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Medway County Council, Tunnel Control, Data Communications & Electrical Subsystem Replacement

The 725-metre Medway Tunnel is an immersed tube, dual two-lane tunnel with cut and cover approaches, opened in 1996. As its original proprietary control system reached end-of-life and was no longer supported, Morson Praxis were commissioned to deliver a full SCADA control system replacement to reduce operational risk and enhance long-term reliability.

Client Brief

Ensuring Continuous Tunnel Safety

Medway Council required a robust, future-proofed tunnel control system that could manage complex safety-critical functions while ensuring uninterrupted operation. The upgrade had to integrate multiple subsystems — including power, ventilation, CCTV, and communications — into a single intelligent SCADA network capable of 24/7 remote monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Project Overview

Complete Systems Renewal

Morson Praxis, through their specialist control systems division Ematics, were appointed to design, supply, install, test, and commission a comprehensive range of new systems for the Medway Tunnel.
Key systems delivered included:

SCADA & PLC Control Systems
Industrial Communication & Networking
Tunnel & Highway Systems Integration
CCTV & Incident Detection
Emergency Telephony & Radio Systems
Operator Control Room Refurbishment

network monitoring, predictive alerts, and automated reporting through WhatsUp Gold software.

Image Gallery

Delivering smarter, safer journeys through intelligent tunnel automation.

Our Solution

Intelligent, Resilient, and Future-Proof

Morson Praxis implemented a dual-redundant SCADA architecture with hot standby PLCs and a gigabit fibre-optic network, designed for reliability and scalability.

Core Innovations Included:

SCADA System: Dual servers and multiple client workstations providing tunnel-wide monitoring and control across lighting, ventilation, traffic, and safety systems.
PLC System: Schneider SIL2-compliant architecture delivering high-availability automation with Ethernet-based I/O integration.
Fibre Network: Cisco StackWise gigabit backbone with VLAN segmentation and rapid failover protection for seamless communication.
CCTV & Incident Detection: Bosch and Axis IP cameras with integrated SCADA control and advanced video analytics to identify smoke, pedestrians, and stopped vehicles.
Emergency Communications: Migration of analogue telephones to a secure IP-based Unified CallManager system fully integrated with SCADA.
Network Management System: Real-time network monitoring, predictive alerts, and automated reporting through WhatsUp Gold software.

Results

A Smarter, Safer Tunnel Environment

The Medway Tunnel now operates with a state-of-the-art control and monitoring infrastructure designed for high availability, scalability, and resilience.
Key outcomes include: