Trespasser Detection Systems on Railroad Rights-of-Way
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center, under the direction of DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research, Development, and Technology, conducted a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of trespass detection technology on rail property linked to and controlled by a local police department. The system was operated for several years, while different communications and sensor technologies were tested for their abilities to overcome shortcomings. Researchers found that wireless broadband service in this area was insufficient in providing uninterrupted high-resolution video from multiple cameras, and while TV white space transceivers had adequate bandwidth, their short transmission range limited their usefulness. Providing live video directly to the local police department resulted in quick response to trespassing events; however, dispatchers were particularly unhappy with false alarms.