, our tools are built to support safer, smarter rail operations.

Come and see it in action. Ask questions. Book a demo. Or just have a chat with the team – we’d love to connect.

Learn more about our products here: www.incrementalsolutions.co.uk/product-suite

#RailLive2025 #RailSafetyWeek2025 #SmartRail #RailInnovation #OLErt #RAPPORT #AEGIS #RealTimeData #RailSafety #IncrementalSolutions #SaferRailways

#RailLive2025 #RailSafetyWeek2025 #RailSafety #RailInnovation #OLErt #RAPPORT #AEGIS #RealTimeData #SmartRailTech #IncrementalSolutions

Incremental Head to Rail Live 2025 for Rail Safety Week 2025

New Beginnings at West Offices: Incremental Moves into a Historic Rail Hub

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Team Incremental move into their new offices at West Offices, York.

This spring, Incremental is on the move — into a space that feels like home in more ways than one.

Where Innovation Meets Heritage


We’re proud to announce that our team has officially relocated to West Offices, Station Rise, York. With modern, collaborative workspaces and a location steeped in railway heritage, our new base marks an exciting new chapter for the business. 

West Offices is no ordinary office building. Once the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway, it holds a special place in the history of British transport. For Incremental — a company built around innovation in rail software — it’s hard to imagine a more fitting setting.

Today, the building is once again at the heart of the UK rail sector. It’s home to organisations like LNER, Arup, and AtkinsRéalis — and now, Incremental too. Being part of this vibrant, forward-looking community is a privilege, and we’re excited for the collaborations and connections it will bring.

A Spring Move to Remember

We couldn’t have picked a better week for the move. As we settled in, York was bathed in spring sunshine, with temperatures reaching 24°C and greenery blooming all around. The fresh energy of the season has carried into the office, where our team has hit the ground running in our new space.

A Sincere Thank You

We’d like to extend our thanks to City of York Council for facilitating the move and helping make our transition smooth and seamless. Their support reflects the city’s commitment to fostering innovation and digital transformation in transport and infrastructure.

Come and Say Hello!

We’re now just a five-minute walk from York railway station. If you’re nearby — whether you’re a client, partner, or just curious about what we do — we’d love to see you.

Our New Address

Incremental Group Ltd

West Offices
Station Rise
York, YO1 6GA

Here’s to new spaces, familiar tracks, and an exciting future.

In the Media: Incremental’s technology keeping trains on track

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Daniel Lee-Bursnall (Commercial Director and Co-Founder) and Kate Naylor (Head of Business Delivery) were recently interviewed by Business Reporter Ismail Muller for The Yorkshire Post.

In the article, entitled “Keeping Trains On Right Tracks”, Ismail looks at the specific technology solutions offered by Incremental, and their beneficial presence across the entire rail network.

The article was initially published in the Yorkshire Post’s Sept/Oct edition of it’s ‘Yorkshire Vision’ magazine supplement, where the lead story was Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s aims for, and beliefs in, Yorkshire’s Northern Powerhouse and rail future.Paragraph

To read the article in full, please visit the Yorkshire Post website here: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/this-firm-in-york-is-keeping-trains-on-the-right-track-with-its-technology-1-10017590

In the Media: OLErt Monitoring

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Incremental were featured in industry publication Rail Engineer in August.

The article, entitles “OLErt – Overhead Line and Pantograph Monitoring” takes in in-depth look at how our OLErt system works – from the practicalities of recording moving image on top of a high-speed train, to analysing the captured data and reporting results in real time.

Written by Peter Stanton BSc CEng FIMechE FIET FPWI, the article also has contributions from Paul Barnes and Dean Shaw (Network Rail), Stephen Duncan (Oxford University), Rich Fisher and Davis Eveleigh (GWR) and Incremental’s Daniel Lee-Bursnall.

To read the article in full, please visit the Rail Engineer website here:
https://www.railengineer.co.uk/2019/08/30/olert-overhead-line-and-pantograph-monitoring/

Incremental Shortlisted for Rail Innovation Award

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On Friday 28th June we will find out if our OLErt system wins another award – this time at the Railway Innovation Awards, held in London. As with the recent Rail Partnership Awards, OLErt’s entry to the awards has been submitted with partner companies GWR, Network Rail, Icomera and Oxford University.

