Welcome to the first edition of McKenzie Valve’s monthly newsletter! We are thrilled to bring you all the latest news, information, and resources from the railroad industry.
First up, we’ve rounded up 2023 rail industry trends to help you stay ahead of the curve. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy!
As we all know, trains are already a pretty sustainable mode of transportation. But, following ambitious net-zero emissions plans, governments are taking it one step further by looking into ways to completely decarbonize the rail industry.
Some solutions we should expect to grow more popular this year include:
- Battery technology
- Hydrogen fuel cells
- Electric trains and more!
In a further drive towards a more sustainable future, rail operators are also deploying electric locomotives that use energy from renewable sources such as solar or wind.
The rail industry is heading into a bright future as it continues to leverage technology to drive innovation and meet the changing demands of the transportation sector. This includes:
- Machine Learning & AI to Improve Predictive Maintenance: This tech is helping railroads predict and prevent several maintenance issues - such as track wear and tear - based on patterns and trends found by analyzing huge amounts of data collected from various sensors across the network. These predictions provide a five-year look-ahead window allowing railroads to plan repairs and maintenance proactively. (AAR)
- Wayside Detectors keeping the wheels turning: Preventing train wheels and bearings from overheating to help prevent train derailments. Smart sensors alongside the tracks to assess the strength and health of wheels and bearings as they travel by at speed. Hotbox detectors keep an eye on wheel and bearing temperatures, while acoustic bearing detectors listen for any unusual sounds. Combining the data from both, railroads use AI and machine learning to sift through large amounts of data, find patterns, and predict three months in advance when a bearing may overheat. (AAR)
Drones and Maintenance: We should expect greater use of UAV tech in 2023 for reducing manual inspections and maintenance costs while enhancing safety. An example of this is BNSF Railway using drones equipped with HD cameras to inspect flood-damaged tracks and bridges in Texas and Oklahoma. Safety experts monitored the video feeds to locate track and bridge damage, allowing BNSF to quickly deploy workers and restore rail line operations. (AAR)
Drones and Maintenance: We should expect greater use of UAV tech in 2023 for reducing manual inspections and maintenance costs while enhancing safety. An example of this is BNSF Railway using drones equipped with HD cameras to inspect flood-damaged tracks and bridges in Texas and Oklahoma. Safety experts monitored the video feeds to locate track and bridge damage, allowing BNSF to quickly deploy workers and restore rail line operations. (AAR)
Industries everywhere are embracing digital technology to modernize their operations and improve efficiency — and the rail industry is no different. This shift towards digital is driving innovation in the industry and shaping the future of freight rail transportation. Take AI and automation for example — an algorithm was created to examine the track geometry of 1,500 curves in just a few hours. It would have taken four people ten months to do so manually.
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