Between Stress and Durability: Rail Infrastructure Under Pressure
Freight trains in major marshalling yards, suburban rail services in densely populated areas and tramways in large metropolitan regions all rely on a functioning rail infrastructure to transport passengers and goods to their destinations on time. Timetables and precisely coordinated service intervals resemble a well-orchestrated symphony, with dispatchers and signallers acting as conductors and stations serving as the stage.
Track infrastructure therefore represents the most valuable asset of network operators, on which transport companies as customers depend. Everything has to work in harmony; the ‘melodies’ of operations must be perfectly coordinated. Inspections and maintenance activities are ideally carried out at night or during periods of low traffic in order to avoid unnecessary line closures. After all, time is money. Yet even the most resilient materials – and rail steel undoubtedly belongs in this category – show signs of change or fatigue after many years of intensive use.
The same stresses, applied repeatedly over decades in some cases, can lead to deformation and other forms of wear. In the worst-case scenario, this results in unscheduled maintenance work – a costly and organisationally demanding challenge for everyone involved.
Conventional Inspection Methods Have Their Limitations
What is therefore required is an efficient method of inspecting infrastructure for defects and changes. Accurate measurements make it possible to identify appropriate courses of action and to prepare and verify maintenance activities. For many years, this process remained largely unchanged. Although the ‘toolbox’ and the measuring instruments it contains have become increasingly sophisticated and precise thanks to technological advances, the underlying approach has remained essentially the same.
batteries provide operating times of up to nine hours, while
battery changes take only a few minutes.
Either personnel inspect the track manually using measuring devices, identifying and documenting track and the condition of the material by means of tactile or digital measurement systems. Alternatively, larger measuring vehicles are deployed, ranging from road-rail inspection vehicles to complete measurement trains.
Naturally, the latter generally fulfil their purpose quickly and reliably. However, the conditions required for deploying such large-scale equipment are not always present. Measurement trains are expensive and involve long lead times. In addition, they can only be used effectively at speeds of around 70 km/h or above and are therefore suitable primarily for longer route sections – a significant limitation on branch lines.
As a result, labour-intensive manual measurement often remains the only viable option. Although this method is slow and usually permits only a single measurement technique per section of track, it is often the only adequate means of assessing the condition of infrastructure on shorter sections. This means that employees frequently have to walk the same section of track several times with different measuring devices in order to collect all the required information.
Until now.
New Approaches to Track Measurement at Vogel & Plötscher
ROBEL Rail Automation GmbH has been active in the rail construction industry since 2022. Since then, the company has attracted considerable attention with its reimagined approaches and high-quality developments in electrified and automated track maintenance. The company builds on the successful 150-year history of ROBEL track construction machinery.
Together with Vogel & Plötscher, the measurement technology specialists within the ROBEL Group, ROSPECT was developed – a flexible, self-propelled inspection platform for rails and turnouts. The company based in Breisach is responsible for consulting and sales activities for ROSPECT. At the same time, the new platform can be equipped and delivered ex works with measurement systems supplied by Vogel & Plötscher.
The idea behind ROSPECT emerged directly from customer feedback, as calls for a safe, efficient and flexible solution for measuring rail infrastructure grew increasingly louder. Close cooperation with users working directly on the track is one of ROBEL’s key success factors. The better customer requirements are understood, the more precisely new products can be developed for customers and for the rail industry as a whole.
State-of-the-Art Measurement Methods With Unlimited Expansion Potential
ROSPECT is equipped with measurement technology in accordance with individual customer requirements and precise operational profiles. Even after the vehicle has been delivered and put into service, new technologies and proven measurement systems can be integrated at any time with complete flexibility.
Vogel & Plötscher is firmly established on the international market and contributes technologies for the measurement of track geometry, rail profiles, turnout geometry and rail corrugation measurement to ROSPECT.
In addition, measurement technologies are available for assessing ballast conditions using ground-penetrating radar, as well as for analysing the surrounding environment through 3D scanning – for example, for surveying the catenary wire or platform edges. Furthermore, inspection technologies for the non-destructive testing of track infrastructure can also be integrated.
