A system and method obtain first image data of a route at a location of interest from a first optical sensor disposed onboard a vehicle system moving along the route. The first image data depicts the route at the location of interest prior to passage of the vehicle system over the route at the location of interest. Second image data of the route at the location of interest is obtained from a second optical sensor disposed onboard the vehicle system. The second image data depicts the route at the location of interest after passage of the vehicle system over the route at the location of interest. A determination is made as to whether a change in the route has occurred at the location of interest by comparing the first image data with the second image data.

A route examination system includes a thermographic camera configured to be logically or mechanically coupled with a vehicle that travels along a route. The thermographic camera is also configured to sense infrared radiation emitted or reflected from the route and to generate a sensed thermal signature representative of the infrared radiation that is sensed. The system also includes a computer readable memory device configured to store a designated thermal signature representative of infrared radiation emitted from a segment of the route that is not damaged. The system also includes an analysis processor configured to determine a condition of a first portion of the route relative to other portions of the route at least in part by comparing the sensed thermal signature and the designated thermal signature.

A sensor-enabled geogrid system for and method of monitoring the health, condition, and/or status of rail track infrastructure is disclosed. In some embodiments, the sensor-enabled geogrid system includes a sensor-enabled geogrid that further includes a geogrid holding an arrangement of one or more sensors. The sensor-enabled geogrid system further includes a communication means or network for collecting information and/or data from the sensor enabled geogrid about the health, condition, and/or status of rail track infrastructure. Further, a method of using the presently disclosed sensor-enabled geogrid system for monitoring the health, condition, and/or status of rail track infrastructure is provided.

A system and method for inspecting a railway track using sensors oriented at an oblique angle relative to a rail vehicle on which the system is traveling. The orientation of the sensors allows for different data to be gathered regarding a particular rail including rail design specifications (gathered based on manufacturer markings detected and analyzed by the system), rail seat abrasion values based on direct measurement of rails from the oblique angle, and other analysis of rail features including joint bars, rail welds, bond wires, rail holes, and broken rails. The use of an air blower, ducts, and one or more air distribution lids over the sensors helps remove debris from blocking the sensors and structured light generators.

A sensor-enabled geogrid system for and method of monitoring the health, condition, and/or status of infrastructure is disclosed. In some embodiments, the sensor-enabled geogrid system includes a sensor-enabled geogrid that further includes a geogrid holding an arrangement of one or more sensors. The sensor-enabled geogrid system further includes a communication means or network for collecting information and/or data from the sensor enabled geogrid about the health, condition, and/or status of infrastructure. Further, a method of using the presently disclosed sensor-enabled geogrid system for monitoring the health, condition, and/or status of infrastructure is provided.

A method for locating railroad components along a railroad track including obtaining a guidance plan and obtaining inspection data. The guidance plan includes an identity of each of a plurality of assets, the identity including previous features of the assets. The assets may be railroad components. The inspection data includes current features of a plurality of railroad components along the railroad track. The method includes using one or more processors, comparing and correlating the current features of the plurality of railroad components with the previous features of the assets to determine which of the plurality of railroad components corresponds with the plurality of assets.

A system and method for monitoring a track and/or rail employs one or more distance measuring imagers mounted to a railcar and directed to image the track and/or rails wherein the images are geo-tagged with location data. Geo-tagged distance measurements are processed to determine at least track gauge and/or at least rail fastener integrity. The system and method may also determine other track and/or rail integrity issues including, e.g., rail profile, rail alignment, center point dip, cross level, rail cant, wheel wear, wheel integrity, rail wear, rail defects, and/or rail temperature. The system and method may also determine when inspection and/or maintenance of the track is indicated, and provide selected records of where and/or when such inspection and/or maintenance is indicated.

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.

A system for railroad directive management is presented. The system can receive a myriad of data related to a directive, track segments, and/or vehicle events on the track and/or track segments. Vehicle- and/or event-specific data can be compared with one or more thresholds, including force thresholds, temporal thresholds, environmental thresholds, and/or event thresholds to determine whether and what kind of directive modification should be instantiated. Specialized algorithms can be implemented to trace vehicle paths along the track to determine whether directive-related segments are traversed, and specialized clustering algorithms can be utilized to cluster data unique to a particular segment on a per-segment basis. The system can be integrated with existing track infrastructure and can further generate alerts to notify coupled systems and/or personnel of directives and/or modification thereof.

A device 10 for a track bound monitoring system for monitoring conditions on a railway track 28 comprising a first rail 26 and a second rail 30 comprises a signal generation unit 12 having an output 13. The signal generation unit is configured to generate an electrical monitoring signal having a monitoring signal characteristic. The output is connectable to at least one of the first rail and the second rail. A sensing unit 16 has an input 17 which is connectable to at least one of the rails. A controller 20 is connected to the generation unit and the sensing unit and is configured to cause the generation unit to generate the monitoring signal which propagates in the first rail and to receive from the sensing unit a return signal. The return signal is derived from the monitoring signal and has a return signal characteristic. The controller is configured to utilize a time difference between the monitoring signal characteristic and the return signal characteristic to monitor conditions on the railway track.