An intrusion detection system based on the optical fiber technology for the protection of railway assets

In this work, we demonstrate the capability of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) sensors to protect large areas from unauthorized activities in railway scenarios such as stations, depots or tunnels. In particular, we propose an integrated optical fiber sensing system, composed by FBGs strain sensors, deployed in a network, to detect human intrusion through the perimeter to be protected, combined with FBG accelerometers sensors to protect the rail track access. Several trials were carried out in indoor and outdoor environments. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed integrated system represents a valuable intrusion detection system for railway security.