Monitoring of Corrugation Growth on Tracks with Cologne Egg Fastening System

Corrugation is a serious problem in railway industry. It may be more commonly seen in metro networks for that metro lines usually have more and sharper curves than the main lines. Research has shown that fastening system is an influence factor on corrugation. Server corrugation was found on tracks with Cologne egg fastening system (Cologne egg for short) shortly after the operation of a metro line. To understand the effects of Cologne eggs on the development of corrugation, curved and tangent lines with Cologne eggs were selected for corrugation growth monitoring. In order to compare the effects of different fastening systems on corrugation, monitoring was also conducted on tracks with the same line condition but using ordinary short sleeper fastening system. Monitoring of rail roughness was done during the whole period between two rail grinding operations using a Corrugation Analysis Trolley (CAT). The characteristics of corrugation growth, such as the speed of growth, the wavelength of corrugation, the distribution of corrugation, etc. were analyzed on different track configurations. Corrugation showed a rapid growth in the first a few weeks after grinding and slowed down after that. Monitoring results show that fasting system is a strong influence factor of corrugation growth. The effect of grinding was discussed. Comparison of corrugation growth of different grinding methods shows that proper grinding method would not only reduce the speed of corrugation growth, but also the final rail roughness level.