LiDAR Grade Crossing Data Collection and Storage Services for High Profile Grade Crossings
This report summarizes work performed to improve identification of high-profile grade crossings throughout the nation’s railway network. In May 2019 two rail survey vehicles operated under the FRA Office of Safety’s Automated Track Inspection Program were equipped with LiDAR 3D scanner arrays that automatically measure the profile of grade crossings. Following a year and a half of data collection, FRA identified several types of crossings that did not reliably record accurate measurements. FRA contracted with a research team from ENSCO, Inc. to update the data processing algorithms used to analyze this data. The work performed under this task focused on refinements to the data processing algorithms used to extract measurements from the point clouds, particularly under challenging circumstances such as grade crossings with acute roadway angles, intersections with complex roadway layouts, and crossings surrounded by heavy vegetation.