The Influence of Track Elasticity when travelling on a Railway Turnout

In recent years, different transport systems have been largely improved. However, some problems still need to be solved if railways want to be the transport of the future. Among these are the high cost of infrastructure and its maintenance, the requirements to assure low noise levels and low transmission of vibrations in the areas close to the track and stations. Turnouts, one of the most critical elements on the track, are studied in this paper. Mathematical models were developed in order to conduct a detailed analysis of a vehicle passing through a turnout. These models were used to implement multibody models, which reproduce the phenomena involved in vehicle/turnout interaction. The research analyses the validity and accuracy of multibody tools and how they can be used to improve the design process of turnouts. In particular the influence of the turnout geometry and track elasticity has been investigated and also how these parameters could be optimized to improve vehicle movements.