Infrastructure

Research developments for the urban rail

Traffic in tram, light rail and metro networks causes a variety of damage to the rail head. Mechanical stress results in scoring, corrugations, waves, and much more. For decades, preventive, or at least regular, rail grinding has been considered an effective countermeasure.

• Infrastructure

How do the Dynamic Track Stabiliser and ballast interact with one another?

Does the Dynamic Track Stabiliser (DTS) have the potential to be more than a ballast compacting machine? Could it also be a measuring device for monitoring ballast com-paction? An ongoing research project conducted by the Vienna University of Technolo-gy (TU Wien) is examining these questions.

• Infrastructure

Artificial intelligence for more efficient ground-penetrating radar analysis

Ground-penetrating radars measure the condition of track substructure. However, the analysis of this data is very time-consuming. Could the use of AI reduce this effort? Plasser & Theurer is part of a research group that took on the challenge of answering this question. They discovered that, among other things, a clever application of filters facilitates the analysis.

• Infrastructure

Tamping tine and ballast: teaming up

Thanks to a brand new measurement and analysis method, it is now possible for the first time to observe the movement behaviour of ballast throughout the entire tamping process. In addition, the method provides an unprecedented level of detailed insight into the ballast condition. The tamping tine is particularly important here: the new method allows it to function as both a working and measurement tool.

• Infrastructure

WCRR 2019 Tokyo: On the state of the art

1994 marks the birth of the WCRR. Held in Paris, it was initiated by several major railway companies. Ever since, the world’s probably most important railway expert convention has been travelling around the globe. In 2019, it pitched its tents in Tokyo for the second time. Over 1.000 participants, 630 submitted research papers and around 300 presentations in just 4 days: the variety of topics is as remarkable as the in-depth expertise presented.

• Infrastructure

Dynamic stabilisation of new track types in the laboratory

In her doctoral thesis Sophie Feurig focuses on a detailed analysis of dynamic track stabilisation in the laboratory. An in-depth understanding of the system behaviour of the ballasted track sparks not just her enthusiasm.

• Infrastructure

Tracking ballast

Track ballast has many functions in the permanent way system. It is, amongst others, responsible for the load transfer into the subgrade, the drainage of the superstructure and the reliable position of the track panel. Even so, ballast is compared to other track components still a relatively unresearched area. With the use of the Discrete Element Method - a numerical calculation method for computing a large number of particles - and powerful computers it has now become possible to reliably determine the path of movement as well as the interaction of particles. Plasser & Theurer utilises this technology to gain new insights into the permanent way and so to optimise its track construction machines even further.

• Infrastructure

EM100VT – The future of track inspection starts today

523 track kilometres, 224 turnouts, 80,000 sleepers and far more than 325,000 tonnes of ballast: These are the hard facts about the renewal of the high-speed line 1733 between Hanover and Würzburg.

Research Partner: Obermeyer

• Infrastructure