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Abstract

This application describes method and apparatus for detecting train separation, where one or more railway cars/carriages (401) accidentally decouple from the rest of the train. The method involves performing distributed acoustic sensing on at least one optical fibre (104a, 104b) to provide a plurality of longitudinal acoustic sensor portions along the railway (201). The acoustic response is analysed to detect a signature indicative of a train separation. This may involve detecting acoustic events (302, 303) associated with different parts of the train and detecting when the separation between the two events exceeds a threshold amount. The method may identify the front of the train and the rear of the train and detect when the distance between the front and rear changes by more than a threshold amount and/or sounds associated with wheelsets passing track features (402) may be used to determine the intervals (T₃, T₄) between wheelsets of adjacent cars and determine when the interval exceeds a threshold amount. The threshold may be based on the interval (T₂) between wheelsets of the same car passing the track feature.

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First Claim