Abstract—In recent years, the range of sensing technologies has
expanded rapidly, whereas sensor devices have become cheaper.
This has led to a rapid expansion in condition monitoring of
systems, structures, vehicles, and machinery using sensors. Key
factors are the recent advances in networking technologies such
as wireless communication and mobile ad hoc networking coupled
with the technology to integrate devices.Wireless sensor networks
(WSNs) can be used for monitoring the railway infrastructure
such as bridges, rail tracks, track beds, and track equipment along
with vehicle health monitoring such as chassis, bogies, wheels,
and wagons. Condition monitoring reduces human inspection requirements
through automated monitoring, reduces maintenance
through detecting faults before they escalate, and improves safety
and reliability. This is vital for the development, upgrading, and
expansion of railway networks. This paper surveys these wireless
sensors network technology for monitoring in the railway industry
for analyzing systems, structures, vehicles, and machinery.
This paper focuses on practical engineering solutions, principally,
which sensor devices are used and what they are used for; and
the identification of sensor configurations and network topologies.
It identifies their respective motivations and distinguishes their
advantages and disadvantages in a comparative review.