In a method for detecting rail fracture, vibration data generated according to train operation is inputted, and the vibration data is collected using a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system. The inputted vibration data is imaged into the relationship between time and frequency. The imaged image is learned. Rail fracture of train is decided from the imaged vibration data, based on the learning.

A method and system for inspecting a rail by guided waves, the rail being instrumented by sensors. The method comprises the steps of receiving elastic wave measurements from one or more sensors, as a train passes, releasing energy as guided waves into the rail; and of determining a function representative of the impulse response of the rail and the sensors. Developments describe how to determine the existence, position and characterisation of a defect in the rail (e.g. fracture, incipient fracture, etc.), the use of inter-correlation analyses, correlation of the coda of correlations, Passive Inverse Filter, imaging techniques. Other aspects are described for exploring rail defects: sensor position and movement, acquisition time, sampling frequency, frequency filters, amplifications, techniques for learning during successive train passes, signal injection by transducers. Software aspects are described.

A system for dynamically adjusting a configuration of an intra-train communication network includes an electronic device and a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium has one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the electronic device to receive one or more parameters values associated with a train consist, determine whether a potentially adverse condition that would affect intra-train communication for the train consist is anticipated based on at least a portion of the received parameters, in response to determining that the potentially adverse condition is anticipated, identify one or more updated network parameter settings that will assist in maintaining intra-train communication of the train consist during an occurrence of the potentially adverse condition by executing a machine learning model, and implement the identified one or more updated network parameter settings.

The invention relates to a portable device for measuring vertical rail measurements under service to record and report excessive vertical rail movement to prevent a train from derailing. The device may be pivoting with a tilt sensor and light-weight. The device may include a microprocessor, sensors, and a display. The device may be installed on the rail. The device may sense an approaching train, automatically turn on the device, and measure the real-time vertical displacement and the maximum/minimum vertical movement of the rail while the train is operating over the rail at all speeds.

An abnormal situation alarming system includes a detection unit that detects an abnormal situation, an acquisition unit that acquires, when the abnormal situation is detected, information representing the circumstances of the location where the abnormal situation occurred, a calculation unit that calculates the time allowable for handling the abnormal situation from a detection result of the abnormal situation and an acquisition result of the information, and an alarming unit that gives an alarm of the detection result of the abnormal situation and a calculation result of the time.

A method and a system for transmitting an enforceable instruction in a vehicle control system may include receiving a checksum contained in at least one enforceable instruction. Methods for checksum challenge mitigation in a vehicle control system and verifying enforceable instruction data on-board a vehicle are disclosed.

Method for controlling altitude of a vehicle moving along a segmented track. The method including receiving, at a controller, data generated by one or more sensors and determining, at the controller, an altitude of the vehicle relative to the segmented track. The method then receives, at the controller, data relating to the length of a track segment between two or more supports and the weight of the vehicle and determining, at the controller, a speed of the vehicle relative to the length of the track segment. The method also calculating, at the controller, the deflection of the segmented track between two supports based on the length of the track segment, the weight of the vehicle, and the speed of the vehicle. The controller adjusts the altitude of the vehicle relative to the segmented track by an offset equivalent to the deflection of the segmented track thereby maintaining a constant altitude.

A method for assessing contamination of a rail, in particular for a railway vehicle, comprises the steps of imposing a first sliding value lower than a first threshold between the wheels of a first controlled axle and the rail, the first controlled axle being the head axle of the railway vehicle, imposing a second sliding value greater than a second threshold between the wheels of a second controlled axle and the rail, the second axle following the first axle and the second threshold being greater than the first threshold, and determining the trend of an adhesion curve between the wheels belonging to a plurality of controlled axles and the rail, based on a first adhesion value between the wheels of the first axle and the rail, and a second adhesion value between the wheels of the second axle and the rail.

A method for assessing contamination of a rail, in particular for a railway vehicle, comprises the steps of imposing a first sliding value lower than a first threshold between the wheels of a first controlled axle and the rail, the first controlled axle being the head axle of the railway vehicle, imposing a second sliding value greater than a second threshold between the wheels of a second controlled axle and the rail, the second axle following the first axle and the second threshold being greater than the first threshold, and determining the trend of an adhesion curve between the wheels belonging to a plurality of controlled axles and the rail, based on a first adhesion value between the wheels of the first axle and the rail, and a second adhesion value between the wheels of the second axle and the rail.

Method for detecting rail switches degradation and failures, the method having the steps of applying a Discrete Wavelet Transform to stored measurement data relative to a switch move to be analysed and obtaining a feature vector associated with said switch move and including Discrete Wavelet Transform coefficients delivered by the applied Discrete Wavelet Transform; comparing the obtained feature vector with feature vectors associated with rail switch moves previously obtained and associating each to a respective health class among several given health classes; and determining a health class for the said switch move to be analyzed by selecting one of the health classes associated with the previously obtained feature vectors based upon the comparison step.