Wireless sensor network based model for secure railway operations

The current state of the art in detecting immediate and long-term railway track problems involves both inspectors walking the track lines and train cars instrumented with accelerometers and ultrasonic sensors that are capable of detecting wear of the rail and breakages. Additionally, a widespread practice of sensing rail continuity by using the tracks to complete simple circuits is in place. In this paper, we propose a fundamentally different approach to improve the current practices in railway operations using wireless sensor network (WSN). The primary technical and scientific objectives of the system introduced in this paper are to generate innovative solutions for a number of the issues facing the railroad community through the development of a system based on WSN. The objectives from a railroad perspective include finding new approaches to reduce the occurrence rate of accidents and improving the efficiency of railroad maintenance activities.