Esri’s Survey 123 Smart Assistant Delivers Simplicity and Speed

AI-powered tools like the Survey 123 Smart Assistant are making data collection easier, faster and more accurate for the rail sector, writes Erik Henderson, Director, Rail Industry Solutions at Esri.

In early April, while at IMGIS in Frankfurt, I saw a demonstration of Esri’s artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which have been developed to help users create, as well as analyse, the results from their ArcGIS Survey 123 projects.

Survey 123 is Esri’s mobile tool, designed for users to quickly create and deploy a field-based questionnaire on virtually anything they’d like to collect. What surprised me the most about the demonstration’s creation process and resulting survey were both the speed with which the project was created and the comprehensiveness of the questions.

While tools like AI and machine learning (ML) are revolutionising how many people do their jobs, there’s still some hesitation or scepticism around their implementation. There has always been a gap between what I would call the business user, or the railroaders, and the technologists working to create better, faster and safer tools.

That gap falls in two areas, the first being users’ ability to fully understand all of the possible solutions the market has available to them. Think about hanging a picture on the wall and all of the possible ways to do so. Now, imagine walking into a big box hardware store for the first time and only needing to hang that one picture. It can be pretty intimidating to know where to go, who to talk to and how to evaluate all of your options.

The second gap is for the technology experts to be able to understand the potential simplicity of a business problem. Imagine you ask a world-class mechanic who designs and builds race cars how to make a car go faster. The mechanic will probably start explaining the dynamics of quality fuel, and a finely tuned set of spark plugs and cylinders to power the engine, but perhaps you simply weren’t sure which pedal was for accelerating and which was for the brake. With technology advancing at an exponential rate, this gap is increasing as well.

Smarter Tools, Stronger Surveys

Companies like Esri are using AI to make the implementation of technology even easier. The Survey 123 Assistant (Beta) is a perfect example of this. While I wouldn’t consider the process of creating a survey to be extremely advanced, there are many options a user can choose to make a survey much more complex if they wish.

In the past, a user would need to fully understand all of these forms and functions to get the most out of the tools. For a complex survey to be created, you’d need the right combination of an end user who understands what type of content they are looking for and a highly skilled technician familiar with all of the tool’s functions. You may also need a business analyst documenting requirements based on how your organisation was set up to handle technology requests.

With the new Survey 123 Smart Assistant, a user can take advantage of the AI tools for a variety of gains. Here are some of the key benefits it offers:

• Enhanced Data Accuracy: The Smart Assistant uses AI and ML to validate and refine responses as they’re entered. It can flag inconsistent or improbable answers, suggest corrections and guide users to input more accurate information based on prior data or expected patterns. A photograph of a switch taken on a mobile device in the field can prompt users for specific attributes that would only be available for a switch.
• Time Efficiency and Workflow Optimisation: Esri’s Smart Assistant reduces the need for manual input by auto-filling answers based on historical data, user behaviour or integration with other GIS. This leads to faster survey completion and less repetitive work for field staff.
• Improved User Experience: Whether the user is a seasoned GIS professional or a first-time railroader, the Smart Assistant simplifies survey navigation. It can explain complex fields, help avoid errors and provide real-time feedback, lowering the barrier for data collection and minimising training time.
• Data Consistency and Standardisation: The assistant also ensures data is collected consistently across all users and surveys. This is crucial for large organisations managing extensive datasets where discrepancies can compromise analysis and decision-making.
• Integration with the ArcGIS Ecosystem: Survey123 Smart Assistant works seamlessly with other ArcGIS tools such as ArcGIS Dashboards, ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro, allowing for real-time visualisation, spatial analysis and reporting. The intelligent inputs improve the quality and utility of data throughout the entire GIS workflow.

AI adoption is growing rapidly and while adopting it can be intimidating at first, using it to build your surveys can help you jumpstart your team’s success with Survey.

For additional help and resources, please check out our ArcGIS Survey 123 Overview and/or our video on how to create a survey with Smart Assistant.

To stay informed of the latest GIS advancements for rail, you can also join our mailing list or contact us at [email protected].

This article first appeared in the Railway-News Magazine Issue 2 2025. Download a PDF version here.

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Rail-transport companies from China and the US remain committed to strengthening cooperation – including on projects in third-country markets – even as a trade rivalry between the two largest economies chugs along.

