Automatic Railroad Track Inspection

A technical survey of the automated stationary and mobile track test train systems to date is presented. The use and availability of sensors is also reviewed. A method of in-situ excitation in conjunction with a radio interrogation coupled to existing railway communication systems is discussed. The automatic inspection system proposed here is limited to the track bed and the rails. The rails are tested for any fissures and flaws and not for the crossover error and misalignment, although these are invariably also caused by the settling of the track bed. The major feature of this system is the real-time segment interrogations system. Track spacial deployment to cover maximum optimum segment is, however, also discussed. The need for the railroad industry to expand its efforts in the area of the development of automatic track and track bed inspection is shown to be highly desirable as well as economical from an operational standpoint.