Norfolk Southern’s second Digital Train Inspection (DTI) Portal has been deployed this month in Jackson, Georgia, where roughly 19 trains pass through daily.
This is the first DTI portal in Georgia and the closest portal to Atlanta. These portals, developed in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), are part of what the railroad said is a larger effort to enhance safety across our 22-state network.
Each portal is equipped with state-of-the-art Machine Vision Inspection technology featuring a setup of 24-megapixel trackside cameras and powerful stadium lighting to capture ultra-high-resolution, 360-degree images of passing railcars. The synchronized cameras snap 1,000 images per rail car, even as trains speed through at up to 70 miles per hour, detecting defects at angles that are difficult to see during stationary inspections.
“Within our network, we move freight from one high-density location to another, multiple times a day,” John Fleps, Norfolk Southern vice president safety, said. “When deploying our DTI Portals, the goal is to carefully select locations that ensure the inspection of as many of our train cars as possible.”
The images captured by these portals are then analyzed by advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms developed by our Data Science/AI team. To date, approximately 40 algorithms have been deployed to detect defects with high accuracy and minimal false alarms. Identified issues are promptly flagged and reviewed by experts at our Network Operations Center, ensuring proactive maintenance and immediate handling of any critical defects.
