Method for monitoring a track switch with a switch drive, wherein the switch drive includes a housing, a switch setting motor arranged in the housing and a switch rod extending out of the housing for coupling to a track switch. The method includes providing a piezoelectric sensor arranged on the housing and detecting measurement signals of the piezoelectric sensor during a switching operation of the switch drive. Periodic components of the measurement signal are at least partially filtered out in order to obtain signal components representative of a non-periodic change in the strain of the housing. The method also includes evaluating a temporal progression of the signal components representative of the non-periodic change in strain in order to identify deviations from a nominal state.

A rail contact element for drop off detection is disclosed, wherein the rail contact element is mountable to a rail and includes a spring element, a main body which holds the spring element and an optical fiber. The spring element is in a tension state or in a relax state depending on a mounting state of the rail contact element. The optical fiber includes an outlet surface for emitting a light beam and the rail contact element further includes a reflector element. The spring element, the reflector element and the optical fiber are arranged so that the influence of the reflector element on the light beam is different in the tension state than in the relax state.

A rail contact element for drop off detection is disclosed, wherein the rail contact element is mountable to a rail and includes a spring element, a main body which holds the spring element and an optical fiber. The spring element is in a tension state or in a relax state depending on a mounting state of the rail contact element. The optical fiber includes an outlet surface for emitting a light beam and the rail contact element further includes a reflector element. The spring element, the reflector element and the optical fiber are arranged so that the influence of the reflector element on the light beam is different in the tension state than in the relax state.