Predictive assessment of change of basic geometric characteristics of rail track during the operation

Abstract

The frequency and scope of scheduled preventive work depends on multiple factors: type and design of the upper track structure, plan and profile of the track, quality of the track maintenance, as well as operational, climatic and topographical conditions. Also, each type of work is affected by these factors in different ways. In addition, the factors themselves are unstable along the length of the track. Therefore, under different operating conditions, the frequency and scope of routine track maintenance are different. Since currently regulatory technical documents and domestic scientific sources contain no requirements for high-speed sections of the Ukrainian railways and, thus, a problem of organization of control of the track state in these operating conditions appears. The methodology for determining the scope and frequency of the scheduled preventive routine track maintenance work is proposed. The method is based on the use of the normal law of distribution of frequency and depth of the respective geometrical irregularities of the railway track. The maximum effect of the proposed method can be achieved through the use of modern track geometry cars with an automated data collection and interpretation system that are predominantly used in the high-speed traffic areas.