Description
This research originated from the need to better understand dynamic loads applied to railway tracks in context of the worldwide expansion in new railway construction projects, including the use of alternative ballastless track designs for a wide range of applications from light-rail to regional and high-speed lines. In Europe, the EN standardisation committee in charge of ballastless track applications developed EN16432-1:2017 with the intention to capture service loads for all types of modern railway operations. The requirements are designed to help organisations involved in designing and constructing new railway lines avoid potentially costly errors caused by over- or under-specifying the track structure design. However, many details are left open to national standards or project specific decisions. This research proposed by the GB mirror working group BSI RAE/2/-/8, aimed to better understand the specific loading requirements, particularly for UK applications, and to support the revision of Railway Group Standard GCRT5021 “Track Systems Requirements”. The ultimate intention is to develop new guidelines and inform future revisions to the EN standard. The results, generated from a large number of vehicle dynamic simulations predicting track forces under controlled conditions, have shown that more appropriate requirements can be established by considering the specific target application: traffic type, track layout (radius) and operational speed (cant deficiency). Critical loadings scenarios were derived considering lateral shifting force (ΣYmax), maximum lateral force (Ymax), gauge spreading force (Ygsmax), bogie total lateral force (Ybtmax), expressed in relation to dynamic vertical load (Qmax) and axle load (Q0). Specific load cases are thus proposed for track designers. The increased knowledge and understanding of dynamic track loads enhance the understanding of maintenance requirement, management of existing infrastructure, and design of new ones.| Period | 18 Nov 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | 14th World Congress on Railway Research |
| Event type | Conference |
| Conference number | 14th |
| Location | Colorado Springs, United States, ColoradoShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |