Nigerian scholar paves way for safer global railways with advanced nuclear tech

By Ugo Aliogo

While nuclear technology is widely recognised for its contributions to clean energy and medical advancements, a pioneering Nigerian scholar is demonstrating its immense potential in an often-overlooked sector: railway safety. Abdulrasheed Sado, a PhD candidate in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is at the forefront of developing an advanced radiographic inspection system that promises to revolutionise train safety, offering a robust solution to a global challenge.

Around the world, thousands of train derailments continue to occur, with broken rails or welds consistently ranking as a leading cause. Many of these catastrophic accidents begin with a tiny, unseen flaw within a rail weld that gradually grows until it causes a sudden, disastrous break. As railways form the steel backbone of national economies, carrying vital freight and passengers over vast distances, ensuring their integrity is paramount.

Rails are typically joined by welding, creating continuous tracks, but each weld—whether thermite or flash-butt—represents a potential weak link. Traditional inspection methods, such as ultrasonic testing or visual checks, often fail to detect small internal flaws, allowing them to expand under stress and metal fatigue, leading to tragic outcomes.

However, nuclear science is now stepping in to catch these hidden dangers before they can cause failure, helping to keep trains safely on track globally. Under the supervision of Professor Jason Hayward at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Sado’s project is bringing high-energy X-ray imaging out of the laboratory and onto the rails. The core concept involves using high-energy X-rays, similar to those found in industrial CT scans, to “see” deep inside steel rail joints and precisely pinpoint hidden flaws. This sophisticated system employs state-of-the-art X-ray sources and advanced digital detectors specifically adapted for direct use on railway tracks.

Early research has yielded highly promising results. Sado’s studies, conducted through simulations and laboratory tests using a powerful 450-kV X-ray source, have demonstrated the capability to detect extremely small defects within thick rail segments. For instance, with optimised imaging, flaws as minuscule as 0.04 inch in diameter have been discerned in a 3-inch-thick rail head. This level of detection is significantly more precise than what conventional track inspection methods typically achieve, effectively allowing the X-ray system to act as a “microscope for steel,” revealing weaknesses long before they escalate into major threats.

This radiographic tool is being designed for in-track use, meaning it can be deployed directly on existing rail lines without the need to remove sections of track. The vision is to create a mobile inspection unit that can travel along the track, scanning welds efficiently on the spot.

Further enhancing this innovative approach, Sado is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret these complex images in real time. Historically, expert technicians had to manually review radiographic weld images, a process that was both time-consuming and subjective, potentially delaying crucial repairs. To overcome these challenges, Sado is developing a deep-learning computer vision system that works in tandem with the X-ray scanner. As soon as an image is captured, the AI analyzes it in seconds, automatically highlighting suspected defects so that maintenance crews can act swiftly and decisively.

This groundbreaking work by Abdulrasheed Sado underscores a broader point: nuclear technology’s potential for pioneering solutions in infrastructure and public safety extends across the globe. Applying nuclear science to something as common and critical as rail maintenance demonstrates the immense versatility of modern innovation. This effort, among the first of its kind to tackle rail weld inspection with combined radiography and AI at this scale, is poised to set new international benchmarks.

While the advanced radiographic rail inspection system is still in development, its potential impact is rapidly becoming clear. In the near future, railway networks worldwide could have an incredibly powerful new tool to ensure the integrity of every weld on their lines. Defects buried deep within steel, which once escaped detection, can be found and fixed proactively, eliminating potential threats. Thanks to this alliance of X-rays and AI working behind the scenes, trains globally will operate with an extra layer of invisible assurance, leading to a safer and more reliable rail network for both the public and industry.