SignalEye
Automated signal aspect verification and switch position confirmation with PTC integration for fault reporting.
SignalEye is camera-based verification of signal aspects and switch positions: wayside cameras watch each signal and switch around the clock, an edge model reads what they show, and any disagreement with what dispatch expects becomes an alert with the picture attached.
Who is this for?
Signal and communications departments at commuter, transit, short line and regional railroads running fixed-block signalled territory, and Class I teams that want a visual layer on PTC-equipped territory. It mounts beside the signal with no connection to the signal circuits; it is a monitoring system, not a safety-critical one.
What problem does it solve?
Between mandated test intervals a signal can dim, a lens can foul and a switch point can drift, and the first person to know is the engineer who reads it wrong. Electrical diagnostics confirm what the circuit did; they cannot show what the lamp was actually displaying.
When something does happen the investigation runs on logs and memory. A false-proceed inquiry, a point detector question or a PTC event takes days of reconstruction that a timestamped image would have settled in minutes.
How does it work?
One camera per signal mast or switch, in an IP67 housing with optional infrared for night, mounted on existing infrastructure or a dedicated pole with line of sight. An edge unit classifies the aspect (stop, approach, proceed, flashing aspects with temporal analysis, dark signal) and the switch position (normal or reverse, points alignment, lock status) in real time, for colour light, searchlight and position light signals.
Detected states are compared with the expected state from dispatch or the interlocking. Mismatches, degraded lamps and position variances trigger notifications with the image; brightness and clarity are trended over time, so a dimming bulb or a fouling lens raises a maintenance alert before the lamp fails. Every detection is logged with timestamp and GPS for FRA Part 236 documentation and pattern analysis.
Switch position classification runs at 94 to 98 percent under standard conditions, and every reading carries a confidence score; low-confidence readings in heavy precipitation or fog are flagged for a person rather than trusted. Nothing here replaces inspections under 49 CFR 236.7 or the detection circuits, and the product says so on its own page.
Capabilities
- Signal aspect verification from wayside cameras (red/yellow/green confirmation)
- Switch position confirmation with anomaly alerts (points alignment, lock status)
- PTC integration for automated fault reporting to dispatch and signal maintainers
- Trend analysis for signal degradation patterns (bulb failures, lens fouling)
- Alert escalation rules by signal criticality and location (interlockings, grade crossings)
Outcomes
- Signal Lamp Degradation ↑ 50–70% earlier detection vs. monthly walking inspection baseline
- Switch Maintenance Alerts ↑ 40–60% proactive identification of developing position issues
- Fault Documentation Time ↓ 60–75% reduction for investigation and reporting
What does it connect to?
- PTC: correlation with Wabtec I-ETMS wayside interface unit status and Alstom ACSES diagnostics, with monitoring data export for fault analysis
- Dispatch systems for real-time alerting and acknowledgement workflows
- Signal-system agnostic: GE, US&S, Safetran and others, with no modification to signal equipment
- Connectivity: wired Ethernet, cellular or the railroad's own network; only alerts and compressed clips leave the edge unit
How is it deployed, and how long does it take?
Start with a handful of high-priority locations and scale to a territory, since each camera is independent and the installation needs no signal system downtime and introduces no new failure mode to safety-critical equipment. Models are trained on your signal configurations with the S&C department during implementation.
Detection accuracy drops in heavy rain and fog. The confidence score is there so that a bad reading becomes a review item, not a false alarm, and we would rather you know that before the first storm.
Deployment in 60 to 90 days. Signal lamp degradation is caught 50 to 70 percent earlier than a monthly walking inspection, developing switch issues 40 to 60 percent more often before failure, and fault documentation time falls 60 to 75 percent.
Industry context
Explore the related workflows and other solutions for your industry.