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Track/Infrastructure Maintenance & Engineering

 

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Weld registration and acceptance

27 September 2008 | By Coenraad Esveld, Director of Esveld Consulting Services (ECS), Professor of Railway Engineering, TU Delft and Global Railway Review Editorial Board Member

For a long time now, poor weld geometry has been a major problem for railway infrastructure. Due to geometrical imperfections, high dynamic loads could be generated during wheel passage. The only way to control the geometrical quality in an effective way, is by measuring and documenting every weld with an…

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High levels of mechanisation in Swiss track maintenance

1 August 2008 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor

SBB is minimising the amount of time track is tied up with maintenance, by automating inspection systems and adopting standard components that can be installed rapidly. Global Railway Review’s Technical Editor, James Abbott, talks to Daniel Wyder, SBB’s Head of Asset Management for Track.

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Under Sleeper Pads: improving track quality while reducing operational costs

1 August 2008 | By Harald Loy, System Engineer, Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH

More traffic, increasing axle loads and higher speeds are just some of the ongoing technical and economic challenges railway operators and track managers around the world are faced with today. Under Sleeper Pads (USP) have been proven to extend the service life of the track superstructure and help to reduce…

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Milling – the new dimension of rail-profiling

28 May 2008 | By Hans-Peter Bartmann, International Sales Manager, Linsinger Maschinenbau GmbH

It was in 2003 when Linsinger Maschinenbau GmbH from Austria launched its new version of the Rail Milling Train SF 03 FFS for German Railways, DB AG, and Alpha-Rail Team for the German Railway Market. Since then, the rail milling technology of Linsinger started a matchless and incomparable victory lap…

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DB’s experience with Y-steel sleepers

8 April 2008 | By Andreas Beck and Thomas Hempe, Specialists in Track Technology Management, DB Netz AG

Permanent way is required to absorb the static and dynamic forces resulting in vertical (z), lateral (y), and longitudinal (x) directions from railway traffic loads, to effectively distribute them, and to transfer them into the sub-grade at reduced magnitudes. Superimposed on these external forces are additional internal forces arising from…

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Know-how, smart strategies and dedicated equipment

8 April 2008 | By Dipl.-Ing. Alfred Gruber, Head of Infra Service Division, ÖBB-Infrastruktur Betrieb AG

In order to be competitive on the liberalised rail transport market, the ÖBB Group must operate with market-oriented companies. A key success factor is the reliable transport handling and, thus, the reliability of the infrastructure facilities. That is where the division Infra Service of ÖBB-Infrastruktur Betrieb AG comes in.

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Ballast Reinforcement: a new vision or just a mirage?

8 April 2008 | By Dr. Nick Thom, Lecturer, School of Engineering, University of Nottingham, UK

Despite modern railways being at the forefront of technologies such as power transmission, signalling, control systems and vehicle dynamics, there is one element which is stuck firmly in the Stone Age – the trackbed. It is true that some tracks are being designed and built with concrete or asphalt bases,…

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Bedding optimisation in turnouts

26 November 2007 | By Harald Loy, System Engineer, Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH

Geometrical discontinuities along turnouts can lead to strong localised variations of superstructure loads. By using Under Sleeper Pads (USP) with varying stiffness, the bedding conditions can be optimised and as a result the turnout area can be smoothed out. Modern railway tracks need to be able to bear the loads…

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ITA COSUF – scope, activities & structure

26 November 2007 | By Dipl.-Ing. Felix Amberg, President of COSUF and Chairman of Amberg Engineering Ltd/Hagerbach Test Gallery Ltd and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alfred Haack, Past-Chairman, STUVA e.V.,

COSUF – the ITA-Committee on Operational Safety of Underground Facilities, was set-up in May 2005 at the ITA World Tunnel Congress in Istanbul, Turkey. This important step followed a joint initiative of eight European research projects which all aimed at improved tunnel safety after the disastrous fire accidents in various…

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Maintaining tracks for long-term future service

26 November 2007 | By Dr. Konstantin von Diest, Head of Development, Stahlberg Roensch

A railway track represents a large investment that is not only meant to enable safe, fast and comfortable passenger and freight traffic, but is also expected to be permanently available. The track should allow decades of intense utilisation with no major interruptions. Track possessions for maintenance work or premature failure…

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Corrugation and dip angle measurements performed by Eurailscout

26 September 2007 | By Steffen Knape, Director, Eurailscout

Corrugation on rails causes severe damage to the railway infrastructure. Corrugation causes noise, additional stress in the rails and high frequency vibration which damages the subsoil; squats can also occur if rail head corrugation is not controlled.

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Beneficial monitoring: not whether, but when?

26 September 2007 | By Ton Bontekoe, Product Manager – Gotcha, Lloyds Register Rail

Achieving high levels of rail system reliability in all the phases of the life cycle at an optimal cost requires sound information, robust risk based analysis, proper implementation of asset management activities and on-going critical review.

Rail grinding train on track
Rail grinding train on track
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Regular grinding is the key to long rail life

30 July 2007 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor

Recent research has underlined the importance of maintaining rails with regular grinding. The behaviour of the railhead under load used to be an imperfectly understood subject. Research work has broadened the rail industry’s knowledge; now, the question of how rail deteriorates over time and the way in which grinding can…

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Crucial breakdown repairs at DB Netz AG

3 April 2007 | By Klaus Stahl, Manager of Process Maintenance, DB Netz AG

Ensuring efficient breakdown repair management for DB Netz AG means the guarantee of availability of the track system around the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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Rail grinding operations in Sweden

6 February 2007 | By Anders Frick, Track Engineer and Per-Olof Larsson-Kråik, Research and Development Coordinator, Banverket

Over the last few years, rail grinding operations at Banverket in Sweden has become a natural and important part of the total maintenance track work. The number of track metres that were ground during 2006 was almost 1 million (exactly 997272 track metres) and almost 400 switches. The way of…