Real Added Value: Analysis and Interpretation of Data
During measurement runs, the collected data are displayed directly to users. Straightforward analysis and interpretation take place after the measurement data have been consolidated in the back office.
Thanks to excellent machine connectivity, the location and operational status of ROSPECT are always known. The information is digitally integrated into tmc, a practical and widely used software solution from the Plasser & Theurer Group.
Purchase or Project-Based Deployment
For many construction companies and network operators, there are compelling reasons to invest in the acquisition of ROSPECT. One particularly strong argument is the possibility of equipping the vehicle with measurement technology tailored precisely to individual requirements, enabling regular in-house use.
In view of the shortage of skilled personnel, the enhanced protection and comfort offered to employees may also be a decisive factor in expanding an existing fleet with ROSPECT. The focus always remains on resource-efficient and effective infrastructure measurement.
Naturally, an even more flexible and short-term option is to commission trained personnel together with ROSPECT as a project-based service.
As part of a detailed briefing process, ROBEL Rail Automation coordinates the assignment with the customer and develops a tailor-made operational plan. Measurements and testing are then carried out on site, after which the data are reviewed jointly with the customer and formally handed over. This provides an ideal solution for cost-conscious and professional project execution.
Behind both options – whether purchasing the vehicle or using it as a service – stand the dedicated teams at Vogel & Plötscher and ROBEL Rail Automation with their comprehensive service offering. They support customers with their expertise and practical assistance.
Setting the Direction: Straightforward, Automated and Resource-Efficient Track Inspection
With a weight of around 1.3 tonnes, ROSPECT is a genuine lightweight, making transportation exceptionally simple. The vehicle can conveniently be transported to the worksite in a trailer and, for example at a level crossing, can be placed directly onto the track.
With overall dimensions of just 3.70 m in length, 1.75 m in width and 2.10 m in height, the phrase ‘a wealth of innovation in the smallest of spaces’ aptly describes the machine. The vehicle features two cabins accommodating up to four people. This allows operation in both directions on a closed track.
Air-conditioning systems ensure comfortable working temperatures inside the cabins throughout the year.
ROSPECT is the only measuring vehicle that can be deployed on almost any track gauge after only a short preparation period. From 760 mm narrow gauge and standard gauge through to 1,600 mm broad gauge, ROSPECT adapts without difficulty.
The vehicle is powered by motors featuring axial flux technology by Vogel & Plötscher, is fully electric and emission-free, and can be equipped with up to eight ROBEL E³ batteries, enabling operating times of up to nine hours without a battery change. Should longer operating periods be required, the batteries can be exchanged within minutes, thereby extending the vehicle’s operating range.
From Austria to Japan: ROSPECT in Operation
ROSPECT combines compact dimensions with enough space for measurement and inspection technology. The ease with which ROSPECT can be put on and taken off the track is a major advantage, particularly in urban environments.
In Graz, Austria, the machine was transported to the worksite in a road trailer and then placed onto the tram track using a forklift truck. Over a route length of almost 700 metres, longitudinal rail profile was measured using Vogel & Plötscher’s RMF 1100 rail corrugation measurement system.
The initial measurement identified precisely where significant exceedances of longitudinal rail corrugation occurred in the wavelength ranges of 30–100 mm and 100–300 mm. Such irregularities can lead to excessive noise and vibration or result in consequential damage caused by tram operations.
The measurement data therefore provided the basis for subsequent rail grinding operations using Plasser & Theurer’s ATMO grinding trailer. Following the grinding work, ROSPECT carried out a further measurement, recording an improvement of up to 40 per cent and thereby quickly and efficiently confirming the success of the grinding process.
ROSPECT is currently also being successfully deployed in Japan for track geometry measurement using an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU).
Developed for the Future, Built for Practical Use
Together with Vogel & Plötscher, the developers at ROBEL Rail Automation have succeeded in bringing a truly smart evolution in the measurement and testing of urban and shorter track sections to the market with ROSPECT.
The vehicle was developed with an exceptionally strong focus on practical application, thoroughly tested under real operating conditions and is now set to be deployed around the globe.
This article was originally published by ROBEL.
