In 2010 Eurailscout will start to perform annual inspection runs on the entire Norwegian railway network using its UST 02 track inspection train. The Norwegian railway manager Jernbaneverket (JBV) and Eurailscout signed the agreement for this on 18 November 2009.

Eurailscout’s UST 02 already runs in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark. By combining ultrasonic measurements with eddy current measurements, the UST 02 is able to detect (incipient) cracks as small as 3 mm. This prevents rail breakage.

The contract in Norway is worth NOK 2 mln (EUR 235,000) and will be valid for one year with the opportunity to be extended by a maximum of five years. The train will run under the responsibility of Strukton Rail. The UST 02 must be permitted in Norway before the first inspection run in May 2010. For this permission, the train must be equipped with an ATC and a GSM-R radio.

Technique
Ultrasonic sensors slide along the rails during the inspection run and detect defaults in the rail. In addition to ultrasonic measurements, the UST 02 also performs eddy current measurements. Using this technique, the inspection train measures small cracks at the surface of the track, so-called head checks.

Eurailscout Inspection & Analysis bv
Eurailscout Inspection & Analysis bv is a participation of Strukton Rail and the German railway company Max Knape Gleisbau. Eurailscout develops quick and diverse digital (video) inspection trains for track and catenary systems.