Ground Control using geofencing across Wales to support vegetation management
Background
Ground Control is a leading provider of vegetation management and environmental services, focused on maintaining the UK’s extensive rail network while protecting trackside biodiversity. Due to the high-risk nature of rail environments, Ground Control prioritises safety and is committed to implementing the latest technologies to support their operations and reduce risks to workers. As part of this initiative, they worked with Tended to introduce geofencing technology to support their existing safety protocols.
Solution
The primary goals of this project were toevidence how geofencing technology can:
Support the placement of protection equipment such as worksite marker boards (WSMBs), til-dawns and possession limit boards (PLBs)
Improve worksite visibility by monitoring on-track plant (OTP) and on-track machinery (OTM)
Support with the management of onsite assets to enhance safety in adjacent line open (ALO) environments
The project also aimed to demonstrate that teams could use Tended’s system independently as part of business as usual (BAU), in particular ESs, POSs and Planning teams.
Solution: Tended’s system was applied to support Network Rail’s £7m vegetation management framework
Tended’s geofencing technology was used across various worksites in Wales, where Ground Control has been awarded £7m worth of works as part of Network Rail’s CP7 delivery plan. Tended and Ground Control followed a three-phase pilot approach. In Phase 1, they set clear objectives, conducted educational geofencing sessions, and prepared devices and procedures for rollout.
In Phases 2 and 3, Tended’s geofencing technology was used to monitor the placement of protection equipment and asset movements in real time. By the end of Phase 3, Ground Control gained independent use of the system, demonstrating its ability to be successfully integrated into BAU operations.
Network Rail North & East worked with Tended on a 3-phase project from August 2024 to February 2025 across Scunthorpe and Retford, exploring the long-term value that geofencing can bring to its maintenance teams.
Tended meticulously planned the project in collaboration with Network Rail North & East, forming a strong partnership with its safety leaders and working closely with users of the system to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to apply geofencing to enhance their own safety.
Network Rail also nominated several Geofencing Champions who became their in-house experts, becoming advocates for the technology and providing guidance to colleagues. This helped to highlight how geofencing can be smoothly integrated into North & East’s business-as-usual (BAU) operations, bridging the gap between a pilot project and full-scale deployment.
Results
Correct placement of protection equipment
Tended’s system helped ensure correct placement of protection equipment during setup, reducing the risk of possession irregularities.
ESs used the Tended Dashboard’s Live Map to visually confirm equipment positioning against planned locations.
The RAG view highlighted if boards were outside defined limits, allowing immediate corrective action.
This identified discrepancies in planned vs physical placement, improving accuracy and coordination.
No objects left on the line post-shift
The Dashboard provided full visibility of tagged assets across the site.
ESs could confirm when all items were removed from the track at the end of a shift.
Alerts were triggered if any asset remained within geofence boundaries after handback, supporting the line clear verification process.
Safe access and movement of RRVs
Devices attached to OTP meant that ESs could track the movement of RRVs around the worksite using the Live Map View.
The ES could also check they were accessing the track at the right time and location, and remaining within safe work limits.
The RAG view indicated when a vehicle when unsafe events were identified, such as speeding or leaving the worksite, so that action could be taken.
Mitigating points run throughs
The Dashboard enabled ESs to monitor RRV locations in real time, in particular around points to reduce the risk of unauthorised movements and points run throughs.
Tended’s new Alert Zone feature provided early warnings around high-risk areas such as point locations.
Planning teams engaged
Ground Control’s planning teams were taught to create and manage geofences within the Dashboard.
Workers participated in situational awareness training sessions, gaining a strong understanding of the need for geofencing to enhance safety.
As a result, teams successfully integrated Tended’s geofencing system into their BAU operations.
This project laid a strong foundation for the widespread adoption of geofencing in Ground Control’s rail maintenance environments. It demonstrated that Tended’s technology not only meets but exceeds expectations for improving safety, visibility, and operational control. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Ground Control to drive safety and innovation across their operations.
James Hanna, Operations Director at Ground Control said:
“At Ground Control, the safety of our teams is our top priority, especially when they are working in high-risk environments and near railways. By implementing Tended’s geofencing technology, we’ve been able to get a better overview of the location of our plant and equipment to improve worksite safety and reduce risks for our workforce. Thanks to Tended’s support throughout the project, the system has also seamlessly integrated with our existing safety protocols, allowing us to implement the technology with ease.”
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