MOMIT · Project

Satellite and Drone Monitoring to Predict Railway Infrastructure Failures Before They Happen

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Imagine you run thousands of kilometers of railway track and you need to spot cracks, ground shifts, or flooding risks before a train derails. Right now, teams walk the tracks or drive inspection vehicles — slow, expensive, and easy to miss things. MOMIT combined satellite imagery with drone sensors to scan entire rail networks from above, automatically flagging problems like ground movement, vegetation overgrowth, or damage to overhead power lines. Think of it as a health check-up for railways, but from space and air instead of on foot.

By the numbers

real-world application cases validated in operational environments

EUR 599,172

EU research investment in the monitoring system

consortium partners across 3 countries

67%

industry partners in the consortium

project deliverables produced

RPAS platform prototype built and tested

The business problem

What needed solving

Railway operators spend heavily on manual track inspections — sending teams on foot or in inspection vehicles across thousands of kilometers. Problems like ground subsidence, flooding, vegetation overgrowth, and structural degradation are often caught too late, leading to emergency repairs, service disruptions, and safety incidents. There is no cost-effective way to continuously monitor entire rail networks and prioritize maintenance before failures occur.

The solution

What was built

The project built an RPAS (drone) platform prototype with integrated sensors and data transmission systems, plus advanced satellite data processing chains combining SAR interferometry with optical imagery. These feed into automated workflows covering 6 specific railway threats: ground movements, hydraulic risks, natural hazards, electrical system faults, civil structure damage, and security anomalies.

Audience

Who needs this

National railway infrastructure managers (e.g., RFI, ADIF, SNCF Réseau)Rail maintenance contractors and inspection service providersEarth observation and geospatial analytics companies expanding into infrastructureCivil engineering firms specializing in bridge and tunnel inspectionInsurance companies underwriting railway infrastructure risk

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Rail infrastructure management

enterprise

Target: Railway infrastructure operators and maintenance companies

If you are a rail infrastructure manager spending millions on manual track inspections — this project developed a combined satellite-and-drone monitoring system validated across 6 real-world application cases that detects ground movements, flooding risks, vegetation encroachment, electrical faults, and structural damage. The multi-scale approach lets you scan long corridors by satellite first, then deploy drones only where problems are flagged, cutting inspection costs and catching threats earlier.

Geospatial services

mid-size

Target: Earth observation and remote sensing companies

If you are a geospatial services provider looking to expand into infrastructure monitoring — MOMIT built advanced post-processing chains and data fusion methods combining SAR interferometry with optical satellite and RPAS sensor data. The 6-partner consortium led by E-GEOS (a satellite data specialist) produced 13 deliverables including an operational RPAS platform prototype with integrated payload and data transmission systems. This is a ready technology stack you could license or adapt for new infrastructure verticals.

Civil engineering inspection

any

Target: Structural inspection and civil engineering firms

If you are an engineering firm that inspects bridges, tunnels, and rail structures — this project developed drone-based inspection workflows combining RPAS sensors with satellite-derived ground movement data to identify structural risks. The system was designed for real operational environments and includes automated indicators that flag criticalities, reducing the need for costly manual inspections on hard-to-access structures like viaducts and embankments.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this monitoring system?

The project operated on a EUR 599,172 EU budget across 6 partners over 2 years. Operational costs would depend on satellite data subscriptions (commercial SAR imagery) and RPAS deployment frequency. Based on available project data, the system is designed to optimize maintenance resources by targeting drone inspections only where satellite scans flag issues, which should reduce overall inspection spending.

Can this scale to monitor an entire national rail network?

Yes, that is exactly the multi-scale design. Satellite monitoring covers long corridor sections at national or regional scale, then triggers detailed RPAS inspections at specific problem spots. The 6 application cases — ground movement, hydraulic risk, natural hazards, electrical systems, civil structures, and safety — were validated in real operational environments. Scaling depends on satellite data coverage and drone fleet capacity.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license the technology?

The project was led by E-GEOS SPA (Italy), a commercial satellite data and geoinformation company, with 4 industry partners out of 6 total. IP would be distributed among consortium members under Shift2Rail rules. Contact the coordinator for licensing terms on specific components like the RPAS platform prototype or the post-processing algorithms.

Does this meet railway safety regulations?

The system was developed under the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking, the EU's dedicated rail research program, ensuring alignment with European railway standards. The 6 application cases were validated in real operational environments. Based on available project data, the tools are designed to support — not replace — existing maintenance decision-making processes.

How long does it take to get from data collection to actionable alerts?

The system uses automated post-processing chains and data fusion to generate indicators from satellite and drone data. Based on the project objectives, the workflow moves from broad satellite scanning to targeted RPAS deployment to preventive action planning. Specific turnaround times depend on satellite revisit schedules and RPAS deployment logistics.

Can this integrate with our existing rail asset management systems?

MOMIT was specifically designed to support intelligent asset management by producing new indicators and operational workflows. The system outputs analysis results and alerts that can feed into maintenance planning tools. With 4 industry partners in the consortium including the satellite specialist E-GEOS, the outputs were designed with operational integration in mind.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strongly industry-oriented consortium with 4 out of 6 partners (67%) from the private sector, led by E-GEOS SPA — an Italian company specializing in satellite data and geoinformation services. The consortium spans 3 countries (Italy, Spain, France) and includes 2 SMEs alongside 1 university and 1 research organization. The Shift2Rail funding means this was backed by the EU's dedicated railway innovation program, not a generic research call. For a business buyer, this means the technology was developed by companies that understand commercial deployment, not just academics publishing papers. E-GEOS as coordinator brings direct access to satellite data infrastructure and commercial distribution channels.

E-GEOS SPACoordinator · IT
UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTEparticipant · ES
RETE FERROVIARIA ITALIANAparticipant · IT
CENTRE TECNOLOGIC DE TELECOMUNICACIONS DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
TERABEEparticipant · FR
NEAT SRLparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

E-GEOS SPA is an Italian geospatial company — contact their business development or innovation team for licensing and partnership discussions.

Order a report on this consortium See E-GEOS SPA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want a direct introduction to the MOMIT team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right person at E-GEOS and help you evaluate fit for your rail network. Contact us for a matchmaking consultation.

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