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RAIL · VEHICLES

What Is a Hi-Rail Vehicle?

A hi-rail vehicle is a road vehicle, such as a pickup truck or van, fitted with retractable flanged guide wheels so it can drive on both roads and railway track. Railways use them for track inspection and maintenance because crews can drive to the nearest access point and go straight onto the line. In the UK they are usually called road-rail vehicles.

01

The Short Answer

Manual hi-rail patrols are expensive and put staff on live track, and inspectors face a high workload watching for defects over long distances. Mounting cameras, LiDAR and positioning sensors on vehicles, with AI analysing the footage, is changing how those inspections are done.

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    Forward-facing cameras High-resolution video of the track and corridor.
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    LiDAR 3D measurements of clearances and structures.
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    GNSS and IMU Precise location for every frame.
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    Rugged computer Captures and processes data on board, rated for vehicle power and vibration.
02

Why It Matters

The railway track inspection case study shows an automated alternative to manual hi-rail patrols, and our digital twin FAQ explains what the data builds. See our work in rail.