Continuous Monitoring of Railway and Tram Tracks and Railway Embankments Using Fiber Optic Sensors

Continuous Monitoring of Railway and Tram Tracks and Railway Embankments Using Fiber Optic Sensors – Segments up to 100 km (and beyond)

Accurate measurement of strain, temperature, deformation, and structural damage over distances up to 100 km or more.

K3Unity provides a cutting-edge service for continuous, automated monitoring of railway and tram tracks, as well as railway embankments, using Distributed Fiber Optic Sensor (DFOS) technology. Our solution enables precise measurement of strain, deformation, deflection, temperature, and structural damage along track sections up to 100 km in length, with spatial resolution as fine as 1 meter. These measurement units can be combined into systems capable of monitoring thousands of kilometers of railway and tramway networks.

Purpose of the Service:

Rail and tram tracks—regardless of construction type—are subject to constant dynamic and environmental loads. Cracks, deformations, unevenness, loss of stiffness, or degradation of track components pose serious threats to safety and operational continuity.

The K3Unity system allows for continuous and uninterrupted condition assessment of tracks, delivering data not only about the rails themselves, but also—particularly in railway infrastructure—about the substructure and embankments, which are critical to maintaining proper geometry and structural integrity.

Parameters Monitored:

• Stress and strain in the rails,
• Deflection and local deformation of the track,
• Cracks and structural damage,
• Dynamic vibrations caused by passing vehicles,
• Temperature changes affecting rail expansion,
• Settlement, loosening, or instability of the embankment (for railways).

How It Works

Along the track—at the rail foot or another designated location—a thin optical fiber (<0.5 mm in diameter) with a protective metal coating is permanently mounted. This approach ensures:

• Resistance to mechanical damage and environmental exposure,
• Durable attachment via soldering or welding,
• Discreet installation invisible to bystanders and non-intrusive to normal railway operations.

The system uses Brillouin and Rayleigh scattering phenomena to continuously measure the profile of strain and temperature in real time—without interrupting rail operations, requiring field power supply, or altering existing infrastructure. A single measurement unit can cover up to 100 km of track, and multiple units can be integrated into a national-scale monitoring system for railway or tramway infrastructure.

Key Benefits

• Full-length track condition monitoring, not just at individual points,
• Precise localization of cracks, shifts, deformations, and settlements—accurate to 1 meter,
• Early detection of anomalies, before they lead to failures or accidents,
• Reduced maintenance and inspection costs through automation of technical monitoring,
• Data-driven repair and maintenance planning, replacing guesswork with real-time condition information,
• Improved operational safety and extended infrastructure lifespan.

Integration & Scalability

K3Unity systems are fully scalable—suitable for monitoring urban tram track sections as well as long-distance railway corridors spanning hundreds or thousands of kilometers. Measurement data is transmitted to a central analytics platform and can be integrated with existing infrastructure management systems (CMMS, SCADA, GIS).

K3Unity – Continuous Oversight of Railway and Tram Tracks

Nationwide advanced track and embankment monitoring. Precise data. Fast decisions. Safe operations.