THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF UNEVEN RAIL WEAR ON CURVES

Rail side wear on curves poses a major problem for railways. A high rate of wear directly affects the economic performance of a railway. Uneven rail side wear on curves leads to a reduction in the service life of the rail. This article looks at the results obtained from simulations carried out by means of the NUCARS dynamic curving model which yielded that at some velocities the degree of angle-of-attack and lateral force, as well as bogie design and type of wheel tread profile affect the rate of uneven rail wear. The study was carried out at the Centre for Surface Transportation Technology of the National Research Council of Canada.