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Story URL: http://hardware.silicon.com/servers/0,39024647,39166985,00.htm

High-tech Tube train means smoother journeys
It's going Underground...

By Steve Ranger

Published: Thursday 03 May 2007

A new high-tech inspection train could mean a smoother ride for Tube passengers.

The Asset Inspection Train (AIT) will be able to run throughout the day on the London Underground to check tracks at high speeds.

The train is being introduced by Tube Lines, which is responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of the infrastructure on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

Tech on the Tube

silicon.com spent a night checking out gadgets on the London Underground - follow the link for the photo story.

It will use thermal cameras to monitor rail temperature, and digital cameras to provide images of the track that are fed back to computers on the train for the on-board technical experts to analyse.

The information from the train will help Tube Lines better understand the performance of the track and so improve its maintenance and renewal, it said.

With improved asset performance information, Tube Lines claims it can introduce better maintenance regimes to reduce wear on the wheels and rails and provide passengers with smoother, more reliable journeys.

The AIT - due to be in service from the spring - replaces the existing Track Recording Vehicle which London Underground introduced in 1987.