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Two passenger-rail systems have stepped up their investments in remote-monitoring technology.



Amtrak recently purchased 12 Remote Monitors from ENSCO Inc.; Maryland Transit Administration's MARC commuter-rail service acquired 16.



Based on research sponsored by Federal Railroad Administration and ENSCO,
the Remote Monitor provides data on ride quality and vehicle track interaction, locomotive health and onboard electrical systems through continuous monitoring of onboard sensors. Designed to analyze track and vehicle performance in real time, the system tags the location of anomalous sensor measurements with Global Positioning System coordinates and communicates information and data via satellite, cellular and/or digital wireless services to an Internet-accessible central computer or a pager.



Since 2001, Amtrak has purchased 24 systems for use on high-speed and intercity service; MARC has acquired 29 systems.