The invention discloses an image-based railway snow depth measurement device and method. The device includes a laser probe, a bracket, a network camera, an infrared band-pass filter, a terminal computer, a ground reference plate, a fixed frame, and a data processing platform. The data processing platform includes a data processing unit and a 3G router, wherein the 3G router adopts a 3G mobile data communication platform; the laser probe is installed directly above the network camera, and the infrared bandpass filter is installed in front of the network camera lens; the network camera The laser spot is photographed, collected and processed by the data processing platform, and transmitted to the terminal computer through the communication unit. Through digital image processing, combined with the least square method to fit the spot boundary, the pixel coordinates of the laser probe are obtained, and then simulated by the sub-pixel surface. The sub-pixel coordinate position of the laser probe is legally given, and finally the snow depth is obtained according to the geometric relationship. The invention has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, high measurement precision and little influence on the measured object.