Assurail®

Assurail® is an intuitive customizable tablet application that digitizes quality control, inspection, maintenance and testing forms and processes using mobile technology. Users can see the inspection progress as it happens because of Hatch LTK’s companion back-office app Assurail can be customized for the inspection of a wide variety of a transit agency’s assets, such as rolling stock, stations, traction power substations, signal infrastructure, and other wayside equipment.

Assurail® Summary

Drawing from our experienced systems and rail vehicle quality control (QC) specialists, and our software development capabilities, Hatch LTK has pioneered a customizable paperless QC process using its proprietary Assurail mobile application. Assurail provides an intuitive tablet application that digitizes QC inspection, testing and/or maintenance forms and processes using mobile technology. Managers and users can see inspection program progress as it happens because of Hatch LTK’s companion back-office application that communicates wirelessly with the tablets. Assurail can be customized for the inspection, test, commissioning and monitoring of a wide variety of a transit agency’s assets, such as rolling stock, stations, traction power substations, signal infrastructure, and other wayside equipment.

Tired of the mountainous amount of paperwork generated by QC inspections? Having trouble keeping track of and organizing maintenance and testing work documentation? Hatch LTK’s Assurail has the following key features:

  • Paperless
  • Easy user interface
  • Works with and without wireless connection
  • Ruggedized Android tablet
  • Customizable inspection, text and monitoring forms
  • Clear audit trail
  • Convenient photo-taking and markup capability
  • Photos automatically “paper-clipped”
  • Auto-filled fields and checks to minimize input error
  • Convenient inspection guideline pop-up to facilitate uniform standards
  • Auto software update
  • Companion back office server for trend analysis and program management
  • Upload of current data/fields using Excel file macros
  • Customizable by the user after rollout

Assurail® Projects

  • Hatch LTK worked with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to perform a top-down assessment of its maintenance practices. Hatch LTK developed and customized an application to streamline QC efforts, decrease the failure of safety-critical systems, and allow managers to view real-time progress.
  • Hatch LTK was tasked by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to support the evaluation of viable concepts for an incremental increase of the level of safety on its Green Line. One of Hatch LTK’s tasks was to perform infrastructure and fleet surveys of all Green Line light rail vehicles, stations, and wayside equipment such as switches and signals. To facilitate these inspections, Hatch LTK utilized its novel paperless inspection approach by implementing its Assurail tablet app for the inspectors’ use. The app contains editable inspection sheets customized for every type of equipment. In addition, Assurail’s back-office server automatically syncs with the tablet app. Assurail allows in-progress inspection worksheets to be viewed, in real time, and enables completed inspection reports to be archived electronically with easy-to-trace accountability.
  • As part of New York City Transit’s (NYCT) Subway Action Plan II, Hatch LTK was selected to manage a complex exterior and interior deep-cleaning effort for much of the New York subway fleet. The deep-cleaning services were performed on the R188, R160, R142, and R62 fleets, totaling nearly 3,500 cars at six shops, facilities and yards. Hatch LTK was responsible for managing the quality and progress of its work and used a customized version of the Assurail tablet application with back-office support to log pre-existing conditions, progress, and the finished state of each car. Assurail supports rapid data entry and the linking of photos taken by the tablet user to specific issues and conditions.
  • Hatch LTK is supporting the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) with its CTA7K rail vehicle procurement via on-site quality control inspection activities of the carbody structures in China. Hatch LTK has customized a version of Assurail for this project to monitor the manufacturing and assembly of structural piece parts, assemblies and complete carbodies.