A technical Сonference on non-destructive testing (NDT) in the railway industry was held in Ukraine on 7 May 2025, organised by the OKOndt GROUP. Participants included specialists from ULTRACON-SERVICE LLC and other manufacturers of NDT equipment, as well as representatives from railway transport enterprises in various regions of Ukraine, the Kyiv Metro, and the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute.

The Conference presented new, effective solutions for non-destructive testing of rails and rolling stock elements, thereby contributing to the safety of railway traffic.

Technologies from the OKOndt GROUP that are changing the industry

The Conference reports focused on the latest methods and equipment for non-destructive testing (NDT) of railway infrastructure. The speakers presented these methods using equipment developed and implemented by the OKOndt GROUP on railways over the past few years. The following were presented:

• The OKOSCAN 73HS UT+TG System, which allows for the automatic non-destructive testing inspection of both rails on a railway track at speeds of up to 40 km/h. Anastasiia Pareniuk (Promprylad LLC) noted that the System's design is integrated with a track inspection self-propelled vehicle that can also be used as a trailer for a road-rail vehicle. In addition to ultrasonic rail testing, the OKOSCAN 73HS UT+TG System can be used for rail geometry testing.
• Eddy Current Rail flaw detectors, such as the Double Rail ETS2-73 and Single Rail ETS2-77, are available. These handheld NDT trolleys are designed to detect headchecks in hardening rails and assess their depth. They can therefore determine whether the rail is suitable for grinding. According to Illya Kyrylenko of ULTRACON-SERVICE LLC, using these devices helps to reduce track maintenance costs thanks to their ability to detect headchecks promptly and facilitate decisions regarding grinding or replacement.
• Ultrasonic Rail flaw detectors include the Double Rail UDS2-73 and the Single Rail UDS2-77. In his report, Oleksandr Ivko (Promprylad LLC) emphasised that, although these devices are primarily used to confirm defects identified by the high-speed System, they can also be used to inspect short sections of railway track. The base sounding scheme enables all types of fatal rail defects that may arise during railway operation to be identified.

International experience of implementing high-speed rail inspection systems

One of the key reports at the Conference was presented by Volodymyr Mishchenko (ULTRACON-SERVICE LLC). He presented projects in which the OKOSCAN 73HS System was implemented on railway and metro networks in Turkey, India, the United States, Singapore, Brazil, and other countries. OKOND Group developed this NDT equipment in accordance with the customer's technical specifications and adapted it to national standards. Each project included commissioning, training customer personnel, and providing technical support.

Risk-Oriented Engineering in Rail NDT

Denis Halanenko (PJSC Ukrainian Institute for NDT) emphasised the importance of taking an integrated approach to rail NDT. In his report, he proposed the construction of a three-tier rail testing system. According to this system, rail testing should begin with the detection of defects using a high-speed System. The next stage involves a local inspection of each detected defect using a rail flaw detector, followed by portable NDT rail inspection equipment if necessary. This stage-by-stage approach improves the efficiency of risk management and rail traffic safety.

Training issues for NDT specialists

Yurii Posypaiko (E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute) offered a critical assessment of the formal approach to certifying NDT specialists in Ukraine, suggesting that it could compromise the quality of control. In his speech, he emphasised the need to train and certify NDT specialists at centres with all the necessary training and certification samples. According to Yurii Posypaiko, such centres include the Training Center ULTRACON-SERVICE LLC, together with the Personnel Certification Body in the Field of NDT of Technical Objects (PCB UkrSRINDT).

Equipment Exhibition and Experience Exchange

The Conference included an exhibition of NDT equipment from the following OKOndt GROUP enterprises: ULTRACON-SERVIS LLC and Promprilad LLC. During the exhibition, Conference participants continued to network and discuss the latest innovations in the field of non-destructive testing of rolling stock parts and units, as well as railway and subway rails.

Conference results

The Conference showcased cutting-edge rail non-destructive testing solutions in the railway sector, strengthening Ukraine's position as a hub for innovation in railway safety.

According to Oleksandr Zelnichenko (Automatic Welding Journal, Technical Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing Journal), such professional events are extremely important for the development of the non-destructive testing industry.

At the end of the Conference, the organising committee thanked all the participants and called for such events to be held regularly.