Object drop / Falling object detection

Large objects falling onto and obstructing the railway pose a significant threat to railway safety. Aside from natural hazards such as rockfalls, objects falling onto tracks can include vehicles, accident debris, cargo and even objects deliberately thrown onto railway tracks.

A train derailment caused by objects obstructing the track can have dire consequences, particularly as that object has often come from a bridge or structure over the railway. The presence of a structure naturally increases the consequences of a train leaving the tracks and striking it. Over-bridges have been destroyed by trains colliding with their supports, and a train colliding with a tunnel headwall is usually a catastrophic event. Where hazardous freight is in transit, the consequences further compound.

Our Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology offers real-time detection and location of object drops/falls. By continuously monitoring the acoustic signatures of ground impacts, our system delivers crucial, near-instantaneous warnings, enabling operators to act and mitigate this challenging risk.