Track Geometry Measurement System Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component, By Railway Type (Heavy Haul, High-Speed, Light, Mass Transit), By Operation, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global track geometry measurement system market was valued at USD 3.18 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% from 2022 to 2030. The existence of several standards and regulations in the railway sector and the need for a track geometry measurement system (TGMS) to meet those standards is anticipated to propel the market growth. Track geometry measurement is an important method in the rail industry for maintenance planning and assessing the safety of tracks.

Analyzing and measuring track geometry regularly prevents derailments that might result in catastrophic damage. The growing need for safety and security in railway transportation and the increase in railway networks and metro lines are key factors propelling the industry's growth. Numerous mishaps and accidents involving trains have increased concerns across the globe and are encouraging governments to digitize the mode of transport to ensure a safer journey. In addition, the increasing demand for smart technologies to sustain the operational efficiency of tracks is further boosting industry growth.

Vibrations and the effect of high-speed trains affect track geometry on a huge scale. Besides serious wear and tear of the gauge, the cross-level and alignment are affected. Thus, the force on predictive track maintenance is increasing. Thus, checks must be done at a higher frequency, with more rapid and precise measurements than ever which is generating the need for the adoption of track geometry measurement systems. In November 2020, Nextsense, a railway industry, part of Hexagon AB group, developed the CALIPRI Track Geometry Gauge, an add-on to their portable measurement system.

In October 2022, TCDD (The Republic of Turkey State Railways) signed an agreement with Tesmec S.p.A. (a company in electronic devices, stringing and railway equipment, rock trenching, and surface miners for smart grid management) to supply a creative diagnostic tool incorporated with measuring devices to inspect the railway network. This contract contains the design and construction of the diagnostic tool and onboard diagnostic systems, the training of local operators, and the inspection of diagnostic systems.

OCPD002, the diagnostic tools model, is designed according to the latest European Standard EN14033 and is equipped with Diagnostic Measurement Systems used for diagnosis and maintenance on the National Railway Network. It consists of a mainframe, bogies, and a superstructure personalized to the customer's requirement (diagnostic area, cabins, kitchen area, meeting room). The vehicle is equipped with the following Diagnostic devices: Redundant Catenary Geometry and Wear, Redundant Track Geometry System, and Diagnostic System for Keys.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 outbreak has negatively affected the TGMS industry. Rising coronavirus cases across the globe resulted in stringent social distancing and lockdown norms across the globe, which led to supply chain disruption, thus affecting product demand. The COVID-19 crisis affected industries worldwide, and the global economy took the worst hit in 2020 and likely in 2021. The outbreak has created significant disruptions in primary industries such as logistics, retail, and e-commerce. The sharp decline in the transportation business industry has negatively impacted the growth of the global TGMS market.

Fugro's, a multinational company in Netherlands, business operations were hampered by quarantine requirements, travel restrictions, and lockdown measures, leading to operational complexities for cross-border projects and staffing and project delays.

Balfour Beatty, an international infrastructure company in the U.K., businesses were impacted by COVID-19, although this varied according to the geographic and operational footprint. For the entire year, U.K. Construction recorded an underlying loss as lengthening site programs, additional operating costs, lower productivity, and site closures triggered a reassessment of the Group’s contract-end forecast positions.

Component Insights

The hardware segment held the largest revenue share of around 52% in 2021 and is expected to witness a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period. The hardware components of TGMS include lighting equipment, navigation equipment, communication equipment, data storage equipment, power supply equipment, camera, sensors, and others. Increasing demand for rugged components that can sustain in harsh environments is expected to bolster the hardware segment’s growth.

The services segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.2% throughout the forecast period. All received data is processed in real-time, recorded, and preserved for further planning and analysis of works on the track's routine repair and maintenance. Increasing demand for managed services by railway operators to monitor and inspect the health of the tracks is anticipated to fuel the growth of the services segment. The system's software makes it viable to compare information on the actual condition of the rails with data from the database of the tracks, perform an automatic comparison, and generate reports and recommendations for managing and operating units of the railways.

TGMS ensures rail safety by engaging various measuring tools to record railway track geometry requirements. The system combines software and hardware components that derive track geometry parameters. It recognizes track geometry anomalies and records the trace data. Maintenance and construction decisions are taken by viewing and analyzing the recorded data. Accurate and reliable track geometry data is required for cost-effective construction, maintenance, and operational safety. With the help of various software, railway companies/operators can measure track geometry quickly and precisely and later view and analyze it to find any faults.

