e-ISSN: 2582-5208

International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science

( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:05/May-2023 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
INTELLIGENT RAILWAY TRACK CRACK AND OBSTACLE
DETECTION USING IOT
Bhoomika BN*1, Harsha V*2, Sneha S*3, Tejaswini CS*4, Mallamma CG*5
*1,2,3,4Eight Semester Dept. Of CSE, Sambhram Institute Of Technology, Bengaluru India.
*5Assoc. Professor Dept. Of CSE, Sambhram Institute Of Technology, Bengaluru India.
ABSTRACT
In India railway is one of the most common means of transport, which is the fourth largest railway community
in the world. Regular rail-way track health inspection is an essential part of a robust and secure train operation.
Delayed investigations and problem discoveries pose a serious risk to the safe functioning of rail
transportation. This paper proposes an intelligent railway track crack and obstacle detection system using the
Internet of Things (IoT). The system is designed to detect cracks and obstacles on railway tracks and alert the
railway authorities in real- time, thus ensuring safe and uninterrupted train operations. The proposed system
uses IoT sensors installed on the railway tracks to monitor the condition of the tracks and detect any anomalies.
ESP32 Microcontrollers used to control and coordinate the activities of this device. The system also utilizes a
wireless communication network to transmit the sensor data to a central server, where it is processed and
analyzed. In previously existing system, the work is to be done manually, but the proposed system has a model
which will run automatically on the track and sensors will detect the crack or obstacle accurately. This system
has GPS module which will give the real time location or coordinates in the form of notification through
Telegram application to the nearest railway authorities. The data will be stored in cloud (Thing speak) and the
result will be represented in the form of graph.
Keywords: ESP32, GPS Module, Thing Speak, Telegram, Arduino IDE.
I. INTRODUCTION
Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, and it is a vital mode of transportation for
millions of people in India. but at the same time railway tracks of our country are very prone. That’s why, a vast
number of accidents are occurred every year. Intelligent railway track crack and obstacle detection using IoT is
a cutting-edge technology that enables the detection of track cracks, obstacles, and other irregularities on
railway tracks in real-time. This technology holds the power of IoT devices such as sensors that monitor the
railway tracks continuously and gather data about their condition. The data collected by these devices is then
transmitted to a central processing unit for analysis, and the results are used to detect any abnormalities on the
railway tracks. The use of IoT in railway track monitoring has numerous benefits, including improved safety,
reduced maintenance costs, and enhanced efficiency. With real-time data, railway operators can quickly
identify and address issues before they cause accidents or major disruptions to train schedules. Moreover, IoT-
enabled monitoring systems provide a cost-effective way to monitor the entire railway network, even in remote
areas, reducing the need for human intervention and the associated costs.
II. LITERATURE SURVEY
"A wireless sensor network-based system for real-time railway track monitoring," by Zhang et al. (2017), a
wireless sensor network system was proposed for monitoring railway tracks in real-time. The system included
sensors for measuring temperature, vibration, and deformation, which were used to detect cracks and other
anomalies on the tracks.
"Crack detection on railway tracks using machine vision," by Zhang et al. (2018), a machine vision-based
approach was proposed for detecting cracks on railway tracks. The system used a camera to capture images of
the tracks, which were then analysed using image processing techniques to detect cracks.
"Intelligent railway track crack detection system using IoT," by Kim et al. (2019), an IoT-based system was
proposed for detecting cracks on railway tracks. The system used sensors to measure the vibrations of the
tracks, and the data was analysed using machine learning algorithms to detect cracks.

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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:05/May-2023 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
"Obstacle detection on railway tracks using machine vision and IoT," by Liu et al. (2018), a system was
proposed for detecting obstacles on railway tracks. The system used cameras and IoT sensors to detect and
track objects on the tracks, and the data was analysed using machine learning algorithms to identify obstacles.
"Crack detection on railway tracks using acoustic emission and IoT," by Li et al. (2020), an IoT-based system
was proposed for detecting cracks on railway tracks. The system used acoustic emission sensors to detect
crack-induced acoustic signals, which were analysed using machine learning algorithms to detect cracks.
III. METHODOLOGY
Railway is one of the most significant transport modes of our country. However, the railway tracks in our
country are very vulnerable, and as a result, a large number of accidents occur every year, leading to the loss of
many lives. These incidents have motivated us to take necessary steps to protect people's lives. Currently, there
is no technology available that can detect cracks on the tracks, so we are exploring ways to do so. In addition,
natural disasters can throw objects on the railway track, which may not be quickly removed, especially in
remote areas. Therefore, we propose developing a system that can detect obstacles or barriers and alert the
control room so that they can take appropriate steps to avoid accidents.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The Transportation of train depends on railway tracks (rails) only. If there's a crack or obstacle in these rails, it
creates a significant problem. Most of the accidents within the train are caused due to major cracks or obstacle
within the railway tracks, that can't be simply known. It takes longer to rectify this downside. So as to avoid this
downside, we have a tendency to be using the Ultrasonic sensors that detects the crack or obstacle within the
rails.
IV. BLOCK DIAGRAM

Fig 1. Block Diagram of Proposed System

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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:05/May-2023 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
FLOWCHART

