A review of snow melting and de-icing technologies for trains

Abstract

Train icing may cause a series of problems to the safety of railway transportation in high and cold regions. Some important technologies on solving this issue are discussed in this paper, with the latest research landscape provided and the future development opportunities suggested. The hazards and principles of train icing are explained firstly, followed by a summary of several available methods of snow melting and de-icing, with their application and shortcomings indicated. The research progress of some basic issues such as the snow conditions of bogie parts and the optimal design of snow protection are discussed and analysed in detail. However, the problem of snow and ice accumulation during train operation has not been completely solved with the existing methods. At the end of this pager, suggestions on snow-resistance technology for trains are proposed for future study and development.