Optical Fiber Sensors for Safety and Maintenance Monitoring of Linear Infrastructure

ABSTRACT Linear infrastructures pose significant management challenges due to their extensive spatial footprint and diverse operating environments. Optical fiber technology has emerged as an exceptionally powerful and refined instrument that facilitates high‐precision monitoring of essential components across a myriad of distinct fields and applications, which include the evaluation of railways safety, the identification of leaks within pipelines, the assessment of structural integrity. This review rigorously provides a thorough and detailed overview of the most recent innovations and advancements in the field of railway and pipeline infrastructure monitoring, accomplished through the implementation of cutting‐edge fiber sensing technologies, with a specific emphasis on its two principal technical branches, namely multipoint sensing and distributed sensing. We elucidate the foundational operating principles that underpin each of these sophisticated methodologies, and then, we delineate the current frontiers of application wherein these pioneering technologies are being employed. Additionally, we examine the primary challenges arising in the real‐world application of these techniques and assess suitable strategies to address them effectively. Given the rapidly evolving landscape of fiber optic sensing technologies, this review provides a structured framework and a comprehensive investigation to guide the practical implementation of these technologies in linear infrastructure of railways and pipelines.