Addressing the main factors contributing to rapid track deterioration is essential to minimize overall maintenance costs and improve track availability. This Area of Research focuses on rail surface irregularities as a key factor in track deterioration. Since 2005, it has been possible to identify and quantify irregularities in the rail surface using rail surface measurement data collected by ÖBB’s track recording car.
Understanding the processes of short-waved effects increasing the dynamic loads leads to root-caused maintenance actions rather than corrective intervention treating the effects only.
