One of the priority tasks in development of railway transport is to raise its efficiency by increasing the time between repairs for both the track superstructure and the rolling stock. Solving this problem is impossible without timely, complete, and reliable information about the dynamics of interaction of the rolling stock with the infrastructure. To organise monitoring of dynamic processes, completely different types of primary transducers are used: resistance strain gauges, fibre-optic sensors, dynamometers (force sensor pads), accelerometers, acoustic emission sensors. This implies relevance of the scientific and technical problem of comparative testing of sensors of different types to assess the information content of their signals and justify the criteria for choosing primary transducers when solving specific monitoring problems.The objective of the study is to comparatively test removable resistive strain sensors, optical polarisation strain sensors and accelerometers under a passing train and to evaluate their information content to control rail depression and detect defects on the running surface of wagon wheels.The study using finite element modelling and a physical model of a rail as of a beam on an elastic foundation, substantiates the relationship between longitudinal deformations and vertical accelerations of the rail foot. Comparative tests of removable strain-resistive and optical polarisation strain sensors and accelerometers were held on an experimental section of track under a passing train. A signal processing algorithm has been developed and the equivalence of strain gauges and vibrometers for determining the depression of a rail under a passing train has been proven. Acomparison has been made of the pulse components of the signals of deformation and vibration acceleration during movement of a wheel with a defect on the running surface, and the requirements for the frequency characteristics of the sensors and their mounting on the rail surface have been substantiated.
