Railway rails are laid in the open air environment, which is affected by factors such as rain and sunlight, and the surface is prone to rust (or fouling). When the rust layer on the rail surface and inside is serious, it is easy to cause poor rail circuit shunting, affect the transmission of railway signals, and endanger traffic safety. At present, two methods of manual grinding and rust removal and large rail rust removal grinder are mainly used to remove the rust layer dirt on the rails in operation.

Manual grinding and rust removal is the main way of current rail maintenance, but its labor intensity is high, the operation is difficult, the work efficiency is low, the rail is easily damaged, and the cleaning quality is difficult to guarantee.

Large-scale rail rust removal and grinding machine, with large power and large volume, requires its own generator, which needs to be driven by a traction locomotive and run on the railway. Before operation, it is necessary to submit a transportation plan. The occupation of the line during on-site operation affects the transportation, and the cost is too high, which has a significant impact on the surrounding environment of the railway track.

Laser cleaning is a new type of cleaning method developed in recent years. Laser cleaning equipment is suitable for operators to work alone, with low cleaning costs, environmental protection, and high efficiency. It has good cleaning quality and does not damage the rail substrate. It does not need to apply for railway transportation plans. It can be easily towed by one hand or automatically completed by remote control. These advantages cannot be replaced by existing cleaning methods. Laser cleaning will gradually replace traditional cleaning methods, and its development prospects are greatly optimistic.