In the modern realm of high speed and ever increasing cargo traffic, each railway infrastructure component is essential for maintenance of the general operating condition of a track section. However, until recently not all defects of the permanent way could be revealed by means of instrumentation.To ensure timely detection of faults in the condition of these facilities, one must apply essentially new inspection techniques.

To eliminate periodic surveys and inspections by railway personnel, we have developed a number of systems for visual inspection of infrastructure, including the system for high-speed visual defect detection. Components as rails, sleepers, clamps and fish-plates, braces and insulators are now automatically inspected in the course of a pass by an inspection vehicle. One of the system’s basic components is a set of high-speed linear cameras providing image acquisition with high resolution (0.5 mm/pixel) at up to 250 km/h speeds. The novel dedicated illumination system ensures capture of a clear and well-contrasted image at any time of the day and under

any weather condition. A powerful data logging/analysis system provides image compression without loss of quality in real time, thereby increasing the independent total inspection length up to 10,000 km.

The range of analytical software allows solutions for a number of customer specified tasks in detection of infrastructure component defects.

The automatic analysis system facilitates real-time, post-processing detection of the following defects:

• rail end batters;

• rail tread shelling in the joint area;

• welded joint damages;

• side steps in rail joints;

• stagger of rail joints for both rail threads;

• abrasion from skidding;

• rail tread cracks;

• missing or damaged clamps;

• insufficient bolt tightening;

• sleeper misalignment and cracks;

• ballast spillage and filling;

• locating and measuring joint gaps.

Employment of this system makes it possible to detect early locations capable of causing deviation in track geometry due to faulty or missing permanent way components, hence improves traffic safety.

In addition to permanent way surface inspection, Company specialists recommend the installation of a fishplate inspection system, providing for automatic detection of such defects as cracks and lacking bolts.

For railways with rail track control systems, the inspection of insulating joints and joint connectors is demanded.