At the Novosibirsk Instrument-Making Plant (NPZ), a completely new system for monitoring extended objects is being developed for Russia. It is a set of fiber optic sensors that will be installed under the railway tracks, and an analyzer.
Rostec (NPZ is part of the Shvabe holding of Rostec) stated that the new system will be able to monitor the condition of the soil under the railway track and monitor the temperature. It is planned to be used primarily in areas with unstable soil. The system will be able to track the scale of changes and determine their source.
A prototype has already been tested on the Golukha – Tyagun – Alambay section of the West Siberian Railway. Testing of the system in real conditions is scheduled for 2025.
The plans include adding functions that will allow detecting defects in wheel pairs, overloading of rolling stock and unauthorized work on railway lines.
