The maintenance of the railway superstructure and its influence  on the track geometry of regional line

Janka Šestáková; Alžbeta Pultznerová; Martin Mečár

doi:10.14513/actatechjaur.00664

Authors

Janka Šestáková Department of Railway Engineering and Track Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Žilina Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovak Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1983-063X
Alžbeta Pultznerová Department of Railway Engineering and Track Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Žilina Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovak Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8097-9946
Martin Mečár Department of Railway Engineering and Track Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Žilina Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovak Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1367-0380

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14513/actatechjaur.00664

Keywords:

diagnostics, life cycle, quality index, railway track geometry interval diagnostics, correction of the track geometry quality

Abstract

The results of the railway track quality assessment, obtained as part of the diagnostics during its operational phase, are used by the construction manager to plan repair activities. The aim of the railway infrastructure manager is to maintain the longest possible good condition of the structure, most often represented by a stable track geometry quality. In the case of low economic efficiency of quality assurance of the structure through the improvement of diagnosed parameters, according to the monitored factors in the diagnostics results it is possible to decide on the operability of the structure or its individual structural elements. The interval between repairs of determining geometrical parameters or representative quality indicators, shortened to technically, technologically, and economically inefficient time, indicates the end of life of the component or structural unit and it is necessary to plan and perform its replacement. In many cases, the structure continues to operate at the final phase of its life, for example, due to financial constraints. The infrastructure manager continues to carry out regular diagnostics and then plans and carries out routine maintenance activities to ensure a safe and reliable track. The article deals with the issue of interval diagnostics and related effects of corrections of the track geometry quality of the selected section of the regional railway line with a continuously repaired railway superstructure. Attention is paid to determining the degradation rate of track geometry quality in relation to achieving the limit values of quality indicators and the efficiency of corrective maintenance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

C. Esveld, Modern Railway Track, Digital Edition, Version 3.8, MRT-Productions, Zaltbommel, 2016, ISBN 978-1-326-05172-3.

O. Plášek, P. Zvěřina et al. Railway Constructions. Railway Substructure and Superstructure, 1st Edition, Akademické nakladatelství CERM, s. r. o., Brno, 2004, ISBN 80-214-2621-7, in Czech.

B. J. Van Dyk, J. R. Edwards et al. Evaluation of Dynamic and Impact Wheel Load Factors and their Application in Design Processes, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit 231 (1) (2017) pp. 33-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0954409715619454

Testing and Approval of Railway Vehicles from the Point of View of their Dynamic Behaviour – Safety – Track Fatigue – Ride Quality, 3rd edition, UIC Code 518:2005 (2005).

P. Zvolensky, J. Grencik, J. Gallikova, ECM Certification Changes and Procedures under the new EU Commission Regulation 2019/779, 24th International Conference on Current Problems in Rail Vehicles, Zilina, Slovakia, Sep 17-19, 2019, EDIS-publishing Inst Univ Zilina, pp.349-356

A. Kasraei, J. A. Zakeri, Effective Time Inter-val for Railway Track Geometry Inspection, Archives of Transport 53 (1) (2020) pp. 53–63. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0014.1744

S. Bressi, J. Santos, M. Losa, Optimization of Maintenance Strategies for Railway Track-bed Considering Probabilistic Degradation Models and Different Reliability Levels, Reliability Engineering & System Safety 207 (2021), 107359, ISSN 0951-8320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2020.107359

V. Jover, L. Gaspar, Sz. Fischer, Investigation of Geometrical Deterioration of Tramway Tracks, Science and Transport Progress, 2 (86) (2020) pp.46–59. https://doi.org/10.15802/stp2020/204152

D. Ovchinnikov, A. Bondarenko et al. Extending Service Life of Rails in the Case of a Rail Head Defect, GRAĐEVINAR, 73 (2) (2021) pp. 119-125. https://doi.org/10.14256/JCE.2860.2019

B. Eller, Sz. Fischer, Tutorial on the emergence of local substructure failures in the railway track structure and their renewal with existing and new methodologies, Acta Technica Jaurinensis, 14 (1) (2021) pp. 80-103. https://doi.org/10.14513/actatechjaur.00565

L. Bai, R. Liu et al. Estimating Railway Rail Service Life: A Rail-grid-based Approach, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 105 (2017) pp. 54-65, ISSN 0965-8564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2017.08.007

N. Lyngby, P. Hokstad, J. Vatn, RAMS Management of Railway Tracks, in: K. B. Misra (Ed.) Handbook of Performability Engineering, 1st Edition, Springer, London, 2008, pp. 1123–1145. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84800-131-2_68

K. Tzanakakis, The Railway Track and Its Long Term Behaviour. A Handbook for a Railway Track of High Quality, 1st Edition, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, 2013, ISSN 2194-8119. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36051-0

B. Lichtberger, The Track System and Its Maintenance, RTR Special. Maintenance & Renewal. Special Edition, July 2007, pp. 14-22. ISBN 978-3-7771-0367-9.

