Historically, railroad track inspection remains heavily reliant on manual, visual processes that are labor-intensive and inefficient. Freight operations are halted so that specially dedicated cars can run the routes - an enormous lost opportunity cost. Well-trained inspectors must meticulously eyeball rails, tiIes, fasteners, and ballast to spot faults, follow stringent safety procedures, and record issues by hand. This manual method doesn't scale; it's limited by the number of qualified inspectors and their skills are better allocated in other areas of the business.
The North American Class I railroads consist of over 140,000 miles watched over by seven different competing corporations. While the federal government sets standards that they must all meet, it’s up to those companies to find, triage, and ultimately defend against entropy. The extensive system poses unique challenges in inspection and maintenance across millions of miles of diverse terrain. The status quo of track inspection contributes to over 1,000 train incidents annually.
To truly transform railroad safety and efficiency, the industry needs a digital transformation.
“We are trying to change our business. The hardware business is a one-time business, whereas software and digital technology is a sustainable business.” — Ryoji Negi, Product Owner, Kawasaki