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How Network Rail creates training videos 95% faster

INSIGHTS FROM
Ivan Tanchev
Multimedia Development Manager (Learning Media)
USE CASES
Compliance Training
Technical training
Employee development
DEPARTMENTS
Learning and Development
IT Operations

Network Rail owns and manages most of the UK's railway infrastructure, including 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges and tunnels, and 2,500 stations. Its +42,000 employees work to ensure the safe transport of millions of passengers and freight daily.

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Enterprise: 1000+
💼
Transport
🌍‍
United Kingdom

Key Results:

95%

time saved per video

500+

videos created, in only 6 months

3

departments creating with Synthesia

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The Challenge

Creating engaging training content for a workforce of 42,000+ is not easy. It’s even more challenging when this training is vital for keeping millions of commuters on the move each day. Ivan and his team wanted to deliver inclusive, innovative training, but traditional video production and costly voiceovers were a drain on time and resources.

Network Rail needed a video solution that could address the following pain points:

  • Scalability: Creating videos with external production and voiceover actors used to take 3 – 4 weeks and was very costly
  • Inclusivity: Professional voiceovers are essential for Network Rail's inclusive training, but in-house recording was low quality
  • Training relevance: Quickly updating training for new regulations and technical changes was impossible with traditional video production
"Before Synthesia, creating voiceovers meant costly external services or in-house efforts taking weeks, with updates forcing us to start from scratch." – Ivan Tanchev, Multimedia Development Manager at Network Rail

The Solution

With Synthesia, Ivan and his team have been able to create 500+ in-house training videos across Training, IT and Communications departments, in only 6 months.

Synthesia’s AI voices bring IT and Systems training to life, while a diverse selection of Avatars have boosted engagement in briefings, scenario based learning, dialogues, and frontline safety training.

Here’s what Ivan values most:

  • Voiceovers and AI Avatars: 120+ diverse AI Avatars and voices for engaging and inclusive content
  • Ease of Use: User-friendly features for creating high-quality training videos quickly, without additional tools or prior skills
  • Flexibility: Effortless video updating without starting from scratch
  • Cost Efficiency: A cost-effective, scalable alternative to hiring actors, studios, and equipment
"We needed an innovative, trusted solution that could transform video creation while delivering familiar formats, minimising friction and resistance to change."– Ivan Tanchev, Multimedia Development Manager at Network Rail

The Results

Network Rail’s highlights speak for themselves:

  • Accelerated Production: Synthesia cuts creation time by 95%, streamlining production from weeks to hours
  • Scalable Video Creation: In-house video creation with a single tool has enabled Network Rail to create 1000s of professional training videos
  • Standardisation: Uniform, high-quality training videos are being created across 3 Network Rail departments and distributed company-wide
  • Diversity and Inclusion: Synthesia improves diversity and inclusion, boosting engagement and inclusivity
"Synthesia has unlocked new possibilities for creating and maintaining high-quality training videos, improving learning experiences, and promoting diversity and inclusion. More teams are requesting licenses to use it."– Ivan Tanchev, Multimedia Development Manager at Network Rail

Using Synthesia, Network Rail has been able to cost-efficiently scale training video creation, maintain consistent communication across the workforce, and ensure essential content stays up-to-date. Ivan and his team are now actively looking at ways to bring Synthesia to other departments, projects and training inside Network Rail.

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