A recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Transportation revealed that the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Railroad Safety Board approved a new temporary waiver allowing U.S. railroads to expand field testing of automated track inspection (ATI) technology and collect data to improve safety.

According to a release, the FRA’s five-year waiver gives the rail industry an “opportunity to demonstrate how ATI technology can assist safety inspectors” by identifying defects or hazards that might otherwise be missed during routine visual inspections.

“The new waiver will allow U.S. railroads to complement visual track inspections with innovative technology that will identify issues on our rail before they become a serious safety threat for rail passengers and crew,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Achieving the highest standards of safety is the top priority.”

“This waiver will provide the industry with an opportunity to demonstrate the potential of automated track inspection technology to enhance rail safety and improve efficiency,” said FRA Administrator David Fink. “ATI technology is designed to enhance already effective visual inspections by catching things that human eyes miss.”