High-speed eddy current testing in ensuring rail integrity: an inspection-based study

Abstract A new directional Eddy Current Probe has been developed and previously tested statically on typical rail damage types. To better understand its damage detection capability, knowledge of its performance while being moved along a track section was required as well as application to a wider range of potential rail flaws. High-speed stud inspections were conducted using damaged rail extracted from the field at velocities up to 2 m s −1 to evaluate the probe’s reliability for potential deployment on a hand-pushed trolley. The inspection of rail studs at 2 m s −1 achieved an signal-to-noise ratio of 3.5, exceeding the industry-accepted threshold of 3.0. This result confirms the system’s robust defect detection performance under dynamic operating conditions. The current field-representative set-up maintained reliable defect detectability across all tested speeds. These findings underscore the probe’s operational resilience and validate its applicability for real- world rail maintenance scenarios where mechanical constraints and environmental variability are unavoidable.