Evolution of track geometric quality in high-speed lines: Ten years experience of the Madrid-Seville line

Abstract

This paper analyses the deterioration process in track geometric quality on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line, during its first ten years of commercial operation. Both the maintenance operations carried out in this period as well as all the dynamic inspection records available have been analysed. In the latter case, vertical and transversal accelerations measured on axle boxes, bogies, and vehicle bodies of Spanish high-speed trains (AVE) have been considered. The discretization of the line throughout its total extension (471 km) into 10 m long sections has made it possible to find out and quantify the relative influence of track infrastructure (tunnels, viaducts, natural subgrade, embankments, etc) on geometric track quality deterioration. The effect of switches and expansion devices in this deterioration process has also been studied.

Keywords

high-speed track track maintenance dynamic inspection track geometrical quality

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

European Commission.

Trans-European transport network, TEN-T priority axes and projects 2005 (Directorate-General for Energy and Transport.), Luxembourg, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2005 (ISBN 92–894-9837–4).

López Pita

Criteria for the planning of new railway infrastructures (in Spanish)

‘Situación’, special issue ‘High-speed: new era for railways’, 1993, 3/4, 37–64. ISSN 02143 2273.

Berrin

High speed track can be cheap to maintain

Rail. Gaz. Int., 1992, 148 (1), 411–413.

Berrin

L'entretien des lignes à grande vitesse à la SNCF

Rail Int., 1996, 27 (6), 17–22.

UIC 518 Leaflet.

Testing and approval of railway vehicles from the point of view of their dynamic behaviour- safety-track fatigue-ride quality, 2nd edition, 2003, p. 77. ISBN 2–7461-0353–2.

Le Bihan

Track geometry maintenance on high-speed lines: the SNCF experience. ÖVG Congress, Salzburg, 2004.

Selig

E. T.

Waters

J. M.

Track geotechnology and substructure management, 1994 (Thomas Telford Publications, London).

Ubalde

Track control and tamping works at Madrid-Seville high-speed line: analysis of experience and deduction of new criteria for maintenance (in Spanish). PhD Thesis, Technical University of Catalonia, October 2004. ISBN 84–689-2452–0.

Teixeira

P. F.

Contribution to the reduction of track maintenance costs by optimizing its vertical stiffness (in Spanish). PhD Thesis, Technical University of Catalonia, November 2003. ISBN B-34313–2005/84–689-2536–5.

10.

López Pita

Teixeira

P. F.

Robusté

High speed track deterioration: The role of the vertical stiffness of the track

Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs, Part F: J. Rail and Rapid Transit, 2004, 218, 31–40.

11.

López Pita

Teixeira

P.F.

Resistant track homogeneity: a way to reduce maintenance costs. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference Railway Engineering 2001, London, April-May 2001. ISBN 0–947644-45–8.

12.

Melis

Embankment and ballast in high-speed railway (part 1)

Revista de Obras Públicas, 2006, 3464, 7–36.