Eurailscout

Eurailscout Inspection & Analysis b.v. is a railway technology company specialising in the condition assessment of railway lines. Headquartered in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, with a branch office in Berlin, Germany, the company operates a fleet of unique measurement and inspection trains that regularly run over rail networks to check whether technical parameters remain within permissible limits or whether changes have occurred that require inspection or correction. Every railway infrastructure manager, such as DB Netz AG, is obliged to carry out various measurement runs at defined intervals; these are performed both by the infrastructure managers' own measurement trains and by vehicles from private providers such as Eurailscout. The company's measurement trains are one-off builds, developed jointly with clients in railway administrations and with manufacturers of rail vehicles and measurement systems. A key design principle is to combine several measurement methods on a single train so that one measurement run can deliver as much varied data as possible. However, differing maximum inspection speeds and prescribed measurement intervals mean that not all existing measurement methods can be used simultaneously. The equipment of a measurement train must also integrate the very different European train protection and communication systems in order to be able to operate in as many countries as possible. Eurailscout's fleet includes the UST 96 ultrasonic inspection train (built 1997), the UFM 120 universal track measurement train (built 1998), the UFM 160 (entered service 2002), the UST 02 ultrasonic and eddy-current inspection train (built 2003–2005), the mP Jules (an electrically powered measurement train used exclusively in the Netherlands for ATB and GSM-R measurements), and the VST 05/VST 07 video observation vehicles for switches. In addition to the trains, Eurailscout uses a range of handheld measurement devices for locations where train-based measurement is not possible, such as switches and level crossings. Eurailscout's measurement trains operate not only in the Netherlands and Germany but also in Switzerland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. The company's customers are located in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and France, as well as in many other European countries. On its website, Eurailscout states that it inspects more than 50,000 kilometres of railway line per year, about 100,000 kilometres of rail per year, up to 200 switches in just six hours, overhead lines at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour, and track safety systems using ERTMS, GSM-R and ATB measurements. Eurailscout positions itself as a reliable partner for monitoring railway infrastructure, offering services including track geometry measurement, signalling inspection, overhead line checking, rail inspection (ultrasonic, eddy current and video), switch monitoring, and integral analysis that combines ultrasonic, ECT and video results. Its TrackExact platform is an intelligent information platform designed to turn complex data into clear, actionable maintenance insights. The company also emphasises corporate social responsibility, organising an annual Sustainability Week and considering personal safety and environmental issues in its measurement and inspection processes.

Eurailscout Inspection & Analysis b.v. is a Dutch-German joint venture in the railway technology sector, specialising in the condition assessment of railway lines. Its headquarters are in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, and it maintains a branch office in Berlin, Germany. The company's measurement trains operate not only in the Netherlands and Germany but also in Switzerland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. The company's fleet has been built up over several decades, with each measurement train developed jointly with clients in railway administrations and with manufacturers of rail vehicles and measurement systems. The oldest vehicle in the fleet is the mP Jules, an electrically powered measurement train used exclusively in the Netherlands. The "mP" stands for "Motorpost", a reminder of the vehicle's original purpose: in the 1960s, 35 electric multiple units were put into service in the Netherlands for transporting mail by rail. That service ended in 1997, and only a few vehicles remain in operation today; one of them was converted into the measurement train "Jules". It measures both the functionality of the Dutch ATB train protection system and the coverage of the European GSM-R railway radio system. The UST 96 is an ultrasonic inspection train developed in 1996 and built and put into service in 1997. With its 16 ultrasonic probes, it detects hidden rail defects down to millimetre size at speeds of up to 100 km/h. The vehicle has two air-sprung bogies, providing particularly high ride comfort. Its diesel-hydraulic drive makes the 24.5-metre-long measurement train capable of up to 140 km/h. The interior and exterior design of its two driver's cabs is unique among rail vehicles, making the UST 96 a one-off. A system for eddy-current measurement developed by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) has since been installed on this vehicle, enabling it to detect cracks on the inside of curves ("headchecks"). The UFM 120 was built in 1998; "UFM" stands for "Universal-Fahrwegmesszug" (universal track measurement train) and "120" for its maximum measurement and travel speed of 120 km/h. The vehicle inspects the entire track geometry, the contact wire position, detects the exact mast position and the rail profile, inspects the rail surface, finds corrugation and slip marks, and can document the track environment and signal visibility with video cameras. The UFM 120 was built by Plasser & Theurer and follows that manufacturer's typical design. The UFM 160 is a further development of the UFM 120 and was put into service in 2002. It has the same measurement systems as the UFM 120 but can perform all measurements at speeds of up to 160 km/h. The UFM 160 is a two-part diesel multiple unit with four bogies and a length of 47.7 metres. It was also built by Plasser & Theurer. Thanks to its reduced clearance profile, this vehicle can also be used in the United Kingdom and Italy. The UST 02 is the newest measurement train in Eurailscout's fleet. It was developed in 2002 and built from 2003 to 2005 by GBM Gleisbaumechanik in Kirchmöser, Brandenburg. Its front design is typical of that manufacturer's vehicles. The UST 02 inspects rails with ultrasound and eddy current, like the UST 96. The 41.5-metre-long two-part diesel multiple unit has a maximum speed of 120 km/h and can measure at speeds of up to 100 km/h. In addition to a large measurement room, it has a meeting room, a workshop, a kitchen, a toilet and several sleeping berths on board. The UST 02 is currently considered the world's most modern ultrasonic inspection train. For video observation of switches, a light auxiliary vehicle with a trailer was put into service in 2005. "VST" stands for "Videoschouwtrein" (video observation train). A series of high-resolution cameras records the track beneath the vehicle, and the video data are stored on a server in the driver's cab. The images are later evaluated in a room at the Eurailscout headquarters. In addition to the five measurement trains, Eurailscout has a range of handheld measurement devices used wherever measurement data cannot be obtained with the trains, for example in switch areas or at level crossings. These devices are transported by car, lifted out at the deployment site and placed on the track to be inspected. There are ultrasonic, eddy-current and track geometry handheld devices. On its website, Eurailscout states that it inspects more than 50,000 kilometres of railway line per year, about 100,000 kilometres of rail per year, up to 200 switches in just six hours, overhead lines at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour, and track safety systems using ERTMS, GSM-R and ATB measurements. The company's customers are located in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and France, as well as in many other European countries. Eurailscout emphasises corporate social responsibility, organising an annual Sustainability Week and considering personal safety and environmental issues in its measurement and inspection processes.

