USA: BNSF, one of the largest freight rail operators in the United States, plans to have 34 locomotives in service with these systems, the ODIN, by the end of the year and intends to fit a further 24 units thereafter. This will enable the company to cover its entire 52,000 km network and phase out the use of its four dedicated track geometry cars.
The prototype system was developed by BNSF in 2023 and underwent trials until September this year. The diagnostic module is mounted beneath the locomotive body and uses lasers and cameras to measure track gauge, rail profile, and cross level. Measurements are taken every 30.5 cm at speeds of up to 112 km/h. The collected data is processed in real time and transmitted to a cloud-based platform for analysis.
According to BNSF, the adoption of ODIN will help reduce derailments caused by track geometry defects and enable more effective planning of maintenance activities. The system is said to be designed for use on both mainline and non-mainline tracks.
