RailCorp uses high-resolution track and corridor imaging system to improve track inspector safety, improve defect detection, and limit track possessions for routine inspections
Railcorp, Sydney Australia

Business Challenge
RailCorp New South Wales is a State-owned rail utility responsible for the delivery of passenger train services throughout the Sydney Metropolitan area. RailCorp is also responsible for monitoring track condition and undertaking track maintenance.

Track patrols - routine inspections of the track and corridor - are traditionally carried out on foot. This poses health risks to track inspectors due to the risk of train strike and injuries that result from walking on uneven surfaces. Also, due to heavy traffic volumes, track patrollers must take possession of certain tracks in order to safely undertake track patrol examinations.

RailCorp engineers approached Geomatic Technologies (GT) to discuss the potential of using high-resolution digital imagery as an alternative to traditional track foot patrols.

Solution Overview
Together with RailCorp, GT undertook requirements gathering and an investigation into suitable technologies. The resulting track inspection system supplied by GT is comprised of 9 high speed digital cameras that are connected to a real-time track location system and IT server environment with hot-swappable hard disk drives.

The system is permanently mobilised on a RailCorp track inspection car and the new inspection process is known at RailCorp as Mechanised Track Patrol (MTP). MTP has been designed to work at normal network speeds without introducing image blur. Rail-head imagery is captured at a frame interval of 50 centimetres while forward, reverse and track imagery is captured at 5 metre frequencies.

An office-based application allows inspectors to review the imagery from any camera at any point along the track. All imagery is linked to the track database and any defects found are logged as points of interest and maintained against the track and imagery. Defects found can be transferred automatically to RailCorp's defect management system for rectification by maintenance crews.

RailCorp Engineering Standards has approved MTP as an alternative to conventional patrols on foot.

MTP has been awarded the Ken Erickson Achievement Award for Innovation by the New South Wales Permanent Way Institute.

Outcomes

• Improved defect detection and data quality.
• Improved knowledge of network condition.
• Reduced need for track possessions for routine inspections.
• Improved auditing of track inspections.
• Improved safety outcomes for track inspectors.
• Overall reduction in track inspection time.
• Endorsed by RailCorp Engineering Standards

Images above from left to right
RailCorp MTP inspection car, railway infrastructure, MTP office application.