A method and a system (30) for inspecting and/or mapping a railway track (18). The method comprises: acquiring geo-referenced rail geometry data associated with geometries of two rails (20) of the track along the section; acquiring geo-referenced 3D point cloud data, which includes point data corresponding to the two rails and surroundings of the track along the section; deriving track profiles of the track from the geo-referenced 3D point cloud data and the geo-referenced rail geometry data; and comparing the track profiles and generating enhanced geo-referenced rail geometry data and/or enhanced geo-referenced 3D point cloud data based on the comparison.

A method for carrying out a test process relating to a rail vehicle achieves a fast-working, flexible, and in the event of a misdetection, precise monitoring environment, in particular without complex system or architectural adjustments to the rail vehicle. A stationary control unit and a simulation unit are provided on the land side. A data connection is established between the stationary control unit and the rail vehicle. A data connection is established between the stationary control unit and the simulation unit. The test process includes providing data traffic between the stationary control unit and the rail vehicle and the simulation unit. A device for carrying out a test process relating to a rail vehicle is also provided.

A diagnostic device for determining an out-of-roundness on wheels of rail vehicles within a specified measuring section, comprising a plurality of force sensors, which are designed to determine forces acting on them and are connected to an evaluating device, wherein the evaluating device is provided for determining the out-of-roundness by integrating a force signal F, which is forwarded by the force sensors over time in order to determine an impulse. A method is also provided for determining an out-of-roundness on wheels of rail vehicles within a specified measurement section, wherein the force signals of at least one force sensor are fed to an evaluating device, the evaluating device detects an impulse, and the evaluating device integrates a force signal over a defined time interval and thereafter uses said force signal to output a result.

A network of monitoring devices for monitoring the condition of the surface of railway track rails is described. A monitoring device includes a spectrometer configured to monitor at least one frequency that indicates the presence of a contaminant on a railway track rail and to provide an output indicative of the presence or absence of the contaminant on a railway track rail. The monitoring device also includes a transmitter arranged to transmit its output to a central database. The central database is configured to store data from the monitoring devices in the network over time, establishing historical data of track conditions as monitored by the monitoring devices. A comparator is configured to compare current track conditions over the network with historical track conditions over the network, providing an indication of likely developments of track conditions.

A method of monitoring a track using train cars includes collecting first sensor data corresponding to a track location by a first sensor network on a first train car. Based on the first sensor data, a potential track anomaly at the track location is identified by a diagnostics system on the first train car. A message describing the anomaly is transmitted to diagnostics systems located on other train cars. The message is received by a second diagnostics system on a second train car located behind the first train car. The second diagnostics system determines a time at which the second train car will be passing over track location and, at the determined time, collects second sensor data. If the track anomaly is present in both the first sensor data and the second sensor data at the track location, a train control system is notified of the track anomaly.

Disclosed is a comprehensive inspection vehicle for a subway tunnel, including a positioning system, an acquisition system and a flatcar. The flatcar runs on a railway of the subway tunnel. The positioning system and the acquisition system are arranged on the flatcar. The positioning system includes a laser ranging module and an inertial navigation module. The comprehensive inspection vehicle further includes an independent power supply system and a central control system arranged on the flatcar. The independent power supply system supplies power for the acquisition system, the positioning system and the central control system. The central control system includes an acquisition industrial computer and a positioning industrial computer which are respectively connected to the acquisition system and the positioning system.

A deployable measurement system for analyzing a rail of a railroad track includes a housing, a reflecting assembly coupled to the housing, a movement assembly coupled to the housing, and an optical measurement system disposed within the housing. Both the housing and the reflecting assembly are moveable between a stored position and a deployed position. The movement assembly includes a deployment assembly that moves the reflecting assembly from the stored position to the deployed position, and a retraction assembly that moves the reflecting assembly from the deployed position to the stored position. The optical measurement system emits and receives light. The reflecting assembly reflects the emitted light toward the rail. The reflecting assembly reflects light reflected off of the rail toward the optical measurement system. The light received by the optical measurement system is used to measure parameters related to the rail.

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving first Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data associated with a railroad environment, extracting an asset from the first LiDAR data associated with the railroad environment, and superimposing the asset into a spatial model. The method also includes receiving a field indication associated with a modification to the railroad environment and modifying the spatial model in response to receiving the field indication associated with the modification to the railroad environment. The method further includes receiving second LiDAR data associated with the railroad environment and comparing the second LiDAR data to the modified spatial model.

A cyber security system for providing security to a railway system, the system comprising: a data monitoring and processing hub; a network of data collection agents configured to monitor communications transmitted between railway infrastructure and/or rolling stock entities and mirror the communications to the hub; wherein the processing hub comprises computer executable instructions executable to: process the mirrored communications to determine normative patterns of communications between the entities; use the normative patterns to determine sequences of related communications; determine characteristic features of the determined communications sequences; and use the determined characteristic features to determine whether a given communication mirrored to the hub by a data collection agent of the network of data collection agents is anomalous.

A method for maintenance of a permanent way, roadway or travel path for rail vehicles includes determining the actual condition of the permanent way by using a measuring system to record measurement data. Objects along the permanent way are detected from the measurement data by using an evaluation device. A detected object is assigned to an object class, and at least one object class identification linked with positional data is stored in a database for a detected object. The actual condition of the permanent way is thus stored in an object-based manner, and a comparison with a target condition or with historic actual conditions is used for the planning and execution of maintenance measures. A maintenance system for executing the method is also provided.