Miles of track. No power, no cameras.Thieves already know it.
Rail yards and right-of-way are the definition of exposed: hundreds of miles of unlit corridor with no grid power and no hardwired internet, sprawling intermodal yards running high volumes of legitimate truck traffic, and signal infrastructure that fails the moment its copper disappears. VDS deploys solar-autonomous surveillance directly on the right-of-way and at the yard, reads every plate at the intermodal gate, and puts a live SOC operator on every alert — coverage that goes where the track goes, not just where the substation is.
Exposed sites.
High-value targets with no one watching.
Minimal staffing, sprawling ground, and valuable assets in the open — the conditions that turn a site into a soft target the moment everyone goes home.
Copper and signal-wire theft
Thieves work isolated stretches of right-of-way after dark, stripping copper grounding and signal-bonding wire that trigger outages and safety-signal failures long after they're gone.
Container and cargo theft at intermodal yards
High legitimate truck volume at intermodal gates gives cover for cargo theft — a container or chassis walks off the yard mixed in with hundreds of routine moves.
Right-of-way trespass
Trespass on active track isn't a property issue, it's a fatality risk and a liability exposure — and hundreds of miles of unfenced corridor make it nearly impossible to police on foot.
Vandalism and graffiti on rolling stock
Unlit, unmonitored yards give taggers and vandals hours of uninterrupted access to railcars, locomotives, and facility structures with no one to stop them.
Drop the trailer.
The SOC takes it from here.
Solar-autonomous surveillance with AI analytics and live SOC operators. No power, no internet, no guards required.
Every truck.
Every container.
License plate recognition at the intermodal gate ties every truck movement to a plate and a time, matching drivers and chassis against manifests — turning a high-volume chokepoint into an evidence-grade record instead of a blind spot for cargo theft.
- Automatic plate capture at intermodal gates, day and night
- Entry/exit log tied to time, plate, and container movement
- Hotlist alerts for flagged vehicles and drivers
- Evidence packages for rail police and claims
STEP 01Miles of track.
One relocatable perimeter.
The MSU deploys directly on the right-of-way at known copper-theft hot spots and across unlit yard corridors. Thermal and AI object detection flag a person or vehicle working the line long before a single foot of wire is cut.
- Thermal detection for zero-light right-of-way coverage
- AI human and vehicle classification along the corridor
- Deploys at hot spots with no grid power nearby
- Repositions as theft patterns shift down the line
STEP 02No trackside guard.
A live operator instead.
Every alert routes to a live SOC operator who verifies it, issues a real-time audio warning through the on-unit speaker to clear a trespasser off active track, and escalates to rail police or local law enforcement with footage.
- Live operator verification on every alert
- Real-time voice-down warnings through the speaker
- Escalation to rail police and law enforcement with footage
- Monthly incident and access reporting
STEP 03No power lines.
No fiber runs required.
Solar power and 4G/5G cellular mean coverage goes anywhere the track goes — the remote grade crossing, the mid-line copper hot spot, the far end of the yard — with no utility work and no hardwired internet to run.
- Solar-autonomous — no grid power required
- 4G/5G cellular backhaul, no hardwired internet
- Covers remote corridor miles fixed systems never reach
- Relocatable as hot spots and traffic patterns shift
STEP 04Every asset on site.
One platform.
The MSU adapts to the corridor. Here are the scenarios rail and transit operators deploy for most often.
Remote right-of-way hot spots
Stretches of track with recurring copper and signal-wire theft, miles from grid power or a substation.
Intermodal gates & container yards
High-volume truck gates where LPR ties every container move to a plate, driver, and time.
Rail yards & maintenance facilities
Sprawling, unlit yards where equipment, fuel, and tool theft happen in the same blind spots as vandalism.
Trespass-prone crossings & corridors
Active track segments near populated areas where pedestrian trespass is a safety and liability risk, not just a property one.
Rolling stock storage yards
Railcar and locomotive storage where graffiti and vandalism run up repair and out-of-service costs.
Multi-site rail networks
Class I, short-line, and transit agencies running many yards and corridor segments monitored to one consistent standard from a single SOC.
Real operators.
Real numbers.
Every metric below comes from a real VDS rail and transit customer. Names protected per agreement.
Customer-reported outcomes from VDS deployments. Results vary by site conditions, monitoring configuration, and response protocols. How we measure →
We were losing grounding wire every few weeks and chasing signal failures because of it. Once the units were on the hot spots, the theft stopped and the audio warnings started clearing trespassers before dispatch even had to call it in.
MSU-A · FLAGSHIPLPR + SOC · RAIL & TRANSITThe Mobile Surveillance Unit.
Built for the right-of-way.
Intermodal gate LPR, thermal right-of-way coverage, and 24/7 SOC monitoring — all from a solar-autonomous, NDAA-compliant trailer that deploys anywhere on the corridor without grid power or a hardwired connection.
From assessment
to covered.
Most rail and transit operators go from initial conversation to a live unit on the corridor inside 7 business days.
Site assessment
We review your yard layout, intermodal gates, corridor mileage, and copper-theft or trespass incident history. Fast quote turnaround.
Sensor configuration
Camera and thermal presets, LPR capture at the gate, detection zones along the right-of-way, and alert rules configured for your specific segments.
Delivery & commissioning
Trailer delivered to the yard or corridor hot spot, mast raised, cameras and LPR calibrated. SOC monitoring begins immediately. No grid power or trenching required.
Monitoring & reporting
Monthly incident reports, gate and vehicle logs, and system health delivered automatically. Trailer relocated as hot spots shift down the line.
Common questions.
How fast can VDS deploy at a rail & transit site?
A mobile surveillance unit is live in under 20 minutes once it arrives — most rail & transit sites go from first call to monitored coverage in days, not months. Most rail and transit operators go from initial conversation to a live unit on the corridor inside 7 business days.
Do the units need power or internet at the site?
No. VDS units are solar-autonomous with battery storage and connect over cellular (4G/5G), so there is no trenching, no generator refueling schedule, and no dependence on site IT. That is what makes them practical for sites where fixed infrastructure is missing or still under construction.
What happens when the system detects someone after hours?
AI detection classifies the event and filters routine motion before a person ever sees it. A SOC operator verifies the live feed, challenges intruders by voice through 120 dB speakers with strobes, and — when it escalates — dispatches police with live video of the scene.
Which rail & transit security problems does monitored surveillance address?
The most common incidents at rail & transit sites are copper and signal-wire theft, container and cargo theft at intermodal yards, right-of-way trespass, vandalism and graffiti on rolling stock — the same exposure areas covered in the sections above. Monitored coverage addresses them by making the site actively watched instead of just recorded.
Can VDS work alongside our existing guards or security partner?
Yes — that is the standard model. Monitored surveillance carries the perimeter and after-hours watch, so people — yours or your security partner's — handle verified incidents instead of standing watch over empty hours. The SOC can route verified alerts to your team, your guard provider, or police dispatch.
Secure your right-of-way this week.
Tell us your corridor mileage, yard layout, and biggest loss driver — copper, cargo, or trespass — and we'll quote the deployment, fast.