The problem that we are addressing is the outdated technology in the railway infrastructure around the world. While the rail vehicle technology has advanced in the recent years, the infrastructure in many countries is still functioning mainly on the technology developed in the 20th and partly 19th century. This compromises the safety of traffic participants, passengers and railway workers. Firstly because the technology has very limited functionality, but also because of the costs of such old technologies, which are the reason, why over 50% of railway level crossings in Germany are still technologically unsecured. Furthermore, the outdated technology is preventing modernisation, automation and the overall advancement of the railway, because it is not able to deliver necessary measurements and data to enable valuable innovations.
Railscope+ is an innovative vibration sensor technology for enhanced and cost effective early train detection, continuous real-time monitoring of train movements, control of the conditions of the wheels and the detection of objects on the rails. The goal is to increase the safety in rail traffic and infrastructure in Europe and to help prevent accidents like Malton in 2014 (UK, 1 killed), Bad Aibling in 2016 (Germany, 11 killed) or O Porriño in 2016 (Spain, 4 killed)1 with together more than 100 casualties. The average costs of each accident takes about 1.7 Million Euro.
The technology is thought to be implemented in Europe because of the prerequisites of the infrastructure. In the future developing countries and the United States are further target markets. SENVISYS introduces a more cost efficient (50%), safer (100%) and more functional technology – 4 applications (see section 1.4 on page 3) – that substitutes or complements current systems for level crossings, controls the rail traffic more efficiently and hence increases the capacity of the traffic for more than 100%.
Intelligent railway structures establish the basis for disruptive market solutions in the rail traffic because the trains can be operated with higher frequencies and innovative solutions such as automation can be introduced. Railscope+ is a trigger for enabling technology for automated railway traffic, because of its rail digitization potential, making Europe a pioneer in automated railway traffic.
The innovative technology of SENVISYS addresses a multitude of problems such as cost and material inefficiency in railway crossing securing, safety hazards for traffic participants, railway workers, and passengers.
Furthermore there is an immense environmental impact by relinquishing of expensive and inefficient train detection systems. In an unprecedented way the new technology is able to avoid accidents caused by wear and degradation of the railway infrastructure by early diagnosis of rail and train condition. With the new technology casualties in rail traffic will be prevented and train companies will benefit from reduced expenses for their surveillance systems and be able to increase their transport capacities.
Our goal is it to bring an innovative, environmentally friendlier and much more cost-efficient system for train detection and monitoring to the market (which has the potential for application in other equally useful fields) that will bring the railway infrastructure up to date with current technological advancement and can be implemented across Europe and subsequently the rest of the world.
Furthermore, this goal brings diverse, far-reaching positive social externalities with its implementation, such as decreased costs, increased resource efficiency, decreased railway accident count and increased public safety in traffic and increased reliability of the European infrastructure. Using our technology we decrease the collision accidents caused by natural obstructions on railway tracks that lead to accidents and delays in operation, such as fallen trees, landslides and boulders after storms. By detecting these immediately, the appropriate actions can be taken in time, to prevent accidents and delays. Moreover, we are able to detect animals and humans on the tracks in order to prevent severe collisions and fatalities. With further development we intend to be able to detect and prevent suicides on railway tracks.
Through conservation of resources, we will also contribute to global reduction of emissions and our carbon footprint. This is possible e.g. because our technology significantly reduces the use of cabling in train detection detectors and uses resources with greater efficiency than current solutions – almost 8000m of cabling are saved for a single level crossing, which is also one of the highest expenses in safeguarding level crossings with current technology.
