Skip to content | Change text size
 

Track Research

Track related research activities commenced at MRL (now Institute of Railway Technology) in 1972, when rail corrugation and rail wear studies were initiated with the heavy haul railway at BHP Iron Ore. Subsequently, extensive gains were made in the area of rail materials with the development of both alloy and head hardened rails suitable for heavy haul traffic. More recently, the focus on rail deterioration has shifted to rolling contact fatigue damage.

The development of improved wheel and rail profiles has led to minimal contact at the gauge corners of the rail and, consequently, significant reductions in defect generation and wear rates. Ongoing work has included the assessment of rail grinding practices.

Combined technical/economic modelling of component deterioration has resulted in recommended rail replacement strategies which, in turn, have led to reduced system costs. This approach has been extended to providing a detailed track maintenance planning tool which takes into consideration the effects of rail and track maintenance activities, rail and wheel wear, rail fatigue defects and fuel costs to give an overall minimum operating cost to the railway system.

Investigations of both rails and welds have formed an extensive part of recent research, through the use of modelling to predict critical stress locations, and mechanical testing to determine failure modes. This information, in combination with the vehicle/track interaction characteristics, has been used to develop a rail selection model for determining the most cost effective rail section. Detailed analysis of track geometry data has provided the means for assessing track behaviour and different track components.

Achievements

  • Development of methodologies for cost-effective track maintenance.

  • Assessment of rail and sleeper components.

  • Assessment of ballast, sub-ballast and formation characteristics.

  • Reduction in rail and wheel wear due to improved materials, profiling and lubrication.

  • Reduction in rail corrugations in mass transit systems.

  • Publication of Track Design Procedures.

  • Participation in development of rail, steel sleeper and aluminothermic rail welding standards.

  • Assessment of rail weld performance.

  • Assessment of rail/wheel lubrication practices.