Deutsche InfraSoft digitizes 4,000km of German rail corridor

Germany's rail infrastructure has taken a significant step toward data-driven maintenance, with Deutsche InfraSoft completing a large-scale mobile mapping project covering 4,000km of track corridor across the country. The initiative, carried out using JAWESO's Panora Pro PL and Planar mapping systems, establishes a comprehensive digital foundation for inspection, documentation and maintenance planning within the Deutsche Bahn environment.

The scale and pace of the project were demanding. Operating daily in the field, recording teams captured 200-300km of track per day at speeds of up to 80km/h. The systems ran continuously through challenging conditions, including freezing temperatures, snow and heavy rain, without interruption. Consistent uptime was a prerequisite for keeping a project of this scope on schedule.

Resolution as a critical factor

At the heart of the data capture is image resolution. The JAWESO Panora Pro PL produces georeferenced 360° panoramas at 200MP, a specification that proves critical in a rail context. At this level of detail, smaller components and surface conditions that would be lost in standard imagery remain clearly visible and can be reviewed remotely, reducing costly return visits to site and making office-based analysis significantly more efficient.

Alongside the panoramic imagery, trajectory and point cloud data were recorded simultaneously. Real-time sensor fusion combining GNSS/IMU correction data with Lidar delivered a high-quality positional baseline in the field. In post-processing, JAWESO's DoubleSLAM algorithm further refined the trajectory and point cloud, particularly in tunnels and areas with weak satellite coverage. These are precisely the sections that most often determine whether a rail dataset is fit for operational use.

Automated AI-based anomaly detection

For inventory work closer to the track bed, Deutsche InfraSoft deployed the complementary JAWESO Planar system. Switches, ETCS components and other trackside equipment were captured in high-resolution detail, producing imagery suitable not only for manual inspection but also as input data for automated AI-based anomaly detection.

Beyond the quality of the data itself, the operational approach offered practical advantages. Recording at line speed meant that no personnel were needed on the track during measurement, and the recording vehicle could integrate into normal traffic flows without triggering extended closures. The result was a meaningful reduction in both operational disruption and safety risk – two factors that carry considerable weight in a busy national rail network.

The project illustrates how high-resolution corridor mapping can move from a specialist survey tool to a routine part of infrastructure management: captured efficiently, processed reliably, and made available in a form that supports the people responsible for keeping the network running.