Situation Coordinator service under the responsibility of Fintraffic Railway
One of Fintraffic’s basic tasks in rail traffic management is to ensure safe and smooth rail traffic on Finnish railways. The almost three-year-old Situation Coordinator service plays an important role in succeeding in this task. The service allows the railway network to deal with disruptions more quickly, safely and efficiently, as all essential information is transmitted from one party to another in a transparent manner. Since the beginning of 2024, the service has been produced under the partnership agreement between the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and Fintraffic Railway. What does the change mean in practice?
The Situation Coordinator service is provided by Fintraffic Rail Traffic Management from the Helsinki and Tampere control centres 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The most important task of the Situation Coordinator is to act as a link between railway operators and authorities in the event of accidents and disruptions and also to support traffic control in these situations. The other half of the work involves careful reporting, as cooperation between different actors can be developed by utilising data collected on the disruption. The service is provided throughout the Finnish railway network.
“Safe and smooth rail traffic involves many stakeholders from both the railway sector and beyond. In the event of an accident or disruption, the Situation Coordinator will be the person with an up-to-date situational picture of the situation on the railways and its impacts on different stakeholders. Our primary objective is to ensure the safety of different stakeholders during disruptions and their repairs, and to restore traffic to normal as quickly as possible,” explains Lauri Ahtiainen, Service Manager responsible for disruption and competence management at Fintraffic Rail Traffic Management.
The service as an integral part of Fintraffic’s operative rail traffic management functions
The Situation Coordinator service is an operative service commissioned by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. Until now, it was operated under fixed-term contracts. From the beginning of 2024, the service was transferred under the partnership agreement between Fintraffic Rail Traffic Management and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
“With the agreement, the Situation Coordinator service will become an integral part of Fintraffic’s rail traffic management operations. This is great, as it indicates that the implementation of the service has been satisfactory, that there is an apparent need for it and that there is a desire to commit to its long-term development. The change brings continuity to everyone working with the service,” says Ahtiainen.
The Situation Coordinator reduces the number of uncertainties, as stakeholders can be more effectively informed about the duration and traffic impacts of the disruption. This way, e.g., traffic control, authorities, clearing services and rail maintenance units are informed in real time of how the disruption affects their operations, how the situation will be resolved and on what schedule. We have received positive feedback on the service, and stakeholders have found it useful to receive information from the Situation Coordinator on a one-stop-shop basis in case of disruptions.
“Although the Situation Coordinator service has become very well known in recent years, and the service has become an established part of the railway sector, there is always room for improving such a new service. We have strived to react swiftly to development proposals from stakeholders, and we hope that they won’t hesitate to contact us if the service could be improved in some way”, Ahtiainen continues.
