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June 2026
Compiled by Pat Foran, Editor-in-Chief
RailPros’ Track Inspection Services team conducts comprehensive track assessments and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)-required track inspections for Class Is, short lines, transit agencies and passenger railroads, and industrial and port track operators.
In addition to visual, boots-on-the-ground inspections, the team can provide review and analysis of Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP) data and other similar automated systems, helping clients bridge the gap between legacy and new technologies, RailPros officials said in an email.
Inspectors are trained to detect noncompliance issues and areas that require immediate attention, including the condition of all ties, switch components, rails (including joints and fasteners), track geometry, and ballast and drainage conditions. Inspectors provide timely, cost-effective corrective actions that help clients avoid more costly repairs down the line and help ensure compliance with federal and railroad safety standards, company officials said.
RailPros inspectors also can navigate between the latest technology for track assessments (ATIP and others) and legacy systems and methodologies. The company’s FRA-qualified inspectors “excel at providing clients with clearly translated outputs that help drive maintenance and capital expenditure decisions and keep America’s rail industry moving safely,” RailPros officials said.
Plasser American Corp. offers the Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System (TGMS). Engineered for real-time, non-contact inspection, the TGMS uses advanced optical and inertial sensors to continuously measure critical track parameters — including gauge, alignment, twist and rail profile — at speeds exceeding 200 mph.
Designed to operate completely unattended on revenue trains or dedicated inspection cars, it detects subtle defects before they impact service, enabling predictive maintenance that can significantly lower lifecycle costs, company officials said.
Engineered for high-speed LiDAR scanning, Plasser Lidar Solution captures a precise, 3D virtual image of the track environment in a single pass. Operating on existing track maintenance machines or dedicated inspection vehicles, it simultaneously measures critical spatial parameters — including catenary wire position, clearance gauges, ballast profiles and platform edge distances — without requiring track closures.
Together, TGMS and Plasser Lidar Solution provide infrastructure managers with a 360-degree view of their network, company officials said.
High-tonnage railroads operate under extreme loads, and small weaknesses in the trackbed can escalate into defects that consume maintenance windows and budget, Loram officials noted. Ballast fouling, trapped moisture, poor drainage and stiffness transitions at switches, culverts, bridges and joints all can accelerate deterioration.
Loram’s TRACE approach (Track Root-cause Analytics and Condition Evaluation) supports data-driven, targeted maintenance by integrating AI-aided GPR interpretation, LiDAR, track geometry and maintenance history in the Rail Doctor® platform. Condition dashboards summarize key indicators, trends and locations of concern, and turn findings into accurately located action plans for targeted corrective work, company officials said.
GPR provides continuous visibility into ballast condition, layer thickness, fouling and moisture distribution, the leading indicators of drainage capacity and long-term performance. LiDAR maps corridor and embankment geometry and drainage-related features such as ditch lines and flow paths, helping explain why problems concentrate at specific locations.
TRACE links these structural drivers to defect parameters over time. The idea: to deliver clear, actionable root-cause evidence and better use of maintenance windows, Loram officials said.
TRACE helps railroads prioritize interventions that address root-cause drivers, validate results before and after work, and focus limited track time where it delivers the greatest return, they said. Multi-year deployments on other railroads demonstrate that ongoing monitoring and data-driven planning can reduce recurring defect areas by 70% to 80% over several years, according to Loram.
RailWorks Corp. offers a full spectrum of track maintenance and inspection services tailored to meet the diverse needs of the Class I, short-line and transit sectors across the United States and Canada.
The company’s track geometry inspection programs are built on detailed baseline assessments and routine inspections, with the aim of identifying potential issues and enabling proactive planning for long-term infrastructure integrity.
RailWorks Maintenance of Way combines advanced technology with experienced field personnel to deliver accurate, reliable data collection to allow railroads to make informed decisions and drive network-wide improvements, company officials said. RailWorks’ fleet of inspection vehicles is designed to operate efficiently within tight track windows, capturing high-resolution data without disrupting operations.
The company also collaborates with clients to develop customized maintenance schedules that minimize downtime, prevent disruptions and optimize asset performance.
Holland’s Track Inspector mounts to any hi-rail platform with a hitch receiver and delivers real-time track geometry and rail profile measurements. A non-contact encoder replaces the traditional encoder wheel, which eliminates a key maintenance point; there is no dedicated test car and no scheduled track outage, company officials said.
Track Inspector features three software options, enabling railroads to choose the one that best suits their operator’s needs.
Attended software provides real-time testing with comprehensive test reporting. Foot-by-foot geometry data, geometry exception lists, rail profile data and rail size/weight identification can be exported in csv format after each inspection, company officials said.
Alert software provides visual and audible alerts for any track geometry exceptions, based on the thresholds for the track class. The web interface shows vehicle and defect locations, enabling operators to stop and back up to the defect location. A downloadable defect report is provided after the run is completed.
Autonomous software provides the same working principles as the company’s Locomotive or Rail Car ATGMS, but is deployed from a hi-rail vehicle. The autonomous operation provides data and defect delivery to customer servers or by email to designated personnel.
Holland’s Locomotive ATGMS captures the same measurements at track speed, under operational load, riding under revenue-service locomotives or rail cars. Measurements are exported into a daily PDF track geometry report, including strip charts, defect lists and curvature summaries gathered from trains already in service.
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