With the US being a long-time leader in freight rail and urban transit, and China having emerged as a global powerhouse in high-speed rail, the two sides could deepen cooperation in the rail-transport sector, said Everett Wakai, minister counsellor for commercial affairs at the US embassy in Beijing.

He spoke during the US-China Rail Transit Industry Roundtable on Friday at the China International Supply Chain Expo. Representatives from some US companies with ties to the rail sector were there. A key talking point was the potential for supply-chain cooperation.

Guan Jiaxin, vice-president of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, said the state-owned giant cooperates extensively with US companies when it comes to equipment.

“Major projects and markets led by our company are widely using construction machinery from Caterpillar and generators from Cummins,” Guan said during the round-table chat. Caterpillar and Cummins were two of the American firms in attendance.

“We look forward to exploring more cooperation opportunities with the US in overseas projects investment, building and operating, such as joint financing, design and consulting … in markets where US firms have a strong presence, such as Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Europe,” he said.

South Eastern Railway has launched a new careers and skills hub in Ashford, marking a major step in its ambition to build a modern, inclusive, and skilled rail workforce. The new facility, named Connect 38, was officially opened on 11 July by Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy and is located within walking distance of Ashford International railway station.

The hub brings together recruitment, professional development, and digital learning under one roof, offering a dynamic environment for new starters and existing staff to develop their careers. The initiative forms part of South Eastern Railway’s broader commitment to workforce development, social mobility, and long-term sector resilience.

Responding to surging interest in rail careers

Interest in careers at South Eastern Railway has increased sharply in recent years, with over 30,000 job applications submitted in the past 12 months—more than double the number received the previous year. Connect 38 aims to meet this demand by more than doubling the company’s recruitment and training capacity and offering a range of targeted career pathways for school leavers, career-changers, and veterans.

The launch coincided with South Eastern Railway being ranked 24th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2025—up 34 places from the previous year. It is the highest ranking achieved by any transport or rail company on the list.

A strategic investment in people and skills

Connect 38 will support hundreds of apprentices across roles including train driving, engineering, customer service, and digital skills. A dedicated digital media suite will also allow colleagues to create professional video content for learning and internal communication.

Speaking at the opening, Rail Minister Lord Hendy said:

“Under public ownership, South Eastern Railway is making real changes that not only improve the lives of passengers but staff and local communities too.
This is exactly what we want to see operators doing—offering skills and training to ensure their workforce is open to everyone, from school-leavers to career-changers to veterans.
Through this investment, we will see more and more skilled, rewarding careers in the rail industry open up as Connect 38 breaks down barriers to opportunity, drives economic growth and supports the Government’s Plan for Change.”

Supporting an integrated, future-ready railway

The initiative is part of the new integrated railway structure that brings together Southeastern (the publicly owned train operator) and Network Rail Kent Route under a single leadership team. Managing Director Steve White emphasised the strategic importance of the investment:

“The railway does more than connect people and places. It unlocks opportunity, supports housing, enables social mobility and helps communities thrive. What we do matters!
In the last year alone, we have seen a huge increase in interest from people wanting to build a career with us with over 30,000 applicants. We are also committed to developing our own people.
This new facility, located at the heart of our network, demonstrates that our new integrated railway will invest in our people, as well as our infrastructure.
Whether someone is joining us for the first time, retraining, or progressing in their career, this centre will give them the skills and support they need to succeed and to support our customers.”

Focus on inclusion and social value

The facility not only supports technical skills and professional development but also celebrates the contributions of past and present railway colleagues. Rooms at Connect 38 have been named after notable figures who played key roles in the industry’s history, including Barbara Ann Denny, the network’s first female train driver, and Asquith Xavier, who broke racial barriers in British transport.

Neil Robertson, Chief Executive of the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), welcomed the investment:

“Southeastern were one of the first operators to embrace apprenticeships and have always taken training very seriously. This is an exciting new opportunity. Knowing them as we do, we expect to see strong social value created alongside the development of new skills.
With a wide range of jobs available across the rail industry, initiatives like this help to strengthen routes into rail and ensure the sector attracts the talent it needs for the future.”

Aligning with government skills agenda

The Connect 38 hub directly supports the government’s ambition to grow skills and create economic opportunity. It provides career guidance, digital learning tools, and comprehensive training for new recruits and existing employees across a wide spectrum of rail-related roles.

South Eastern Railway currently supports over 500 apprentices and holds Gold Accreditation from Investors in People for its work in supporting wellbeing, people development, and apprenticeships.

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