Abstract

A new approach for structural health and conditions monitoring of trains and railway tracks using fibre Bragg grating sensing networks will be described. Track-borne fibre Bragg grating sensing networks are used to monitor moving trains whereas fibre-Bragg grating sensing systems installed on passenger trains are used to monitor track condition as well as critical train components, including pantograph-catenary interactions. This approach minimizes capital investment to monitor extensive railway networks for safety and maintenance purposes.

© 2016 Optical Society of America