Degradation of railway track geometry – Correlation between track stiffness gradient and differential settlement:

Based on the track geometry car recordings performed from 1999 to 2016 on a section of the Swedish heavy haul line Malmbanan, the vertical track geometry degradation is analysed for wavelengths in the interval 1–25 m. The upper layer of the subgrade on parts of the rail section is peat (depths of up to 2 m), while it is moraine on others leading to a significant longitudinal variation in substructure stiffness. The degradation rates of irregularities in the longitudinal level and the influence of track maintenance (tamping) on the track geometry are studied. In parallel, a method for continuous measurement of track vertical stiffness along the line, allowing for the detection of track sections with poor support conditions, is described and demonstrated. Synchronised measurements of the longitudinal level and the track vertical stiffness are evaluated to determine whether there is a correlation between a high stiffness gradient due to variations in substructure stiffness and a high growth rate of local tra...