A monitoring unit for monitoring a railway track is provided. The monitoring unit may include a processing unit, at least one wheel sensor connectable to a rail of the railway track, and a sensor arrangement connectable to a railway switch of the railway track. The wheel sensor and the sensor arrangement may be connected with the processing unit, and the processing unit may include an output that is connectable to a signaling system. Furthermore, a method for monitoring a railway track is provided.

An axle counting method for rail-mounted vehicles is disclosed. An electromagnetic transmission signal with a frequency is produced, by a frequency source. The electromagnetic transmission signal is transmitted by means of a transmission device of an electromagnetic rail contact element. The electromagnetic transmission signal is detected as a first reception signal and a second reception signal by means of two spaced-apart receiving units of the rail contact element. The reception signals are transmitted. An evaluation signal is generated within a signal processing unit. To generate the transmission signal, a single transmission unit is used, and in that the reception signals received by the two receiving units originate from the same transmission signal.

A measuring method for detecting a mechanical force acting on an object using a fiber optic sensor unit is disclosed. At least one measuring channel has a sensor fiber with a fiber Bragg grating embedded in the sensor fiber with a Bragg wavelength and a sensor detection element. The sensor fiber is fixed to the object in the area of the sensor FBG. The method includes coupling light from a light source into the sensor fiber and detecting the light reflected and/or transmitted by the sensor FBG by the sensor detection element. The light source has a wavelength-dependent intensity distribution with an edge. A wavelength change in the Bragg wavelength of the sensor FBG is determined by evaluating a measurement signal which has an intensity change in the detected light intensity of the entire light reflected by the sensor FBG and/or of the entire light transmitted by the sensor FBG.

A rail crossover control system for a rail track section is disclosed. The rail track section has first and second rail tracks, a crossover track section extending between the first and second rail tracks, at least one first set of rail switches arranged to controllably determine whether a train continues on the first track or is diverted from the first track onto the crossover track section, and at least one second set of rail switches arranged to controllably determine whether a train continues on the second track or is diverted from the second track onto the crossover track section. The system comprises at least one interlocking control unit arranged to control the first and second sets of rail switches according to determined train routes, and an obstruction detector arranged to detect presence of an obstruction on the crossover track section and generate an obstruction signal when an obstruction is detected.

A method for locating a rail vehicle with a rail vehicle position determination device on a route includes reading positions of reference marks, passed by the rail vehicle, along the route of the rail vehicle and evaluating additional distance information. In order to locate a rail vehicle with little expenditure and with comparatively high accuracy, in the case of a route with at least one track section bounded by axle counting sensor units and having an axle counting evaluator, information on the number of axles from the axle counting evaluator is transferred to the rail vehicle position determination device for determining the position of a rail vehicle. In the rail vehicle position determination device, the position of an axle of the rail vehicle corresponding to the information on the number of axles is determined using route topology data present there, and this position is used as a further reference mark.

A control system is provided that may include a first sensor configured to detect a vehicle system. The control system may also include one or more processors in communication with the first sensor. The one or more processors may be configured to receive communication related to entry of the vehicle system into an area, and operate the first sensor to begin monitoring the vehicle system in response to entry of vehicle system into the area. The one or more processors may also be configured to record movement data related to the vehicle system, and determine movement of the vehicle system within the area based on the movement data.

A method and apparatus to detect breaks in tracks and/or detect the presence of a vehicle, such as a train, in a monitored section of the track or rail. Embodiments of the present invention measure the change in track inductance associated with a track or rail break. Electrical shunts are connected between the rails at spaced-apart intervals (for example a shunt can be placed every mile). At least two different frequencies of alternating current are generated and fed into the segments of rail (for example at or near a mid-point between the shunts). If a rail break occurs, the total inductance of the rail at that segment will change. Using two or more frequencies allows a rail break to be differentiated from environmental rail-to-rail and rail-to-earth leakage.

A method and apparatus to detect breaks in tracks and/or detect the presence of a vehicle, such as a train, in a monitored section of the track or rail. Embodiments of the present invention measure the change in track inductance associated with a track or rail break. Electrical shunts are connected between the rails at spaced-apart intervals (for example a shunt can be placed every mile). At least two different frequencies of alternating current are generated and fed into the segments of rail (for example at or near a mid-point between the shunts). If a rail break occurs, the total inductance of the rail at that segment will change. Using two or more frequencies allows a rail break to be differentiated from environmental rail-to-rail and rail-to-earth leakage.

A rail-monitoring element includes a carrier on which a strain sensor is attached. The strain sensor may be an optical fiber having a fiber Bragg grating. The carrier has an adhesive layer for adhesive attachment to a rail having a thermally activatable or thermally curable adhesive. The adhesive layer has a heating element having contacts for receiving electrical energy. The rail-monitoring element can be installed more easily and in a manner which saves more energy.

A method and apparatus to detect breaks in tracks and/or detect the presence of a vehicle, which can include for example a train, in a monitored section of the track or rail. Embodiments of the present invention measure the change in amplitude and/or phase angles. Electrical shunts are connected between the rails at spaced-apart intervals. At least two different frequencies of alternating current are generated and fed into the segments of rail (for example at or near a mid-point between the shunts). If a rail break occurs, the total inductance of the rail at that segment will change. Using two or more frequencies allows a rail break to be differentiated from environmental rail-to-rail and rail-to-earth leakage.