- KRRI Demonstrates the “Rail-Rops” Automated Rail Inspection System in Bangkok, Thailand -

BANGKOK, Thailand – May 11 – The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) (President: Sagong Myung) exhibited “RAILOBSE,” an automated rail wear inspection system for railway track maintenance automation, at the Asia Pacific Rail 2026 exhibition held in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 6–7, and conducted a field demonstration on the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) track operated by Siemens Mobility.

“RAILOBSE” is an automated mobile measurement system that automatically monitors rail wear conditions while moving along railway tracks and detects surface defects using AI-based technology.

The RAILOBSE system automates inspections that were previously conducted manually by workers directly on the track, enhancing the efficiency of routine track inspections and contributing to accident prevention.

The demonstration was attended by KRRI, Siemens Mobility, LOBSE Co., Ltd., and track maintenance experts.

Asia Pacific Rail 2026, held at BITEC (Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre) in Bangkok, Thailand, is Asia’s largest railway industry exhibition. KRRI participated in the exhibition to showcase its technologies to railway industry stakeholders across Asia and to promote global market expansion, digitalization, automation, and operational efficiency in the railway sector.

Through the exhibition, KRRI recently received a letter of intent for technology purchase from Siemens Mobility, which operates Bangkok’s urban railway system, and completed a field demonstration for key Siemens Mobility officials on the BTS urban railway line in Thailand. Commercialization is currently underway.

“Rail wear and defect management,” performed by “RAILOBSE,” is an essential maintenance management task for railway operators. This field demonstration was conducted to reflect diverse opinions from overseas operational sites. If overseas railway operators decide to adopt the system in the future, KRRI plans to establish customized systems reflecting local requirements.

This technology was developed as a major project of KRRI under the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST) (Chairman: Kim Young-sik), and KRRI completed technology transfer to LOBSE Co., Ltd. this year. Commercialization is currently being pursued for domestic and overseas demand organizations, including Siemens Mobility.
※ Relevant Research Project
Project title: International Joint Research on AI-Based Wheel-Rail Wear Management and Low-Noise Technology Development
Research period: January 1, 2025 ~ December 31, 2027
Research organization (project lead): The Korea Railroad Research Institute (Jung Woo-tae, principal researcher)

Jung Woo-tae, principal researcher at KRRI and project lead of the project, stated, “RAILOBSE is an automated system based on a compact mobile platform that replaces manual routine inspections previously carried out by on-site track workers,” adding, “We plan to continue research by linking it with track inspection history management systems and AI-based detection technologies.”

President Sagong Myung of KRRI said, “RAILOBSE is a representative research achievement for the global expansion of accident prevention technologies through improved maintenance efficiency of railway rails,” adding, “We will continue to devote our efforts to the global expansion of railway maintenance, safety, and prevention technologies.”
※Reference: RAILOBSE Configuration and Field Demonstration Photos





Press Contacts
Sunghyun Baek
Korea Railroad Research Institute
baeksh@krri.re.kr
+82 31 460 5162