Amberg Technologies
Amberg TrackControl – Seamless Monitoring of Railway Tracks
- This article first appeared in the Railway-News magazine Issue 4 2021.
Digital methods and instruments offer opportunities for innovation in both railway and tunnel applications.
TrackControl is a ground-breaking solution developed by Amberg that allows users to monitor railway tracks. The latest sensor generation of Amberg TrackControl is even quicker to install thanks to flexible plug connections and innovative magnet fastening. The system monitors all safety-relevant track parameters such as twist, vertical versine and settlement deformations in one-minute intervals – regardless of the weather conditions.
When monitoring railway tracks, reliable data delivery is of the utmost priority. There is a particularly high need for safety at construction sites that cross under railway lines or are very close to populated areas. In the event of damage, major impairments to freight and passenger traffic can occur and human lives can be put at risk.
1.1. The Visual, Geodetic Way Versus the Digital, Geotechnical Approach
Because of this safety requirement, tracks are automatically monitored during the construction period. In the past, these tracks were monitored with geodetic – in other words sight-based – means. Depending on the hazard pattern, the measurements were either carried out periodically or via permanently installed monitoring systems. It was found that automatic monitoring systems with optical methods sometimes react unreliably and with delays to notifications about limit values being exceeded in the event of difficult meteorological conditions such as fog, rain or snow. Obstacles on the tracks, such as stationary trains, also impair data quality.
Amberg TrackControl uses a geotechnical approach. In order to guarantee safety and the normal operation of construction projects near tracks, Amberg has developed a system that is independent of atmospheric disturbances. Amberg TrackControl is the safe and reliable monitoring solution for railway systems. It monitors the safety-relevant track parameters such as superelevation, twist, vertical versine and settlement in a measuring interval of one minute.
