Experiments on Damage to Track Components due to Repeated Passage of Vehicles on Rail Gaps

Abstract

In railways where wireless train control systems are employed, track circuits may be removed, making it difficult to detect a broken rail in such cases. In railways without track circuits, it is assumed that vehicles repeatedly pass over rail gaps until the broken rail is detected by rail inspection or other means. Therefore, in order to evaluate damage of track components due to repeated vehicle passage, we carried out falling weight tests in a laboratory, in which impact loads equivalent to passing vehicles were applied to the broken rail to simulate damage. This test clarified the plastic deformation of the rails and functional deterioration of the rail fastenings system in response to the impact loads.