A monitoring method and system monitor a transmitted current that is injected into conductive components of a route traveled by vehicle systems, monitor a received current that represents a portion of the transmitted current that is conducted through the conductive components of the route, examine changes in the transmitted and/or received current over time to determine when the vehicle systems are on the route between a first location where the transmitted current is injected into the conductive components and a second location where the received current is monitored, and examine the changes in the transmitted and/or received currents. The changes are examined to identify (a) a contaminated portion of a surface on which the route is disposed, (b) a foreign object other than the vehicle systems that is contacting the route, and/or (c) a damaged or broken portion of at least one of the conductive components of the route.

A system for simulating a railroad track. The system comprises one or more modular track simulation units that are smaller than conventional track simulators and are easy to use with and be connected to a device being tested (e.g., grade crossing predictor). Each track simulation unit may have one of a plurality of impedances associated with a corresponding railroad track length. The units are combinable such that the system can simulate multiple, different track lengths. Each unit has a plurality of test points that can be connected to the device under test and/or used to alter conditions of the simulated track.

A stand-alone remote sensor arrangement (2) for monitoring parameter activity in a cable (4), the arrangement comprises a sensor unit (6) and a power source unit (8) connected to each other by a connecting cable (10), and a control unit (12), the power source unit (8) is configured to supply energy to said sensor unit (6), the sensor unit (6) comprises a shielded housing (14) enclosing a toroid-shaped core (16) configured to be fixed around the cable (4) to be monitored, and the toroid-shaped core (16) is provided with at least one gap where a Hall sensor element (18) is arranged. The remote sensor arrangement (2) is configured to be operated in a low current consumption mode and in a measurement mode, in which measurement mode said Hall sensor element (18) is configured to sense a predetermined parameter activity, e.g. flowing current, of said cable (4), and that said control unit (12) is configured to change the mode of operation of said sensor arrangement (2). The sensor unit (6) further comprises a sensor activation unit (20) arranged and structured to sense parameters related to magnetic field variations in said core (16) caused by said parameter activity of said cable (2), and to generate a sensor activation signal (22) including parameter values dependent on said sensed parameters, wherein the control unit (12) is configured to receive said sensor activation signal (22) and to evaluate said parameter values in relation to predetermined mode changing criteria, and to change mode of operation of said sensor arrangement (2) dependent on the result of said evaluation.

A fibre sensing apparatus (100) comprises an interrogation unit (104) to interrogate a sensing fibre with optical radiation, and to detect an optical signal returned from the fibre, and processing circuitry (114). A portion of the fibre may be excited with a test signal. The processing circuitry comprises an assessment module (115) to analyse the optical signal returned from the excited portion of fibre, and to determine at least one operational characteristic of the apparatus based on the detected optical signal.

A fibre sensing apparatus (100) comprises an interrogation unit (104) to interrogate a sensing fibre with optical radiation, and to detect an optical signal returned from the fibre, and processing circuitry (114). A portion of the fibre may be excited with a test signal. The processing circuitry comprises an assessment module (115) to analyse the optical signal returned from the excited portion of fibre, and to determine at least one operational characteristic of the apparatus based on the detected optical signal.

An abnormality detection device includes: a measurement value acquiring unit configured to acquire input accelerations of n vehicles traveling along a track; and an abnormality determination unit configured to determine abnormality in the track at a track position at which the input accelerations are equal to or more than a threshold value in a case where it has detected that the input accelerations for all of the n vehicles are equal to or more than a threshold value, and determine abnormality in any one or a plurality of vehicles out of n1 or less vehicles in the n vehicles at which the input accelerations are equal to or more than the threshold value in a case where it has detected that the input accelerations for the any one or a plurality of vehicles out of the n1 or less vehicles in the n vehicles are equal to or more than the threshold value.

An abnormality detection device includes: a measurement value acquiring unit configured to acquire input accelerations of n vehicles traveling along a track; and an abnormality determination unit configured to determine abnormality in the track at a track position at which the input accelerations are equal to or more than a threshold value in a case where it has detected that the input accelerations for all of the n vehicles are equal to or more than a threshold value, and determine abnormality in any one or a plurality of vehicles out of n1 or less vehicles in the n vehicles at which the input accelerations are equal to or more than the threshold value in a case where it has detected that the input accelerations for the any one or a plurality of vehicles out of the n1 or less vehicles in the n vehicles are equal to or more than the threshold value.

An impact detection tower is disclosed that can facilitate a reliable method of avalanche detection, related to the maintenance and monitoring a railway system. The avalanche detection system can include a plurality of impact detection towers comprising sensors in operable communication with a gateway configured to utilize data transmitted from the sensors to determine if an avalanche has occurred. The gateway can be in operable connection with a human-machine interface to facilitate monitoring of the system by a railroad engineer.

An impact detection tower is disclosed that can facilitate a reliable method of avalanche detection, related to the maintenance and monitoring a railway system. The avalanche detection system can include a plurality of impact detection towers comprising sensors in operable communication with a gateway configured to utilize data transmitted from the sensors to determine if an avalanche has occurred. The gateway can be in operable connection with a human-machine interface to facilitate monitoring of the system by a railroad engineer.

A device displays a course of a process of at least one railway safety unit. While using at least one device controller, process data supplied by the at least one railway safety unit, are converted by dual-channel processing into first and second image data of the course of the process to be displayed. The image data are output to be displayed on a data display unit. In order to simplify the displaying of the course of the process, a pair of display spectacles having a first and a second display is used as a data display unit. The first display displays a first representation of the first image data delivered thereto that is visually detectable by the right eye, and the second display displays a second representation of the second image data delivered thereto that is visually detectable by the left eye.