Track Monitoring

Track monitoring programmes undertaken by Corus are specifically developed to meet customer needs. They may include an installation audit, track geometry measurements, visual and non-destructive inspection and comprehensive strain gauging to obtain precise data on the vertical and lateral forces at the wheel/rail contact interface and on overall track integrity.

Comprehensive and precise information is gathered by means of:

• Project-specific plain rail site selection that may include sites with variations in track curvature – including tangent track for comparison purposes.
• Data-gathering from instrumented stock rails and switch rails for vertical and inclined layouts at switches and crossings sites.
• An agreed monitoring period that can provide a ‘snapshot’ in time of the track integrity and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) status or a comprehensive condition monitoring programme can be used to examine track degradation or change in RCF over time.
• Proven and safe strain gauging methods incorporating protection from environmental and mechanical damage.
• Rail and sleeper displacement measurements using linear displacement sensors mounted on the rails.

All of the data gathered through track monitoring may be interpreted through intelligent data analysis or used in conjunction with Corus’ comprehensive suite of system modelling tools.