Enhancing rail infra durability through freight bogie design

The extensive usage of railway infrastructure demands a high level of robustness, which can be achieved partly by considering (and managing) the track and rolling stock as one integral system with due attention to their interface. A growing number of infra managers consider, in this framework, the track-friendliness of vehicles that have access to their tracks as a key control parameter. The aim of this study is to provide further insight into potential contributions to track-friendliness, assessed in relation to track deterioration mechanisms and cost, understanding how potential benefits are best to be utilised. Six proposed freight bogie design measures are evaluated with respect to the improvement in curving behaviour, switch negotiation and related track degradation mechanisms. To this purpose a sensitivity analysis has been carried out by means of track–train simulations in the VAMPIRE® multi body simulation software. Additionally, the impact on track deterioration costs has been calculated for those track-friendly design modifications identified as most promising. Conclusions show that the standard Y25L freight bogie design displays rather a track-friendly behaviour. Tuning the primary yaw stiffness shows a high potential to further improve track-friendliness, significantly reducing track deterioration cost at narrow radius curves and switches (by, respectively, 30% and 60%). When calculating the overall deterioration cost for the travelled route, the calculation model should include a well-balanced representation of switches and narrow radius curves.