NS launches nationwide railway maintenance innovation with partners

Credit: Camlin Rail - Camlin Rail’s TrainVue in-service inspection system installed for Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), at the Hekendorp site, the Netherlands.

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the primary passenger railway operator in the Netherlands, has announced that it has initiated a project aimed at enhancing fleet inspection efficiency. In partnership with CAF Digital Services (CAF), Camlin Rail and Arcadis, NS is integrating cutting-edge technology to improve the safety and reliability of its railway operations.

CAF has been selected by NS in 2021 to lead this innovative project, bringing advanced digital solutions to the railway industry. The project employs CAF’s LeadMind platform and Camlin Rail’s TrainVue in-service inspection system. Together, these technologies will be deployed at 10 key locations across the NS network, forming a comprehensive national system for fleet monitoring.

This collaboration also involved Arcadis, a design and consultancy firm with expertise in Dutch rail infrastructure. NS worked with Arcadis to create a civil structure portal model using Building Information Modeling (BIM), further enhancing the project’s technical capabilities.

The integration of TrainVue and LeadMind allows for high-resolution 2D and 3D imaging of critical components like pantographs and bogies, which are essential for fleet maintenance. The successful pilot project, in which two TrainVue systems were tested and validated, has paved the way for the nationwide rollout now underway.

Paul Fleming, Managing Director of Camlin Rail, said: “The contract with NS reflects the outstanding pilot delivery of our in-service inspection systems. Our collaboration underscores our collective commitment to revolutionise rail safety and efficiency worldwide and the positive feedback from both NS and the wider market supports our strategy of in-service inspection of rolling stock.”

This marks a significant achievement for NS, as it becomes the first European train operator to implement inspection equipment on infrastructure owned by ProRail, the national rail infrastructure manager. This collaboration sets the stage for future innovations in rail safety and monitoring across Europe.

The project is expected to significantly reduce the need for manual inspections, which previously required trains to stop every 48 hours for checks. NS Project Manager Barbara de Jong noted that the new system will allow for daytime inspections and night time maintenance, optimising the entire process.