Smart-X: A remote-condition monitoring technology for voids, nose impact and switch movement at S&C's

Switches & Crossings' (S&C's) are the costliest and most safety critical asset within the rail infrastructure to maintain.

Smart Component Technologies (SCT), and their collaborators University of Birmingham, CHG Electrical Ltd and Network Rail, will develop through this project a technology that can detect track voids and measure nose impact at S&C's, as well as condition of the switch mechanism/drive.

This device, which sits within a wider suite of products that have already been developed, will additionally be able to report on the overall health of the S&C, especially when this data is combined with other data inputs gained from additional asset monitoring technologies.

The objective is to create a solution that helps rail infrastructure owners, such as Network Rail, to detect and remedy problems at S&C's in a cost-effective manner before they become a critical failure on the network.

The project directly addresses challenges identified by Network Rail for 'Reliable and Resilient Switches'. The project outputs will improve automated inspection methods, helping predictive maintenance, whilst furthering understanding of precursors to switch wear and damage.

Achieving the above will help keep passenger and freight trains running smoothly, as well as prevent catastrophic events, such as derailments.