Great Western Railway transforms its security operations with Barco CTRL

Great Western Railway (GWR) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup. Operating across the south and west of England and South Wales, GWR manages 198 stations and runs long-distance intercity, commuter and regional services from its London Paddington terminus. Its network serves some of the UK’s most iconic locations, from Windsor Castle and Newbury Racecourse to the route that carries festival-goers to Glastonbury each year.

The challenge: outgrowing a fragmented set-up

GWR’s Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Swindon is the hub for safety and security across the entire rail estate. Before the introduction of the SOC and its new team the CCTV operators relied on a conventional monitor wall displaying CCTV feeds only. Other vital information, including the live Train Information System, SCADA data, and operational dashboards, was scattered across separate screens and systems. 

Operators had to switch between multiple devices to piece together a complete picture. This slowed response times during high-pressure situations such as missing-person incidents or major public events. GWR needed a ‘single pane of glass’ that could bring every source together on one platform, accessible from every operator position and the video wall alike.

The solution: Barco CTRL and Barco UniSee 500

GWR turned to TDM, a specialist with 25 years of experience delivering data and communication infrastructure in the rail sector and other mission-critical environments, to find the right technology. After evaluating options, including a hands-on demonstration at Barco’s Customer Experience Centre in Bracknell, TDM recommended a Barco solution built around two core products.

Barco CTRL is Barco’s secure control room platform that goes beyond traditional KVM over IP. It serves as the central nervous system of GWR’s new SOC, allowing operators to pull in any source, including CCTV cameras, the Train Information System, SCADA feeds, web applications and more, and display them flexibly on the video wall or at individual operator desks. With an intuitive user interface, operators use a single keyboard and mouse to navigate across all connected sources.  

A standout capability for GWR is CTRL’s Compositions feature. GWR’s network serves locations at the heart of major UK events, such as royal occasions at Windsor, the Glastonbury festival, race days at Newbury. For each scenario, operators can activate pre-defined compositions that instantly display the most relevant sources, eliminating the need to manually search and arrange feeds under time pressure.

Barco UniSee 500 forms the visual centerpiece of the SOC. The 4 × 2 video wall uses industrial-grade, bezel-less LCD panels, delivering a virtually seamless viewing surface. The video wall provides a crisp, uninterrupted canvas for the multiple feeds managed by the three-operator team.  

Partnership with TDM 

TDM acted as the systems integrator between Barco and GWR’s IT environment. As a specialist in infrastructure for safety-critical sectors including rail, utilities and defense, TDM provided the network infrastructure for the Barco system and managed the wider upgrade project, which also included modernising GWR’s video management system. Their recommendation of Barco, backed by a live demonstration, gave GWR the confidence to move forward.

Results: from temporary screens to full integration

The project progressed from a temporary screen installation in September 2025 to a fully integrated system in 2026. The Barco CTRL platform successfully solved the integration challenge. Operators now have a unified view of every critical information source from a single platform, dramatically reducing the time needed to assess situations and respond to incidents. Pre-defined compositions for major events ensure the right information is on screen the moment it matters, supporting faster, better-informed decisions.

The simplicity of the Barco CTRL interface means operators can focus on their core mission – keeping passengers safe – rather than wrestling with technology. And because the platform scales effortlessly, GWR is well positioned to integrate additional sources or expand the system as requirements evolve.

Working with Barco

From the initial demonstration at Barco’s Customer Experience Centre through to deployment, the collaboration between GWR, TDM and Barco was shaped by a shared commitment to getting the technology right for the people who use it every day. The result is a Security Operations Centre that not only meets today’s demands but is ready for whatever tomorrow’s railway brings.