A system and method for strategic track and maintenance planning (STAMP) that can provide an organizational and adaptive infrastructure configured to facilitate railroad asset management and capital planning is presented. The system can provide a railroad asset inspector with relevant data for an assigned inspection segment. Location-based functionality can acquire a device's precise location and provide only the data necessary for the inspection of a particular railroad asset by providing step-by-step input prompting based upon the device location. The system provides adaptive thresholding of asset-related criteria to determine whether and when asset maintenance should occur. The system can acquire inspection data for one or more railroad assets, apply a data optimization algorithm to the inspection data, analyze railroad asset-related data (including historical data), and generate an optimized capital plan with a schedule for railroad asset maintenance and replacement.

A system of train control uses a quasi-moving block methodology for controlling operation of a plurality of trains from a remote office. The office parses the route information for each train into non-overlapping movement authorities that are issued via a communications network. As each train proceeds, it communicates with the office to automatically roll up its movement authority and release the portion of the movement authority behind the train. The office then extends the movement authority of the subsequent train to reflect the released portion of the movement authority of the leading train. The track can be divided into a series of track circuits to enable detection of broken rail or unexpected occupancy. The office segment can then control operation of trains accordingly if broken rail or unexpected occupancy is detected in the train's movement authority.

A cable transportation system comprising: at least a cable; an upstream station and a downstream station between which the cable extends; a plurality of supporting intermediate structures for supporting the cable between the upstream station and the downstream station; a plurality of transporting units coupled above the cable in a configuration suspended in the void and free to swing; an alarm device configured for detecting the contact between the transporting units and the supporting intermediate structures when a threshold tilting angle of the transporting units is exceeded and for emitting a relative alarm signal.

A cable transportation system comprising: at least a cable; an upstream station and a downstream station between which the cable extends; a plurality of supporting intermediate structures for supporting the cable between the upstream station and the downstream station; a plurality of transporting units coupled above the cable in a configuration suspended in the void and free to swing; an alarm device configured for detecting the contact between the transporting units and the supporting intermediate structures when a threshold tilting angle of the transporting units is exceeded and for emitting a relative alarm signal.

An obstruction detection system receives sensor data from sensor assemblies at different crossings of routes on which vehicles travel. The system determines whether an obstruction is present in one or more of the crossings based on the sensor data. The system wirelessly restricts movement of one or more vehicles responsive to determining that the obstruction is present by wirelessly communicating a notification signal to the one or more vehicles.

A method for assembling a strain gauge arrangement for an axle counter, includes: a strain sensor element; a carrier, to which the strain sensor element is fastened; and a railroad track structure to be monitored. When the carrier is fastened to the structure at least a part of it is kept in an elastically deformed state. The carrier is embodied with a first carrier piece opposing a second carrier piece. The strain sensor element is fastened to the first carrier piece with a first fixing point, to the second carrier piece with a second fixing point, and to neither the first nor the second carrier piece with a central section between the fixing points. At least the part of the carrier is elastically braced by means of a bracing element for when adhesively bonding to the structure to be monitored. Thereafter the bracing element is removed.

A method for assembling a strain gauge arrangement for an axle counter, includes: a strain sensor element; a carrier, to which the strain sensor element is fastened; and a railroad track structure to be monitored. When the carrier is fastened to the structure at least a part of it is kept in an elastically deformed state. The carrier is embodied with a first carrier piece opposing a second carrier piece. The strain sensor element is fastened to the first carrier piece with a first fixing point, to the second carrier piece with a second fixing point, and to neither the first nor the second carrier piece with a central section between the fixing points. At least the part of the carrier is elastically braced by means of a bracing element for when adhesively bonding to the structure to be monitored. Thereafter the bracing element is removed.

A Railroad Tie Management System is disclosed that can provide an efficient and organized method of inspecting and auditing ties in a rail system. Tie mark files can be retrieved by a client from a server or database in operable communication with the client, and upon instantiation of an inspection process governed by the system, an inspection information table and tie grid can be generated. The tie grid can operable to receive commands from a user, and the inspection information table is operable to automatically increment and decrement fields contained within in response to changes within the tie grid. The tie grid can also be configured to incorporate data from tie scans and serve the data to the client in a useful and user-friendly manner.

The present invention provides a method for determining an element characteristic of at least one railroad element, comprising the steps of: providing a motion sensor (2) on the at least one railroad element (6); collecting motion data provided by the motion sensor (2), wherein the motion data is representing a motion characteristic of the railroad element (6) different from the element characteristic; determining the element characteristic on the basis of the motion data.

A railway track (1) including at least two railway rails (2) and at least one measuring apparatus (3), disposed under at least one of the railway rails (2), for measuring vertical contact pressure, wherein the measuring apparatus (3) has at least one mat-shaped or planar carrying body (4) with a multiplicity of measuring sensors (5), disposed at a distance from one another, for measuring the vertical surface pressure at the respective positions of the respective measuring sensors (5).