Transport software developed by an SME that benefited from three Catapult-led programmes is being put to good use in Norfolk.

The AI-powered analytics platform Alchera Bus is designed to support smarter, data-driven decision-making across the county's bus network, by tracking bus route performance and identifying interventions worthy of investment.

It was developed by Alchera Technologies which took part in a trial with Norfolk County Council last year as part of the Rural Transport Accelerator, to co-design an innovative connectivity solution to help identify gaps in rural public transport provision across the county.

The Rural Transport Accelerator was funded by the Department for Transport and delivered by Connected Places Catapult. Following the trial, the company has now been procured by the council to support them further.

Watch a video giving more detail about the company’s technology, and its work with Norfolk County Council.

In recent years, Alchera Technologies also took part in the Transport Research and Innovation Grants programme to develop a traffic light priority tool for buses, and a National Highways accelerator to help improve customer experience through roadworks. Both programmes were also led by the Catapult.

Use of Alchera Bus will allow Norfolk's transport team to gain deeper insights into network performance. This will help to identify where investment can have the greatest impact, enabling faster improvements for passengers and communities.

By bringing complex transport data together into a single, intuitive environment, Alchera Bus enables transport authorities to move from managing complex data manually to generating actionable insights faster and with greater confidence.

The platform also provides accurate, granular insights into bus infrastructure performance, enabling more proactive management of the network.

The company says its platform marks a significant step in unlocking data-driven approaches to monitoring and improving the performance of the Norfolk bus network’s reliability and operational efficiency.

We're delighted to be continuing our partnership with Alchera. The use of its Alchera Bus software is helping us to identify where infrastructure investment is needed on our highway network to reduce delays and congestion.

“These insights are key to supporting the successful delivery of our Bus Service Improvement Plan and ensuring that future interventions have the greatest impact in terms of enhancing transport connectivity across Norfolk and the quality of life for our residents.”

Norfolk County Council’s Head of Sustainable Transport, Jeremy Wiggin

“A key element of our mission at Alchera is to help transport authorities and network operators create reliable, efficient and sustainable transport networks upon which critical services can be delivered effectively.

“This contract demonstrates continued confidence in our technology and its proven ability to support better outcomes for passengers and infrastructure network operators alike.”

Alchera’s Chief Executive, Anna Jordan

Read a Meet the Innovator profile about Anna Jordan and her work at Alchera Technologies.

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Meet the innovator making infrastructure assets work smarter

Anna Jordan builds AI systems to help highway operators improve how roads function, and has been supported by three accelerator programmes delivered by Connected Places Catapult.