Fig 2. Flow Diagram of the Proposed System

ALGORITHM
STEP 1: Start
STEP 2: Activate Ultrasonic Sensor
STEP 3: If Crack or Obstacle detected
3.1: Display track has an defect
3.2: Send notification with location to the telegram Application and stored in Thingspeak cloud.
3.3: Go to step 5.
STEP 4: If Crack or Obstacle not detected
4.1: Move vehicle forward.
STEP 5: Stop
V. WORKING
The block diagram contains microcontroller (ESP32), ultrasonic sensor, motor driver, motor, GPS module.
Initially the system will move on the track using motor, motor is given power through a motor driver and
commanded through ESP32 controller. Whenever there is crack or obstacle detected, the motor will stop and
the system will halt on the track. The crack or obstacle is detected using ultrasonic sensor. After the crack or
obstacle is detected the location data is to be sent to control room as a notification using Telegram Application.
GPS modules are used to get precise location of the model. This location is fed to controller. After successful
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[5608]
 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:05/May-2023 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
delivery of message to control room, controller provides a signal to motor driver initiating the motor and hence
model starts to move on the track. This process continues till the operator turns the system off. The data is
stored in cloud (Thing speak) and result is shown in the graph format.
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

Fig 3. Circuit Diagram of Proposed System

VI. COMPONENTS
1. ESP32 Controller

Fig 4. ESP32 Controller

ESP32 is a open source, series of low-cost, low power system a chip microcontroller with integrated wi-fi and
dual mode Bluetooth.ESP32 has 34 GPIO pins each pin can be used as General purpose input, output or
connected to an internal peripheral signals.
2. Ultra sonic

Fig 5. UltraSonic
An ultrasonic sensor is an instrument that measures the distance to an object using ultrasonic sound waves.
This sensor is used to find the crack or obstacle on the track.
3. Motor Driver
The L298N is a dual H-Bridge motor driver this allows speed and direction control of two DC motors at the

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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:05/May-2023 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
same time. Motor L298N driver contains an IC. The module can drive DC motors that have voltages among 5
and 35V, with a peak current capable of 2A.

Fig 6. Motor Driver

4. GPS Module

Fig 7. GPS Module

A satellite navigation system used to position the ground place of an object. The figure shows a GPS modem. A
GPS receiver calculates the position by timing the signals send by the GPS satellites high above the earth. The
position is then displayed through moving map display or latitude and longitude.
5. LCD

Fig 8. LCD
4-bit data interface for compatibility with ARM boards
 LCD_E, LCD_RS, LCD_RW
 2 line x 16 character Display
 Each character location consist of 5 dot x 8 bit display.
ARDUINO IDE SOFTWARE
An official software introduced by Arduino.cc, that is mainly used for writing, compiling and uploading the code
in almost all Arduino modules/boards. Arduino IDE is open-source software and is easily available to download
& install. Arduino IDE is an open-source software, designed by Arduino.cc and mainly used for writing,
compiling & uploading code to almost all Arduino Modules.
It is an official Arduino software, making code compilation too easy that even a common person with no prior
technical knowledge can get their feet wet with the learning process.
It is available for all operating systems i.e., MAC, Windows, Linux and runs on the Java Platform that comes with
inbuilt functions and commands that play a vital role in debugging, editing and compiling the code.
A range of Arduino modules available including Arduino Uno, Arduino Mega, Arduino Leonardo, Arduino Micro
and many more.

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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:05/May-2023 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
VII. RESULT AND DISSCUSION
1. Telegram

Fig 9. Crack and Obstacle detection notification in Telegram

As the model detects a crack or obstacle on the track it notifies the Incharge Department by sending an alert
message with live location to the telegram application.
2. ThingSpeak
ThingSpeak is an IoT analytics platform service that allows you to aggregate, visualize, and analyse live data
streams in the cloud. this platform will store the result data and represent it in the form of a graph.

Fig 10. Crack and Obstacle detection stored in cloud.

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[5611]
 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:05/May-2023 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
VIII. FUTURE SCOPE
 Early detection of defects: By using IoT-based sensors to monitor railway tracks, it becomes possible to
detect defects such as cracks or obstacles early on, even before they become serious problems. This can help
prevent derailments, accidents, and other dangeroussituations.
 Real-time monitoring: IoT-based sensors can provide real-time monitoring of railway tracks, allowing
operators to quickly identify and address any issues that arise. This can help reduce downtime and increase the
overall efficiency of the railway system.
 Predictive maintenance: By analyzing data collected from IoT sensors, it becomes possible to predict when
maintenance will be required and take preventative measures before problems arise. This can help reduce
costs and
 Automation: The use of IoT sensors can enable automation of certain tasks, such as inspecting railway
tracks or switching tracks. This can reduce the need for human intervention and improve overall safety
 Integration with other systems: IoT-based railway track monitoring systems can be integrated with other
systems, such as traffic control systems, to provide a more comprehensive view of the railway system as a
whole.
IX. CONCLUSION
As per the study the existing systems are time consuming as well as uneconomical. Our system not only
overcome these problems but also improve accuracy and crack or obstacle detection in rails. It is the most
economical solution provided in order to achieve good results of railways of our country in order to minimize
the stats of accidents caused. There by possible to save precious lives of passengers and loss of economy. It also
saves the time and money for identification of crack or obstacle.
X. REFERENCES
[1] A Review of IoT-based Rail Track Crack DetectionTechniques:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/908 7086.
[2] Real-Time Detection of Obstacles on Railway Tracksusing IoT:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/
[3] Smart Railway Track Crack Detection System usingIoT:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/824 2666
[4] Design and Implementation of Railway Track CrackDetection System using IoT:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/
[5] IoT-based Railway Track Obstacle Detection Systemusing Ultrasonic Sensor:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/879 9103
[6] Railway Track Crack Detection using IoT andMachine Learning:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/908 7408

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