Introduction

Approximately 50 km south of the Arctic Circle, the ground beneath a specific railway stretch was unstable, and the groundwater levels were quite high. Trafikverket, the main infrastructural operator in Sweden, is responsible for maintaining the railway on this stretch. They needed to keep a close watch on the periodic settlements caused by the unstable underground. As a result, they frequently sent out a measurement wagon to inspect the site.

Challenge

There were a few challenges related to this solution. Firstly, a measurement wagon is a rather expensive piece of equipment. Secondly, Trafikverket wanted to see and understand the potential correlation between high groundwater levels and settlements. However, the measurement wagon only passes the site every quarter, making it unable to provide real-time information about settlements at the local site. Trafikverket sought a cost-effective alternative that could provide them with the necessary insights. Additionally, they wanted to find a solution that could provide information automatically, 24/7.

Solution

To support the monitoring of the site, Railmonitor delivered a complete solution, TrackBed³⁶⁰. To achieve better insight into the correlation between groundwater levels and track settlements, Trafikverket needed to gather data from various sources. As a result, Railmonitor was asked to provide wireless tilt sensors and groundwater level sensors. Railmonitor’s Software, the Digital Service Platform, provided live insight into the track behavior. All data was made available for Trafikverket through a standard web browser.

Results

Trafikverket then analyzed the data from the installed sensors and compared it with the data they received from the measurement wagon. The results clearly showed compliance between the data. While being cost-effective, TrackBed³⁶⁰ carried several other benefits. For example, by using this type of solution for hot spots (local possible settlements), Trafikverket would be able to identify potential failures much sooner and provide information for maintenance planning earlier. Furthermore, they would acquire specific knowledge of what initiatives were needed – based on the foundation of data collected by TrackBed³⁶⁰ .

Conclusion

By implementing Railmonitor’s TrackBed³⁶⁰ solution, Trafikverket effectively monitored railway stability, ensuring real-time data collection and analysis. This approach not only provided a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods but also enabled predictive maintenance and early identification of potential issues, thus enhancing the overall efficiency and safety of the railway infrastructure.