Risk Assessment of Using a Contactless Method for Railway Surface Inspection as Alternative for Staff Inspection of Infrastructure

Abstract

Railway infrastructure managers are obliged to check technical condition of infrastructure in order to maintain safe traffic. Usually this is done using conventional methods and tools or directly through the inspections made by the technical staff. Technological development which is currently being experienced indicates the availability of new measurement methods that can be used to monitor the condition of railway infrastructure. However, the introduction of new methods for monitoring the infrastructure is usually a change affecting safety, which requires an assessment of the significance of the change for the maintenance of the required level of railway traffic safety. The authors assessed the significance of the change in the method of infrastructure monitoring and related risk assessment as a result of the use of the contactless method of checking the railway surface as an alternative method to staff inspections. Additional control measures or preventive measures for potential threats have also been indicated.