Analysis of European Systems for Checking and Monitoring of Railway Pantographs: An Opportunity for Indian Railway

Abstract

A forward-thinking Indian railroad is necessary to meet global climate protection goals in the transportation sector. As a result, the Indian railway intends to dramatically increase rail freight transportation and double passenger travel by 2027. The digitization of the railway system for more effective resource usage is one of the key directions, along with other ideas for the expansion of railway infrastructure for safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly. More than half of the railways in every country are electrified. This article describes numerous monitoring techniques for the pantograph's dependable operation. Automatic detection systems that indicate all potential flaws and evaluate the state of the pantographs and contact network have been developed to assure the safe functioning of the high-speed railway and to remove hidden dangers for workers. Pantograph monitoring is a problem in many nations where real-time detection is challenging. The characteristics of dynamic and static geometry, current collection, and faulty component operating states, as well as the operational state of the pantographs and contact network, can all be measured by on-board devices. The systems are based on an automatic verification algorithm that can provide a fully three-dimensional (3D) representation of pantographs using stereo cameras, categorize pantograph models, and evaluate the integrity of the pantograph's key parts, like the slide and coal inserts. The state of the pantograph can evaluate by using 3D scanning together with the image. Pantographs and contact networks are currently being monitored in several nations throughout the world. The major goals of monitoring systems are service optimization, downtime reduction, and increased infrastructure and railroad availability. This article's primary objective is to analyze monitoring systems in Europe and offer a feasible advanced solution for Indian Railway (IR) in near future.