Railway Superstructure, Regulation of the Railways of the Slovak Republic TS3:2012 (2012), in Slovak.

R. Schenkendorf, B. Dutschk et al. Improved Railway Track Irregularities Classification by a Model Inversion Approach, in: PHM Society European Conference, 3(1). https://www.papers.phmsociety.org/index.php/phme/article/view/1592

J. Kanis, V. Zitrický et al. Innovative Diagnostics of the Railway Track Superstructure, Transportation Research Procedia. International Scientific Conference "Horizons of Railway Transport 2020", 53 (2021) pp. 138-145, ISSN 2352-1465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2021.02.017

J. Neuhold, M. Landgraf, From Data-based Condition Analysis to Sophisticated Asset Management for Railway Tracks. In Proceedings of World Congress of Railway Research, Tokyo, Japan, 2019. https://www.sparkrail.org/Lists/Records/DispForm.aspx?ID=26621

C. Vale, M. L. Simões, Prediction of Railway Track Condition for Preventive Maintenance by Using a Data-Driven Approach, Infrastructures 7 (3):34 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures7030034

X. Sun, F. Yang et al. On-Board Detection of Longitudinal Track Irregularity Via Axle Box Acceleration in HSR, IEEE Access 9 (2021) pp. 14025-14037. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3052099

M. Sysyn, et al. Turnout Monitoring with Vehicle Based Inertial Measurements of Operational Trains: A Machine Learning Approach. Communications - Scientific letters of the University of Zilina, 21(1) (2019) pp. 42-48. https://doi.org/10.26552/com.C.2019.1.42-48

A. Jamshidi, S. F. Roohi, Probabilistic Defect-Based Risk Assessment Approach for Rail Failures in Railway Infrastructure, IFAC-PapersOnLine 49-3 (2016) 073–077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2016.07.013

S. Hidirov, H. Guler, Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Analyses for Railway Infrastructure Management, Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, Volume 15 (9) (2019). https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2019.1615964

I. A. Khouy, Cost-Effective Maintenance of Railway Track Geometry. A Shift from Safety Limits to Maintenance Limits, Doctoral Thesis, Luleå University of Technology (2013), ISSN: 1402-1544. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2 :999211/FULLTEXT01.pdf

U. Espling, Maintenance Strategy for a Railway Infrastructure in a Regulated Environment, Doctoral Thesis, Luleå University of Technology (2007), ISSN 1402-1544. https://ltu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2 :991206/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Railway applications. Track. Track Geometry Quality. Part 6: Characterisation of Track Geometry Quality, STN EN 13848-6 (73 6315):2014 (2014).

D. Setiawan M., S. A. P. Rosyidi, Track Quality Index as Track Quality Assessment Indicator. The 19th International Symposium of FSTPT. Islamic University of Indonesia, Oct. 11-13 2016. pp. 197-207, ISBN: 979-95721-2-19. https://ojs.fstpt.info/index.php/ProsFSTPT/article/download/209/205

J. Šestáková, L. Ižvolt, M. Mečár, Degradation-Prediction Models of the Railway Track Quality, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 15 (2) (2019) pp.115-124. https://doi.org/10.2478/cee-2019-0015

J. Šestáková, A. Matejov, A. Pultznerová, Rehabilitation of Railway Track Quality in Relation to Diagnostic Data, in: Akimov, P., Vatin, N. (Eds), XXX. Russian-Polish-Slovak Seminar Theoretical Foundation of Civil Engineering: RSP 2021. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, 189 (2021) pp. 197–206. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86001-1_23

W. Alduk, S. Marenjak, Track Maintenance at the End of Life Cycle, in: S. Lakušić (Ed.), 4th International Conference on Road and Rail Infrastructure: CETRA 2016, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, 2016, pp. 687–693. http://master.grad.hr/cetra/ocs/index.php/cetra4/cetra2016/paper/view/545

Measurement of Track Geometry. Part I. Theoretical Foundations. KRABTM – Light Measuring Trolley. (electronic). Komerční železniční výzkum s. r. o., Prague. (2002), in Czech.

Measurement and Evaluation of the Track Gauges 1 435 mm and 1 520 mm by Measuring Trolley for Railway Track Geometry KRAB, Regulation of the Railways of the Slovak Republic SR 103-7 (TS):2017 (2017), in Slovak.

Railway Applications. Track. Part 2: Acceptance of Construction Works, Maintenance Works, and Assessment of Service Condition Track Gauges 1 435 mm, STN 73 6360-2:2015 (2015), in Slovak.