PKP PLK rail to invest PLN 244 mln in track inspection automation project
Poland's railway infrastructure operator PKP PLK will invest PLN 244 mln (EUR 57 mln) in a track inspection automation project (AOT), the company said in a press release. The programme is intended to improve safety and make fault detection on railway lines more efficient.
It was pointed out that currently, track inspections are carried out by specialised employees – track inspectors and track foremen, who check whether the railway lines are in proper technical condition and detect faults and irregularities resulting from operation.
"We want these activities, which are crucial for train traffic safety, to be supported in the future by computers, modern equipment and even artificial intelligence," said Maciej Palyga, project director at PKP PLK, quoted in the press release.
"Automated, better and more efficient inspections will translate into greater safety for passengers and our employees," he added.
It was added that track inspection automation will open up new possibilities in the field of railway diagnostics.
Under the framework agreement signed with P.U.T. GRAW, by 2033 PKP PLK will acquire diagnostic vehicles, local stations, servers and dedicated software for analysing the collected data.
In the coming weeks, PKP PLK also intends to sign the first in a series of implementation agreements. Thanks to this, a diagnostic vehicle and seven local stations will be built by the end of 2028.
The system will be implemented in a limited area and testing will begin. Further implementation agreements will be concluded after the effects of this stage have been assessed.
In addition to equipment purchases, future service and training contracts are an important part of the project. Some of the employees who currently perform inspections in the traditional manner will be able to retrain as AOT operators.
mcb/ han/