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Rail Yard Security / Surveillance and Remote Operations Systems Project

A major U.S. railroad stores and transfers rail cars and builds train constructs in its large Midwest rail yard (exact location cannot be disclosed). Due to the significant size of the yard, operations are difficult to manage centrally, and cars are extremely vulnerable to vandalism and cargo theft due to overcrowding, limited visibility of trains and cargo containers, and overextended authorities. Theft and smuggling of high-value commercial and military cargo is the result. Additionally, an unprotected private road crossing at the south end of the yard required a switchman to ride the locomotive, ensuring a clear crossing prior to pushing the train across.

Duos’ solution - design and installation of a turn-key rvspro™ digital video surveillance system - robust, fully scalable live video with real-time, intelligent video capability now enables yard personnel to effectively protect cargo, monitor critical switch points for fouled track, and clear and push trains from the remote control switchman’s position 1900 ft. northwest of the unprotected private road crossing. This system is typical of Duos' approach to critical high risk rail yard security, monitoring, and operations.

Using an IP-based architecture as a foundation, an intelligent Duos video surveillance system employs a network of fixed and PTZ digital video cameras connected to Duos' proprietary rvspro™ video servers. Each rvspro™ includes the rule-based Praesidium® intelligent vision suite to automatically deploy audio and visual alarms, process live video feed and create a video digital archive. Users can simultaneously view and control cameras positioned throughout the yard by means of a customized, intuitive Graphic User Interface (GUI) allowing simultaneous viewing of live video, operation of PTZ cameras, and monitoring of the entire security system by operators located variously within the organization. The screen graphic shows intrusion points and fouled track locations, and yard masters can acknowledge alarms and respond to the fouled track according to operational protocol.

The system greatly enhances yard operations and control and minimizes the capacity for criminal activity. Railroad police, local law enforcement and other first-responders are thus able to counter criminal activity in a timely manner.