The awards were founded in 1998 and are the longest-running awards scheme in the industry with the aim to celebrate the achievements of those companies and individuals who are pushing the industry forward by developing innovative ideas.

Founder and Commercial Director Daniel Lee-Bursnall, and Head of Business Delivery, Kate Naylor, will be attending the event where OLErt has been shortlisted in the “Cross-industry Partnership” category.

For more on the awards, go to; http://www.4thfriday.co.uk/railway-industry-innovation-awards/

First Of A Kind Government funding for Incremental

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We’re pleased to announce we have been awarded Government Transport and Innovate UK funding for our OLErt dynamic monitoring system.

As one of 24 winning projects in the third round of the First Of A Kind (FOAK) competition, the win will enable Incremental to build upon the successful trial of the system and begin nationwide roll-out.

With the overall aim to help create a more safe, efficient and effective electrified train network, the OLErt system is unique, and will dramatically reduce the incidence of failures to electrified infrastructure and fleets. By continually monitoring and evaluating train infrastructure (in this case, the Overhead Line Equipment), the system analyses data to highlight abnormal events – before they happen. As this is recorded, analysed and reported in real-time, it can therefore prevent dewirements and any other overhead line issues, whose effect is often felt across the railway network.

As announced in January of this year, the OLErt system was chosen by Network Rail and GWR to prototype the technology solution, http://incrementalsolutions.co.uk/incremental-chosen-to-develop-innovative-monitoring-system-for-electric-trains-2/.

The FOAK competition is part of the Department for Transports £7.8 million investment to drive forward innovation which will transform the railways. Other winning ideas included inspection drones, hydrogen train trials and sound mitigation products.

For more on the Department for Transport and this story;https://www.gov.uk/government/news/78-million-to-drive-forward-innovative-ideas-to-transform-railways


OLErt a winner at the Rail Partnership Awards

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Our OLErt image recognition technology was a winner at the recent Rail Partnership Awards, held in Birmingham.

The OLErt (Overhead Line Equipment in real-time) system integrates visual measurement algorithms (from Oxford University academics) with Incremental’s award winning analytics platforms and precise positional certainty data, to leverage imagery from existing roof-mounted camera equipment. The gathered data is then analysed to highlight abnormal infrastructure events before being transmitted in real-time through (partner company) Icomera’s connectivity platform to provide failure and emerging alerts to operational maintenance teams for immediate remedial action.

https://www.railpartnershipawards.com/event/2019/categories

No other available technology can provide dynamic monitoring in this way or will have such a transformative reduction in the incidence of overhead-line dewirements or pantograph train damage.

The Rail Partnership Awards bring together the supply chain to celebrate the very best of achievements in the rail industry. There are 14 award categories of which entrants are judged by a panel of 20 experts from across the industry.


Incremental honoured with Queen’s Award for Enterprise

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Incremental Solutions - founders, Daniel Lee-Bursnall and Lewis Gill
(L-R) Founders Daniel Lee-Bursnall and Lewis Gill

We’re incredibly proud to announce today that we are to be honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – Innovation, 2019.

As just one of 200 organisations nationally to be recognised, this is a privilege and reflects the incredible hard work the team and our partner organisations perform each day.

The Awards are in their 53rd year, and are considered the most prestigious business awards in the country. They recognise outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.

Of the award, Daniel Lee-Bursnall, Founder and Commercial Director, said;
“To say we’re incredibly proud is something of an understatement. This level of recognition is outstanding and full credit must go to the wider Incremental team and our partners for the hard work they do. There’s a real opportunity to improve rail and transport network’s performance with the clever use of technology, and we’re pleased to be based here in York and helping to lead that change.”

We will celebrate the award during a royal reception for Queen’s Award winners in June this year.

To read the full press release, click here (redirects to PDF)

For more information about The Queen’s Awards, visit; www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise