BNSF Railway has deployed a new onboard measurement system, ODIN (Onboard Defect Identification & Notification), designed to inspect track geometry during regular freight operations.
Each ODIN unit uses angled lasers and sensors to measure gauge, cross-level, alignment, and surface profile. These readings are taken every 30 centimetres along the track. The data is processed instantly, allowing maintenance teams to respond quickly to detected geometry defects and plan repairs based on the condition trends captured.
The system is assembled by BNSF’s Technical Research & Development team in Topeka, Kansas. Each unit is housed in an aluminium box roughly the size of a microwave oven. Once mounted on a locomotive, ODIN begins monitoring track conditions as part of daily operations, covering not only mainlines but also yards, industry tracks, and sidings.
ODIN was first introduced in 2023 during a pilot phase. The first in-service defect detection was registered in September 2025. As of December 2025, 30 ODIN units are active, with four more expected before year-end. A further 24 are scheduled for installation in early 2026. Once the roll-out is complete, ODIN-equipped locomotives will monitor BNSF’s full 52,300-kilometre network.
The system is expected to increase the company’s annual track inspection volume from 640,000 kilometres to around 8 million kilometres. As a result, BNSF plans to phase out its four unmanned geometry wagons, which currently require dedicated train paths and crews.
ODIN has undergone software updates to improve the precision of its measurements and refine defect identification algorithms. BNSF continues to use multiple inspection methods, but ODIN shifts much of the track monitoring work directly to operational freight trains.
