Plum Line tests maintenance-free operation
The Plum Line regional railway tests maintenance-free operation
TT ++ TT
Technika a trh 5/2024
The so-called "Plum Line" (Čížkovice-Obrnice) will become the test site
for maintenance-free operation by its owner, AŽD Praha. It will be the first railway line
in the country to need no so-called "track walkers" to regularly check the technical
condition of the line beyond periodic preventive maintenance.
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"Plum Line" to Test
Maintenance-free Operation
The innovative Global Diagnostic System,
which will continuously monitor and eva-
luate the key parameters of the line and all
technologies installed thereon, is located
in the process room at Třebívlice station.
The smart technology can even predict
certain failure states so that maintenance
personnel can intervene before the failure
materialises to prevent traffic restrictions.
Instead of track walkers, the integrity of
the tracks will be monitored by a special
FTS cable with an optical cable to monitor
rail vibrations as the train passes. If a crack
or fracture occurs, the system identifies it,
pinpointing its exact location. After legis-
lative issues have been resolved, the plan
is that after a crack, fracture, or other fai-
lure has been detected on the line, a dro-
ne will take off automatically and use a de-
dicated flight corridor outside human and
car traffic to assess the actual situation. At
the moment, the drones are being tested
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