VERSATILITY AND VALUE OF AUTOMATED TRACK INSPECTION DATA ON NORFOLK SOUTHERN

摘要

Norfolk Southern has utilized automated machine vision inspection of track and wood crossties on its rail network since 2014, a service provided by Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.'s Aurora and Aurora Xi platforms. When compared to using human walking inspectors, the benefits of automated inspection are significant with respect to daily productivity, consistency in objectivity, and variety of information extracted. While the primary purpose for NS using automated track inspection is to provide accurate tie replacement estimates on a mile-by-mile basis, the ancillary benefits of the automated data stream are wide ranging. At the very basic level, track assets can be identified and located, such as validating GPS coordinates of a turnout, or building an inventory of rail joints. Measurements and condition assessment can be extracted for each asset, such as locating changes in tie length or tie plate size. By analyzing measurement and condition information, local maintenance and compliance status can be determined, such as verifying sufficient functional ties within a 39-foot segment or under a rail joint. As the primary output of tie inspection is a tie replacement estimate, objective comparisons across the network are possible to feed tie program prioritization and capital planning. NS also has developed proprietary tie replacement logic rules to determine optimal tie replacement plans on an individual tie basis. Georgetown Rail Equipment Co. is developing a machine vision tie marking system that will mark ties based on this tie replacement logic. Finally, a web-based data viewer allows NS to access images and other information on demand, which provides instant answers to monitor components and conditions, and potentially save the time and cost of field trips.