Bay Area Rapid Transit has unveiled a new track geometry car, which it is calling its Rail Inspection Vehicle or RIV, which can develop a track profile while operating at speeds up to 70 mph.
In a press release, the transit system said the RIV can measure track position, curvature, smoothness, alignment, as well as wear and corrugation. It also create 3D surface scans of the area around the track and capture high-definition images that detect abnormalities in track components such as concrete crossties and fasteners. It can capture video in normal and low-light situations, as well as infrared thermal imagery.
The car was built for BART by MERMEC, an Italian based company with U.S. operations in Columbia, S.C., which offers more than 60 types of inspections and measuring systems, as well as inspection vehicles, among other railway products and services. It was built under Build America Buy America Act requirements.
The RIV is 63 feet long and weighs 110,000 pounds. BART says it will be “an important asset for the next 40 to 50 years.” Video from BART of the car in operation is below.
To learn more about track inspection cars, see “Metro-North’s 2020 inspection vision” in the May issue of Trains Magazine.
