In areas where urban tracks are used as public transportation,
dynamic stray currents cause high maintenance costs for the tracks and
metal structures near the tracks. Stray currents caused by rail vehicles
depend on many factors (traffic density, vehicle speed, acceleration and
deceleration, soil and track moisture), so it is very difficult to get a clear picture
of the harmfulness of the stray current based on the results of a single field
measurement. However, there are several measurement methods that can
be used to determine the presence of stray currents and predict appropriate
track maintenance actions. Some of these methods are described in this article,
namely the use of stray current mapper, measurement of rail potential and rail current, measurement at the stray current collection system, and the use of nondestructive sensors. In track construction, measuring the electrical potential
between rail and ground is one of the most common methods of detecting the
damaging influence of stray current
