Grinding of Rails on High-Speed Railway Lines: A Matter of Great Importance

Around the world today, high-speed railway lines are in revenue service in great numbers. Speeds of up to 330 km/h are reached by some dedicated European high-speed railway lines. Nighttime freight train operations and daytime high-speed passenger train operations sometimes share the same line of track in Germany. High train speeds generate high dynamic forces, without a doubt. Surface stresses in the wheel/rail contact zone are amplified by powerful motorized axle acceleration contact forces. Tight tolerances for the rail head contact geometry is required in tangent track if wheelsets are to be kept stable and guided smoothly and safely in curves. For high-speed railway lines, therefore, it is very important for appropriate rail head conditions to be maintained through grinding. This encompasses the longitudinal profile, wheel/rail contact zone, and transverse profile or a combination of the three. Passenger comfort may be enhanced through grinding since it may keep vibration and noise at acceptable levels. Today, before commercial service can begin on newly constructed high-speed railway lines, they are ground. Rail surface damage, in some places, is removed through regular rail grinding. Cyclical grinding is required for railway lines with rail surface fatigue, which virtually all high-speed lines have. High-speed railway lines have seen the introduction of both high-convexity rail profiles and special anti-headcheck rail profiles.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/9675046
• Authors:
  • Schoch, Wolfgang
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: pp 6-8
• Serial:
  • Rail Engineering International
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: De Rooi Publications
  • ISSN: 0141-4615

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Dynamic loads; Fatigue (Mechanics); Freight and passenger services; High speed rail; Rail grinding; Railroad tracks; Railroads
• Candidate Terms: Rail profiles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Contact force; Damages
• Geographic Terms: Europe; Germany
• Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01051711
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 5 2007 2:23PM