The Optimization of Railway Transition Curves with an Emphasis on Initial and End Zones

摘要

The aim of this article is to clarify, why the curvatures' bends at the terminal points of optimum railway transition curves (TCs) obtained by the authors have a relatively small negative impact on vehicle dynamics while running along such curves. In this context the authors put forward the following research hypothesis. Maybe bigger length of the middle zone causes that shape of the terminal zones has become less important. The idea of the research was to modify quality function calculation so that initial and end zones have bigger weights (importance) than the middle zone. At present stage the central part of TC was completely ignored in the quality function calculation. Two dynamical quantities being the results of simulation of railway vehicle dynamical model were exploited in the determination of the quality functions.