Jack Loughran Wed 19 Nov 2025
Collected at: https://eandt.theiet.org/2025/11/19/train-thermal-camera-tech-aims-detect-rail-faults-long-they-disrupt-services
A thermal imaging camera attached to the front of a South Western Railway (SWR) train is helping detect faults on the line before they start causing major delays.
The year-long trial also sees a camera fitted underneath the ‘Hotshot’ train to monitor the shoe gear and third rail that provide power for the train.
The images captured will provide engineers with real-time alerts of potential issues such as overheating or faulty connections, improving safety and efficiency, reducing maintenance costs and helping to better manage resources during incidents.
On average, the faults that the train will help detect can otherwise cause around 200 minutes of delays. In more severe cases, faults related to conductor rails have led to delays exceeding 2,000 minutes.
As class 450 trains serve routes between central London and Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Dorset, the trial is the first time such round-the-clock monitoring has been deployed on the vast majority of the SWR network.
SWR
An earlier, more limited trial saw a fault in the Ashtead area of Surrey rectified within 48 hours with no impact on customer journeys. A previous similar incident had caused 2,500 minutes’ worth of delays.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “This government is fundamentally reforming how our railways are run – creating a network that works better for the people and freight using it.
“The cutting-edge technology that the integrated SWR is trialling is key to achieving this and will serve as an example of the kinds of smart investments publicly owned rail companies can implement to improve services for passengers.
“Upgrades like this will prevent disruption and reduce delays – supporting growth, jobs and homes as part of the government’s plan to deliver an efficient and reliable railway.”
Should the trial prove successful, the technology could be installed on other trains in the SWR fleet, increasing the coverage on the network even further.
In May, SWR became the first operator to be nationalised by the government as part of its long-term strategy to create the publicly owned body Great British Railways.
Cancellations increased by an average of 50% in the first three months of the Department for Transport’s ownership. However, most of the decline in performance was attributed to the nationalisation’s timing, which coincided with existing issues like ageing infrastructure, labour shortages and extreme weather.
Leave a Reply