Reporter Rail Edition
President’s Message
Around the world every day, billions of people take some form of rail transportation to travel to their destinations while at the same time goods are shipped across countries’ vast rail networks. Whether its national railroads or city subways and trams, this vital form of transport is depended upon to keep society moving. Through geospatial solutions, such as 3D surveying and asset management, Hexagon supports rail professionals to ensure safe, efficient and modern delivery of passengers and cargo. This edition of Reporter explores their stories.
Safety is the No. 1 concern in the rail industry. Oversized loads, such as wind turbines and transformers, are often best transported by rail. Their cumbersome sizes, though, pose many risks. To safely transport what is known as high-wide loads, the weight and dimensions must be measured precisely. Before HLI Rail & Rigging in the United States implemented a laser measurement and documentation system, the firm’s professionals were required to climb and access hazardous areas to obtain what was often inaccurate dimensions. Today, with Hexagon’s laser technology, the process has been streamlined for consistent and repeatable measurement accuracy.
Bringing more efficient operations to rail increases the productivity of the overall industry. When this happens, congestion on the tracks decreases, people and freight are delivered to their destinations quicker, and breakdowns and other costly delays are prevented. Heading and Associates in Australia is supporting the Metro Trains Melbourne & Laing O’Rourke GWAF project to make commuter traveling to and from the city more efficient. Using Hexagon’s mobile mapping technology, the team delivered a detailed point cloud of the 26-kilometre rail line in just two days instead of two months, which is what would have been required using more traditional methods. The point cloud was then used to provide the latest conditions for accurately placing high-capacity signaling.
Modernising rail infrastructure is becoming a focus for governments worldwide. Many countries’ rail infrastructure is decades out of date, resulting in dangerous and slow rides. In Italy, where some of the oldest rail lines in the world can be found, ETS Engineering has integrated various Hexagon technologies, including mobile mapping and ground penetrating radar, to determine the depth of the Olmata Tunnel’s geometry and its status. The captured data, which was previously unknown, will support the modernisation of the tunnel project by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), owner of Italy's railway network.
The combined solution reduced interruption times on the tracks and enabled the firm to ensure the safe passage of special types of trains.
The rail industry is important not only for our transportation needs but also advancing global societies by providing residents and businesses a means of vital economic exchange. Our focus for rail is providing solutions that increase productivity while decreasing inefficiencies and hazards.
Enjoy your read.
Juergen Dold
President, Hexagon Geosystems
Read our customer stories here:
Digital reality for rail
Hexagon Geosystems’ rail solutions bring efficiency to track survey, asset management, maintenance and planning, monitoring and inspection, and safety management
Laser measurement keeps HLI’s high-wide shipments on track
Increasing rail loads safety and efficiency in the USA
Improving China’s rail industry with SiTrack:One
Chinese customers use Leica SiTrack:One to develop a new rail detection method successfully
Protecting heritage with upgraded rail clearance
Laser scanning and detailed survey to speed up acquisition and provide reliable data for heritage in Australian tunnels
Setting the world’s shortest railway back on track
Laser scanning to bring the world’s shortest railway in the United States back to live
Mirroring reality for rail
Laser scanning several locomotives for quality control with visual and actionable data in Spain
Reality capture to gear up for Melbourne’s rail network
Mapping rail lines in a safer, easier and more accurate way in Australia
Preserving the quality of heritage infrastructure
Combining technologies to plan infrastructure maintenance activities for rail in Italy
Scanning, measuring on rails
Performing as-built surveys on new rail construction in the United Kingdom
Keeping Spain on track with high-speed rail
Using reality capture mobile mapping sensor platform for high-speed railway lines in Spain
Laser scanning on the go
Ensuring safety in a rail yard project with the Leica Pegasus:Backpack in the Netherlands
Advancing Mexico's transportation infrastructure
Performing fast and continuous data capture with SiTrack:One in Mexico
Improving the railway infrastructure of a capital city
Measuring for new rail lines in the United Kingdom
Capturing one of the world's longest tunnels
As-built infrastructure documentation of the world's longest tunnel with the Leica Pegasus:Two in Switzerland
Digitising the Rail Network
Billions of people use rail transportation while goods are shipped across countries. Geospatial solutions support rail professional in moving people and goods more safely and efficiently.
Billions of people use rail transportation while goods are shipped across countries. Geospatial solutions support rail professional in moving people and goods more safely and efficiently.