PRESS RELEASE – SPATRA Shares Mid-Project Results and Expands Knowledge Resources
June 2025 – The SPATRA project has reached the mid-stage of its implementation, with notable progress in scientific development, demonstrator activities and knowledge sharing. During this period, partners advanced the road and rail monitoring workflows and published early research results demonstrating the potential of satellite-based methods for transport resilience and infrastructure safety.
Two scientific publications were released as part of this phase:
- “Earth Observation for Railway Infrastructure Monitoring: A Review” – a comprehensive examination of how satellite-derived data can support the monitoring of railway assets, outlining current capabilities, practical limitations and opportunities for operational integration.
- “AI-Based Estimation of Rail Buckling Risk Using EO-Derived Temperature Models” – a technical study introducing an approach to estimate thermal stress and buckling risk on railway tracks through Earth Observation data combined with machine learning.
Both publications provide the scientific foundation for the modelling and validation steps carried out in the second half of the project.
The consortium also held its First Review Meeting, presenting the achievements from the initial twelve months, including demonstrator preparation, data-processing workflows and early modelling outputs. Feedback from reviewers confirmed that SPATRA is progressing according to plan.
Knowledge exchange remained a priority in this phase. Two thematic webinars were organised to present interim results and discuss technical approaches:
- Webinar 1: IoT and Road Transport Monitoring – overview of sensor-supported road observations and early congestion assessment methods.
- Webinar 2: Satellites and Rail Resilience – presentation of EO-based temperature monitoring and machine-learning techniques for detecting rail buckling risks.
Recordings and presentations from both sessions are available through the SPATRA Zenodo Community, which has been launched to host publications, webinar materials and other public outputs.
SPATRA will continue its validation activities, scientific contributions and dissemination work throughout the second project year, with regular updates shared via the website, newsletters and social media channels.
Join the SPATRA Journey
Stakeholders, policymakers, and the public are invited to engage with SPATRA’s progress and contribute to shaping a sustainable transport future in Europe.
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For further details and to get involved, please reach out to our Project Communications Manager at:
Jelena Vasic, Director of Marketing & Communications | Zentrix Lab
jelena.vasic@zentrixlab.eu
+381 63 7257336