University’s AI project aims to revolutionise railway industry

The University of Derby has teamed up with a city rail firm to launch a project which aims to revolutionise the railway industry using artificial intelligence.

The three-year project with Sperry Rail will investigate the application of artificial intelligence to automatically detect cracks in railway tracks while also integrating new AI-based practices.

Funded by Innovate UK, the Knowledge Transfer Partnership, the project will combine the university’s expertise in AI with Sperry Rail’s extensive industry knowledge to address critical challenges in railway maintenance.

Dr Alaa AlZoubi, senior lecturer in computer science at the University of Derby, who is leading the project, said: “Sperry Rail are world-leaders in rail health solutions.

“Our partnership to develop advanced AI for railway surface inspections highlights our commitment to innovation and strong academic-industry collaboration.

“This project offers a unique opportunity to integrate novel AI technologies with a deep understanding of railway inspection needs, driving greater efficiency and intelligence in the industry.

“While existing inspection methods are effective, they often require significant time and labour resources.

“By integrating cutting-edge AI models with railway inspection protocols, this initiative will create automated systems capable of data analysis and predictive maintenance, reducing false detections, minimising service disruptions, and extending the lifespan of railway assets.

“It also provides a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and showcases the transformative potential of academia-industry collaboration in developing solutions that advance technology and its real-world applications.”

The Sperry Rail project follows a successful initiative between the University and Derby-based Bloc Digital in Deep Learning for Engineering Inspection (DL4EI), which aims to revolutionise the inspection process within the road and rail industries by providing real-time data on object conditions from photographs gathered on a mobile phone.

Bobby Gilbert, senior director of digital transformation at Sperry Rail, said: “I am excited to be working in partnership with the University of Derby.

“By combining our expertise in non-destructive testing for rail flaws with advanced AI developments and the knowledge available through the university, we are well-positioned to accelerate our efforts in improving rail flaw detection.”