High Speed Grinding Experiences on High Speed Lines up to 300 km/h

摘要

Independent studies have proven that modern railroads and especially high speed lines are increasingly affected by rolling contact fatigue (RCF) problems (head-checks, squats). Furthermore, continuously growing railway traffic reduces the availability of tracks for rail maintenance and increases the costs of possession time. To prevent RCF, a new rail grinding method called High Speed Grinding (HSC) has been developed. It enables working speeds of up to 80 km/h and thus grinding of long distances even if only a few working hours are available. Scheduled traffic is also unaffected, again due to the high operating speed. It is not necessary to dismantle any signal devices or other track components. HSG has been in regular use on tracks in Germany since 2007. Drawing on over three years of experience in maintaining Germany's busiest railroad lines, this paper discusses potential solutions for the upcoming difficulties on modern railroads, with a special focus on limited track access for rail maintenance.