Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is an effective method for transport monitoring, including railways and highways, considering its multiple advantages:
- Continuous monitoring & real-time alerts: Providing information to security & maintenance crews in real-time when there is an anomaly or problem detected allowing for prompt repairs and maintenance.
- High-resolution: Providing information that can be used to identify, locate problems or anomalies in the infrastructure, such as cracks, deformations, or loose bolts.
- Long-range detection: Allowing it to monitor large sections of transport infrastructure with a single system & the ability to detect multiple types of issues.
- Multi-purpose: From traffic flow to broken rail; from security to environmental monitoring.
It can help ensure the safety and reliability of transport infrastructure while reducing the cost of monitoring (as it can be installed on existing fiber optic cables, which greatly reduces the cost of deployment). This information can be used to monitor track conditions, detect track defects, and track the location and speed of trains, all of which are critical for ensuring the safety and efficiency of railway operations.
By monitoring these factors, railway operators can detect and address problems before they become serious, reducing downtime, and improving safety. Additionally, DAS is immune to harsh weather conditions, making it a robust and reliable method of monitoring railways.