Digital Lifecycle Management of Railway Track Fittings Using QR Technology

Abstract

Railway track fittings such as elastic rail clips, liners, bolts, and rail pads are used in large numbers and require proper identification and maintenance throughout their service life. Managing information related to individual fittings can become difficult when component details, installation information, and inspection records are not directly linked to the physical fitting. This work presents a digital lifecycle management system that assigns a unique QR identifier to each railway track fitting and connects it with a PostgreSQL database. The implemented system allows fitting details to be registered, installation status to be updated, and previously stored information to be retrieved by scanning the corresponding QR code. An AI-assisted image inspection module is also incorporated to support the identification of visible conditions in fitting images. The system therefore establishes a direct connection between a physical fitting and its digital record, bringing identification, installation tracking, and inspection support into a common workflow. The developed prototype demonstrates how QR-based identification and digital record management can improve component-level traceability and information retrieval for railway track fittings.