Field Investigation for Identifying the Effects of Dynamic Track Stabilizing Operation on Track Geometrical Indices

Abstract

At the construction stage of the track or during the operation period, in order to adjust the geometrical alignment of railway superstructure, a mechanized maintenance train (MDZ) track maintenance machines including tamping, ballast regulating, and dynamic track stabilizing (DTS) machines are used. Due to the uncertain effects of DTS machines on track geometry, one section of railway line around Tehran which was under almost heavy commute and freight traffic was selected and the influence of DTS on the track’s geometrical indices was investigated. For this purpose, considering the longitudinal profile of the track, the entire track which was 15 km (almost 9.5 miles) were divided into similar sections and each section was marked, each direct and curved line was divided to exactly 2 sections and in first section both tamping and stabilizing applied while in the second section just tamping machine worked without any stabilizing to fulfill both stabilizing and tamping operations on the selected sections and solely tamping operation on the other sections. Following these tasks, track recording machine, EM120, measured the geometrical parameters of the track within 1, 3, 6 and 8 month intervals. In order to determine the variation of TGI and J indices, the geometrical index of the track were analyzed. The present paper is elaborated on the analyzed results.