Automated testing and reporting of timely activation of crossing warning equipment based on data originated from a real-time train tracking system

A railroad system comprising:

• a wayside inspector system configured for testing and reporting of timely activation crossing warning equipment responsive to data originated from a real-time train tracking system comprising onboard train equipment,
• the data comprising data indicative of a respective train en route to a respective crossing, the data further indicative of a respective direction of travel on a respective railway track of the respective train en route to the respective crossing,
• the wayside inspector system comprising:
• a processor configured to process the data indicative of the respective train en route to the respective crossing, the processor including a timer configured to measure a time elapsed from activation of crossing warning equipment prior to arrival of the respective train en route to the respective crossing to a time of arrival of the respective train to the respective crossing, and
• a memory to store a data set configured to uniquely associate the measured elapsed time with the respective crossing including the respective direction of travel on the respective railway track of the respective train en route to the respective crossing,
• wherein the real-time train tracking system comprises a global positioning system (GPS) and the data comprises data from a centralized data feed of GPS train tracking data of a plurality of trains traveling over a railroad network of railway tracks,
• the railroad system further comprising a centralized plurality of virtual sensor suites in communication with the centralized data feed of GPS train tracking data, one of the virtual sensor suites of the centralized plurality of virtual sensor suites configured to generate the data indicative of the respective train en route to the respective crossing, further ones of the centralized plurality of virtual sensor suites respectively configured to generate further data indicative of further respective trains en route to further respective crossings.