UK’s South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail have begun a year-long trial of thermal imaging technology on a Class 450 train, aiming to identify infrastructure faults and reduce delays across the network.
The initiative involves fitting two cameras to the train, nicknamed ‘Hotshot’. One is a thermal imaging camera at the front to detect electrical issues along the track, and the other is mounted underneath to monitor the shoe gear and third rail that supply power.
The captured images provide engineers with real-time alerts about potential problems such as overheating or faulty connections.
This allows maintenance teams to address issues before they lead to service disruptions.
UK Rail Minister Lord Hendy said: “This Government is fundamentally reforming how our railways are run - creating a network that works better for the people and freight using it.
“The cutting-edge technology that the integrated South Western Railway is trialling is key to achieving this and will serve as an example of the kinds of smart investments publicly owned rail companies can implement to improve services for passengers.”
According to SWR, faults that the Hotshot train could detect can result in approximately 200 minutes of delays on average, with more severe conductor rail faults previously causing delays of more than 2,000 minutes.
The trial is said to mark the first instance of continuous monitoring of this kind being used across most of the SWR network.
Class 450 trains operate routes between Central London and areas including Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Dorset.
An earlier, smaller-scale trial on the SWR network enabled engineers to fix a fault near Ashtead in Surrey within 48 hours without affecting passenger journeys.
In comparison, a similar incident in the past led to 2,500 minutes of delays.
SWR engineering and infrastructure director Neil Drury said: “Much like our famous ‘Flying Banana’ train which helps monitor the tracks, you can now look out for Hotshot.
“We hope this innovative collaboration between SWR, Network Rail, Angel Trains and our other partners will identify potential infrastructure issues before they escalate, helping to reduce disruption on the network and keep our customers moving.”
The project is a joint effort between SWR, Network Rail, and industry partners Angel Trains, One Big Circle, Siemens, and dg8 Design.
Angel Trains has overseen the design, management, and funding of the trial. If successful, there are plans to expand the technology to other trains in the SWR fleet.
Angel Trains product management head Barry Fox said: “We’re proud to be supporting the introduction of this technology on passenger trains. Continuous monitoring of the infrastructure offers real value in helping deliver a more reliable railway for passengers.
“This has been made possible by working closely with our customers and suppliers to deliver a fully integrated solution.”
This trial follows similar developments by SWR, which has also implemented thermal imaging monitoring on its network serving South East London, Kent, and parts of East Sussex.
In June this year, Network Rail, Neos Networks, and Freshwave announced a partnership, dubbed Project Reach, intended to eliminate mobile signal blackspots along major rail routes in the UK.
Project Reach uses a commercial model that blends public and private sector investment, with expected taxpayer savings of approximately £300m ($411.7m).
