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Switches and crossings – or otherwise known as ‘set of points’ or ‘turnouts’ – provide a railway network with operational flexibility by enabling vehicles to be directed from one track (or line) to another. The most common switch and crossing (S&C) layout consists of a switch panel, a crossing panel…
Geometrical deficiencies in rail tracks tend to occur after a given period of time, all depending on how intense the traffic is or on how inherently instable the track foundation may be. The identification of such deficiencies through measurement and its correction is fundamental for the efficient and safe performance…
CAPACITY4RAIL1 is an EU co-funded research project that started at the end of 2013 within the 7th Framework Program and is planned for a total duration of four years. Under the coordination of the UIC, it brings together a wide range of stakeholders in an ambitious partnership. Laurent Schmitt, CAPACITY4RAIL…
1 August 2013 | By Michael Walter, Bernhard Knoll and Jürgen Stern, Business Unit Integrated Railroad Line Management, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG
The liberalisation of European railways, particularly the free network access of passenger and freight traffic, have a basic influence on the construction of new lines and the maintenance and upgrading of tracks of ÖBBInfrastruktur AG. This article outlines the essential characteristics of track systems including track substructure. Line layout and…
1 August 2013 | By Peter Veit, Head of the Institute for Railway Engineering and Transport Economy, Graz University of Technology, Austria
Since 2002, track strategies at the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have been based on life-cycle cost calculations1. These basic strategies have been adopted due to new technologies – for example the use of under sleeper pads, changing price levels, and the phenomena of rail contact fatigue2 (RCF). The basic data…
In this Track Systems supplement: Under Sleeper Pads in Track – the UIC project (Florian Auer, Past Project Manager for ‘USPs in Track’ / Rodolphe Potvin, Head of Track Laboratories, SNCF / Paul Godart, Deputy Director of Infrastructure at Infrabel and Chairman of the UIC Track Expert Group / Laurent…
This Track Systems supplement features: Optimising the wheel/rail interface: reducing forces for the benefit of all; RAILECT – development of an ultrasonic technique, sensors and systems for the volumetric examination of aluminothermic rail welds...
6 February 2012 | By Professor T X Mei, School of Computing Science and Engineering, Salford University, UK
The contact between wheels and track is fundamental to railway operations, but the contact conditions are affected by often unpredictable external sources of contamination such as fallen tree leaves, snow and rain which can substantially reduce the level of adhesion of the track that is essential to the delivery of…
6 April 2011 | By William Powrie, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton and Tony Leyland, Project Coordinator for Track21 and Secretary of the Rail Research UK Association (RRUK-A)
Track21 is a major new research programme funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with the aim of developing the fundamental science needed to bring about a step-change improvement in the performance of the UK’s railway track system. Led by Professor William Powrie of the University of…
5 April 2010 | By Dr-Ing Stephan Freudenstein, Jia Liu and JuanJuan Ren
The Chinese railway dates back approximately 130 years. The first railway line, Wu-Song, was built in 1876 in Shanghai with a length of 14.5km and a track gauge of 762mm. The first railway built by Chinese engineers is the Jingzhang-Railway (Beijing to Zhangjiakou), finished between 1905 and 1909 with a…
26 September 2009 | By Tilo Brandis, President and CEO, RAIL.ONE GmbH
Since March 2008, Tilo Brandis has been President and CEO of RAIL.ONE GmbH. After his studies at various universities in Europe and at Harvard Business School, Brandis began his career at HBS Consulting Partners as a Project Manager and Management Consultant...
15 May 2009 | By Markku Nummelin, Technical Director and Tuomo Viitala, Senior Inspector, Finnish Rail Administration (RHK), Niko Tunninen, Railway Planning Department, VR-Track Ltd and Marko Nyby, Logistics and Traffic Planning Consultant, Pöyry Infra Ltd
Details of the study of a slab track system for the new Ring Rail Line conducted in Vantaa, Finland for Finnish Railway Administration by Pöyry Infra Ltd and VR-Track Ltd Railway Consulting department.
15 May 2009 | By Jens Kleeberg, Vice President of R&D, RAIL.ONE GmbH
Jens Kleeberg, Vice President of R&D, RAIL.ONE GmbH, discusses the next step in the development of ballastless track.
23 January 2009 | By Arjen Zoeteman, Head Technical Advisor of European Rail Infrastructure Managers and Senior Researcher at Delft University of Technology and former Infrastructure Architect at ProRail, Michiel Deerenberg, Sustainability Programme Manager at ProRail and former Programme Manager of the Triple A Strategy, Sjaak Heijstek, Programme Manager of the Triple A Strategy, ProRail and Alfons Schaafsma, R&D Advisor for Traffic Control Management, ProRail
How ProRail is developing a new strategy for achieving a 50% increase in the capacity of the Netherland's rail network.
26 November 2007 | By Jens Kleeberg, General Manager for Track Design, RAIL.ONE International GmbH
The international increase in transportation volume throughout the world over recent years has led to a revival in railway traffic. This has in turn resulted in an appreciable number of technical innovations and an enhancement in railway technology in the areas of rolling stock, train control and track engineering.
