Reading, 20th August 2002 - Advanced Management Solutions, a market leader in solutions for Enterprise Project and Resource Management, has been chosen by Network Rail, formerly Railtrack Plc, to provide AMS REALTIME™ software for their West Coast Route Modernisation (WCRM) Programme. The agreement incorporates the implementation of AMS REALTIME Projects, our project management, planning, scheduling and cost management solution to be used for strategic planning.

Network Rail own and maintain the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, viaducts, level crossings and stations of Britain's railway network. They also provide access to the tracks and stations for all passenger and freight trains, timetable their movements and operate the signalling as they move on the network.

The companies’ task is to deliver a reliable and safe rail network that meets the demands of all customers and stakeholders. Their chief customers are the TOCs (Train Operating Companies) and FOCs (Freight Operating Companies) who run train services over Network Rail's network.

Safety and reliability is, off course, paramount meaning that multi-million pound maintenance and improvement work continues around the clock.

The AMS REALTIME Project licenses have been purchased specifically by Network Rail’s West Coast to fulfil their strategic project planning needs for the multi billion pound modernisation of the West Coast Main Line. This consists of essential engineering works.

The West Coast Programme is to deliver an improved rail infrastructure primarily to support Virgin trains new high-speed rolling stock. Virgin trains are the main drivers of this programme. The project is estimated at £10 billion and is expected to go beyond 2006.


Since Bechtel took over responsibility for Network Rail programme management a review was carried out regarding the use of planning tools. Bechtel insisted that the baselining of projects was mandatory. Primavera P3 was being used but staff amongst the West Coast found that it was too inflexible to be used at the strategic planning level. This allowed for the introduction of a new planning tool. AMS REALTIME Projects now satisfies the strategic planning requirements of the West Coast. It was decided that costs were not to be maintained in the planning tool. AMS are now an approved listed supplier within Network Rail.

About Network Rail
Network Rail has a day-to-day responsibility for the running of Britain’s railway infrastructure network. The WCRM Project Planning Department is one of the IT sections now using AMS REALTIME.

For further information visit: www.railtrack.co.uk

About Advanced Management Solutions
Advanced Management Solutions provides innovative Project and Resource Management software together with implementation services enabling organizations to effectively plan and control their work, time and resources in real-time. AMS REALTIME products are widely recognised for providing a powerful combination of functionality, flexibility, usability and high-performance. Designed for enterprise-wide implementation, the software can support hundreds or thousands of users without sacrificing performance.

The AMS REALTIME products are ODBC compliant and are cross-platform compatible across Linux, Unix, Microsoft® Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000, Apple Macintosh®, and the web. The AMS REALTIME products also integrate with Microsoft Project, providing a single repository of all project data across the enterprise.

More information about Advanced Management Solutions is available via the World Wide Web at www.amsrealtime.com. Alternatively, call or e-mail Katie Hardingham on 01189 605 800 or khardingham@amsuk.com

PR CONTACT:
Paul Cotter, Advanced Management Solutions
Tel: 0044 (0) 118 9 605 826
Fax: 0044 (0) 1189 605 801
pcotter@amsuk.com

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