Rail monitoring system, method and devices

A rail monitoring method for monitoring a condition of a rail of a railway track comprising:

• a) installing two monitoring sensors adjacently spaced on a rail at a location of the rail to be monitored;
• b) capturing with said adjacently spaced monitoring sensors rail data comprising movements that include the longitudinal movement of the rail being monitored;
• c) determining from captured movements a condition of the rail being monitored;
• d) wherein each said monitoring sensor comprises a radar unit, and wherein installing each said monitoring sensor on said rail includes directing the aim of each said radar unit to a fixed structure relative to said rail;
• and
• e) wherein each said radar unit has a detection range to detect a target relative to the location on the rail to which the monitoring sensor is mounted, the target being located within the detection range of the respective radar unit, wherein capturing with said monitoring sensor rail data comprising movements of the rail being monitored comprises movements of the rail relative to the target, and wherein determining from captured movements a condition of the rail being monitored includes the distance between the rail and the target.

A rail monitoring system for monitoring a condition of a rail of a railway track that is switchable between one or more positions, comprising:

• a) a monitoring sensor with mounting means for mounting said monitoring sensor on a rail or rail component of the switchable railway track at a location of the rail or rail component of the switchable railway track to be monitored;
• b) circuitry in the monitoring means configured with instructions for obtaining measurements of rail movements of the rail or rail component of the switchable railway track being monitored;
• c) said monitoring sensor comprising a radar unit, the radar unit having a detection range, the radar unit being programmable to generate and direct a radar signal at a target within the detection range at periodic intervals, at least one signal including the distance of travel of the beam between the radar unit and the target;
• and
• d) a processor configured to determine from said monitoring signals a condition of the rail being monitored that identifies whether there is a change in the railway track that is switchable between one or more positions when the monitoring sensor is mounted on the rail or rail component of the switchable railway track to be monitored and the distance of travel of the signal between the radar unit and the target changes;
• e) wherein the target comprises a rail or component of rail or rail component of the switchable railway track the moves relative to the rail or rail component of the switchable railway track to which the monitoring sensor is mounted.