• 2005

  UST 02 completed; VST 05/VST 07 video observation vehicles put into service.

• 2003

  Construction of UST 02 begins at GBM Gleisbaumechanik.

• 2002

  UFM 160 put into service; UST 02 developed.

• 1998

  UFM 120 universal track measurement train built.

• 1997

  UST 96 built and put into service; Dutch Motorpost mail service ends, one vehicle later converted to mP Jules.

• 1996

  UST 96 ultrasonic inspection train developed.

Eurailscout positions itself as a reliable partner for monitoring railway infrastructure, providing clear and useful information on track condition to make necessary maintenance transparent and to help infrastructure managers ensure safety, availability and reliability of rail traffic.

• UST 96

  Ultrasonic inspection train developed in 1996, built 1997. 16 ultrasonic probes detect hidden rail defects down to millimetre size at up to 100 km/h. 24.5 m long, diesel-hydraulic, max 140 km/h. Equipped with BAM-developed eddy-current system for headcheck detection.

• UFM 120

  Universal track measurement train built 1998. Inspects track geometry, contact wire position, mast position, rail profile, rail surface, corrugation and slip marks; video documents track environment and signal visibility. Built by Plasser & Theurer, max 120 km/h.

• UFM 160

  Further development of UFM 120, entered service 2002. Same measurement systems but all measurements at up to 160 km/h. Two-part diesel multiple unit, four bogies, 47.7 m long, built by Plasser & Theurer. Reduced clearance profile allows use in UK and Italy.

• UST 02

  Newest measurement train, developed 2002, built 2003–2005 by GBM Gleisbaumechanik. Inspects rails with ultrasound and eddy current. 41.5 m two-part diesel multiple unit, max 120 km/h, measures at up to 100 km/h. Onboard: measurement room, meeting room, workshop, kitchen, toilet, sleeping berths. Considered world's most modern ultrasonic inspection train.

• mP Jules

  Oldest Eurailscout measurement train, electrically powered, used exclusively in the Netherlands. Measures ATB train protection functionality and GSM-R coverage. Converted from a 1960s Motorpost mail multiple unit.

• VST 05 / VST 07

  Light auxiliary vehicle with trailer put into service in 2005 for video observation of switches. High-resolution cameras record track beneath vehicle; data stored on server in driver's cab and evaluated at Eurailscout headquarters.

• TrackExact

  Intelligent information platform designed to turn complex data into clear, actionable maintenance insights. Covers track geometry, signalling, overhead line, rail and switches.

• Handheld measurement devices

  Ultrasonic, eddy-current and track geometry handheld devices used where train-based measurement is not possible, e.g. switches and level crossings.

1. 1Eurailscout – Spooranalyses en -metingeneurailscout.com
2. 2Services and products – Eurailscouteurailscout.com
3. 3Services and products – Eurailscout (English)eurailscout.com
4. 4About us – Eurailscouteurailscout.com
5. 5Eurailscout – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Eurailscout – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org