Track damage comparison between conventional and articulated trains operating on a Great Britain railways ‘classic’ mainline route and a high-speed route

The impact of train architecture and design characteristics on track deterioration accounts for a significant proportion of the whole-life costs of operating a railway. Introducing new train fleets with an expected life in excess of 30 years means that it is important to optimise train design to minimise track deterioration, maximise track life and realise long-term cost savings. Furthermore, higher traffic tonnage (from more frequent services) and increased train acceleration and speeds will cause increasing track deterioration rates; therefore, this issue is central to managing a sustainable railway in future. The track ‘friendliness’ of a train is determined by several ‘vehicle/track interaction’ parameters: train mass, axle load, number of axles, bogie unsprung mass, traction power, suspension ride forces and speed. The Vehicle/Track Interaction Strategic Model (VTISM) can be used to analyse the effect of these parameters on track forces and the resultant track deterioration and maintenance and renewal costs. This paper describes a study undertaken using the VTISM to investigate the impact of axle loads and train architecture on vertical deterioration and costs of ballasted track on a Great Britain railways ‘classic’ mainline route (up to 125 mph) and, following VTISM upgrading and validation, a high-speed route (up to 360 km/h). It identifies where potential cost advantages may be obtained when comparing conventional trains with new, alternative train architectures.