A system for determining the capability of a railroad track to safely carry railroad vehicles over the track by sensing changes in the environment proximate the track, the system including a sensor for detecting a magnetic field proximate the railroad track and generating data indicative of the magnetic field, a processor for processing data from the sensor to identify changes in the magnetic field proximate the track, and a communication device in communication with the processor for transmitting indicia indicative of changes in the environment proximate the track affecting the capability of the track to safely carry railroad vehicles.
