Rail Line Inspection

Rail Line Inspection

1 Railway line inspection consists of the examination of the whole railway system infrastructure (not only the tracks or railways, but also the railway signal system, safety elements, train stations, surrounding obstacles, etc.) in search for faults that could end up being catastrophic. Railway line defects are, after human errors, the second most important cause of train accidents in the world. Every year, railway companies spend millions of euros on railway line inspection searching for external or internal faults, mainly through non-invasive testing methods (those which do not involve any contact, modification or interference with regard to the elements to be checked) in order to prevent faults in the railways and potential derailments.

2 We are aware that the causes influencing defects and faults in railways are multiple. EKOFASTBA has expertise in the search and analysis of defects caused by bending stress and shearing forces or by wheel-railway contact; also by thermal stresses, whether residual or dynamic. By means of our remote sensing (non-invasive) solutions we can additionally find any other type of superficial or internal defect, such as corrosion damages, joint failure, transversal cracking, burns, displacements or obstacles.

3 EKOFASTBA owns a modern fleet of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) and a wide range of remote sensing devices to automate railway line inspection tasks at a much lower cost than traditional methods. Our solutions can be adapted to train and underground railway networks and may be customized to carry out railway line inspection during the day or at night, with and without train or convoy traffic. Please contact us to inquire about your particular case and get a solution fully adapted to your specific needs.

Risk assessment from vegetation encroachment and planning of pruning and cutting tasks, apart from:
+ Detection of all the vegetation along the railway line located within the selected boundaries and corridor space
+ Foliage extension
+ Location and position of individual trees, fallen or bent trees (hazards).
+ Highest vegetation (location of the peak trees)
+ Health indicators and detection of species
+ Growth-rate estimations
+ Carbon absorption potential factors

Slope analysis
+ Based on Digital Terrain Models, slopes may be detected above or below a given angle, thus allowing flood modelling, the mapping of noise levels due to trains in the surrounding areas, or the location of equipment to carry out vegetation cutting tasks

Development of topographic maps through images and LiDAR data, at a high level of precision and in great detail, by means of non-invasive techniques that avoid on-site field work. Our drones enable data gathering in a safer and more efficient way in time
3D modelling and visualization of railway lines and stations, with the aim of decreasing the amount of field visits and errors in documents, improving design and planning and enhancing work flow processes, since digital data can be instantly shared among all the relevant agents
Modelling of the energy Overhead Lines (OLE) applying criteria, stresses, etc. to calculate, among other possibilities, the life cycle of the assets
+ OLE infrastructure modelling
+ Modelling of the loads and stresses assumed in the OLEs
+ Validation of the lines against certain threats, such as vegetation infestation or dirt build-up
+ Assistance in cost reduction and improvement of safety in the railway line network

High-definition inspection of assets for the evaluation of your specific conditions through high-definition visible images, infrared, thermal infrared or corona images. Data visualization through a Geographic Information System (GIS)
Technical support in the optimal planning and design of the routes according to relevant factors