Railway Type Insights

The mass transit railways segment held the largest revenue share of 32.2% in 2021. Rising demand for accurate measurements of track geometry parameters and detecting deviations from the desired track geometry is boosting the growth of mass transit railways. TGMS can be used for new railway construction projects and the maintenance of existing railways.

The heavy haul railways segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.6% throughout the forecast period. Increasing demand for measuring and improving track quality to save restoration time and cost of railway maintenance is propelling the growth of heavy haul railways. Heavy haul railways or freight railways use TGMS to monitor the geometry of tracks and detect potential problems such as cross-level issues, gauge widening, and rail seat wear. The progress of maintenance tasks on the railway network can also be monitored using TGMS. This information can be shared with other parties to enhance coordination and decision-making throughout the railway network.

Operation Insights

The contact segment is expected to dominate in 2021, gaining a revenue share of 56.3%. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 4% throughout the forecast period. Contact Based TGMS is a system that uses sensors to detect the geometry of a railway track and provide data for analysis and maintenance purposes. The system can be used on any railway track, from high-speed railways to light railways, and can be installed on new or existing tracks. Contact-based systems are more accurate than non-contact systems.

The contactless segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.1% throughout the forecast period. A non-contact-based TGMS is a system that can be used to measure the geometry of a railway track without physically touching it. This is done by using sensors that are mounted on a vehicle that runs along the track. The data from the sensors is then processed to create a three-dimensional model of the track. The main advantage of using a non-contact-based TGMS is that it does not require any physical contact with the track, which means that there is no risk of damage to the track.

Another advantage is that it can be used to measure very long sections of track, making it ideal for use in large railway networks. The inertial-based TGMS is gaining popularity because this system is compact and lightweight and offers an accurate evaluation of rail track geometry in several operational conditions. The fast adoption of inertial-based rail track geometry measurement systems is enhancing the growth of no-contact TGMS in the global TGMS market.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific led the overall market in 2021, with a share of 38.3%. The increasing penetration of advanced technologies accelerates the market's growth in the Asia Pacific. The mass transit systems and strong development of high-speed rails in China and India and different types of railway developments in the countries like China, Australia, and India is the reason for the increase of track geometry measurement systems in this region. In addition, rapid expansion in metro rails also increases regional growth. These countries are expected to significantly drive the Asia Pacific TGMS market over the forecast period.

North America is expected to develop substantially at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. The rising regulatory safety requirements in the rail transportation sector are expected to significantly boost the growth of the region's TGMS market. In August 2022, RailPod Inc. and STANLEY Infrastructure, companies in the U.S., teamed to connect STANLEY Infrastructure's industrial tool and customer base with RailPod Inc.'s track inspection technology.

RailPod Inc. vehicles can detect rail flaws; measure rail wear, track geometry, tunnel and bridge clearances, and catenary; and provide asset mapping for freight, passenger, and transit systems. This partnership will support the global deployment of RailPod Inc.'s track inspection technology and related services. It will help bring infrastructure managers and owners the ability to determine where capital needs to be spent more precisely.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is fragmented and is anticipated to witness increased competition due to several players' presence. Major players are spending heavily on R&D activities to integrate advanced TGMS in railways has intensified the competition among these players. Major players are focusing on providing safety and security in railway transportation. These companies are also collaborating with other track geometry measurement system manufacturers and local & regional players to gain a competitive edge over their peers and capture a significant market share. Some prominent players in the global track geometry measurement system market include:

• Balfour Beatty PLC

• Bentley Systems, Inc.

• Egis Group

• ENSCO

• ESIM

• Fugro N.V.

• MERMEC S.P.A

• Plasser & Theurer

• Siemens AG

• Trimble

Track Geometry Measurement System Market Report Scope

Global Track Geometry Measurement System Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growths at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global track geometry measurement system market report based on component, railway type, operation, and region:

• Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Hardware

  • Software

  • Services

• Railway Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Heavy Haul Railways

  • High-Speed Railways

  • Light Railways

  • Mass Transit Railways

• Operation Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • Contact

  • Contactless

    • Inertial Based

    • Chord Based

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

  • Asia-Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Africa