Comprehensive Railway Track Monitoring Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and Building Information Modeling (BIM)

The increasing adoption of UAV-based inspections in railway infrastructures stems from the demand for more efficient, cost-effective, and safer alternatives to conventional track monitoring practices, which typically rely on manual inspections or dedicated rail vehicles. UAVs offer the possibility to capture high-resolution images and detailed data from multiple perspectives, which can then be analyzed using cutting-edge computer software. In this way, a comprehensive assessment of various track components, such as rails, sleepers, fastening systems, and ballast, can be done. Additionally, combining drones with technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) allows for the development of precise digital representations of railway infrastructure. This research reports the results of the monitoring of the state of the track based on the images captured by a drone equipped with a video camera and the point cloud created by means of appropriate advanced software that uses photogrammetric techniques to transform a series of images into 3D spatial data. Advantages and limitations of UAVs for monitoring railway track conditions are highlighted as well as the optimization needed for reaching the precision suitable for the assessments. Results demonstrated the appropriateness of using the drone for monitoring and assessing track conditions, in terms of geometric and structural integrity, as well as maintenance requirements.