The Rail Information Train Assistant (Rita) project was launched in April 2012 with the objective of incorporating all offline documentation onto a lightweight portable electronic device weighing less than 1kg. Previously drivers carried a backpack containing up to around 20kg of paper, including copies of the operational rulebook and manuals, as well as timetables, timesheets, and a driver's report. All of this documentation is now carried on the Rita tablets, which are used by all SNCB Logistics drivers.
SNCB Logistics says new applications are constantly being added to Rita, and all documents can be consulted online using the 3G connection on the Samsung Android device. Rita meets all safety rules and regulations for railfreight in Belgium, and SNCB Logistics says that the tablets have provided greater stability and traceability in the communication of safety messages, including reports of maintenance work and safety restrictions.
Rita also structures feedback from the driver's report and sends it to central operational services, allowing them to resolve incidents in real-time. It also means all such information is stored centrally, allowing deeper analysis of trends.
