InfraMon
InfraMon is an asset monitoring technology from Ricardo that provides real-time information on the condition of rail heads, track geometry and overall ride comfort.
By installing sensors and data-loggers onboard regular passenger traffic, InfraMon accumulates track condition data throughout the operational day and reports the findings directly to maintenance teams via customised dashboards.
Through the continual monitoring of track components, any degradation is identified long before maintenance or safety limits are exceeded. This enables track maintenance to move away from a typically reactive approach - only responding to faults after the event - and to take preventative action before the damage starts to disrupt services and becomes more costly to repair.
It also frees routine maintenance regimes from relying on access to dedicated measurements vehicles and removes the risk of minor defects developing into major faults during lengthy intervals between surveys. Instead, engineering teams gain continuous round-the-clock reports of track conditions, allowing them to monitor trends and respond to emerging concerns that would otherwise go unreported.
- Track Geometry
- Railhead Defects
- Ride Comfort
- Broken rails
- Loose/missing bolts
- Damaged switch nose
- Real time trend analyses
All measurements captured according to applicable standards
Improved track availability: Valuable, up-to-date information on the condition of track infrastructure assets - such as the rail heads, track geometry and passenger comfort - ensures track availability is maximised year after year.
Safety: InfraMon identifies changes in track condition and component degradation before maintenance limits or safety limits are exceeded, preventing incidents that impose speed restrictions or disrupt daily services
Real-time data: The on-board system continuously gathers a range of track condition data which is sent to a central server for analysis and fed directly into routine operations.
Cost reduction: With information collected by unmanned measuring units onboard in-service passenger trains, InfraMon is more efficient and cost-effective per kilometre than traditional track assessment methods, with no track capacity forfeited.
InfraMon's dashboard
The main InfraMon dashboard presents a range of track geometry parameters including a digital map that provides a clear overview of the locations of interest.
Track geometry measurements
Locations where safety limits are reported to have been exceeded are highlighted to allow operations teams to quickly extract more detailed site data.
Detailed diagnostics
The dashboard identifies trends recorded at the locations selected by the user. Further details help pinpoint the exact location on the tracks where maintenance work (in this case, tamping) must be carried out. This helps maintenance planning and provide feedback on the effectiveness of corrective work carried out.
“More than 50% of the defects found by InfraMon were not discovered by alternative inspection activities.”
Feedback from ProRail
Dutch national infrastructure manager
Why choose InfraMon
Increased track availability
By supporting proactive maintenance, InfraMon enables more efficient maintenance planning.
Enhanced safety
With continuous analysis of track condition, infrastructure managers, maintenance teams and contractors can deliver higher standards of safety on the network.
Reduced costs
From InfraMon’s delivery of more frequent data sets a more cost-effective ‘predict and prevent’ maintenance regime can be adopted.
Expert support
Supported by Ricardo's in-depth knowledge of rolling stock and infrastructure maintenance concepts.