INTERACTION BETWEEN MOVING VEHICLES AND RAILWAY TRACK AT HIGH SPEEDS

A numerical method was proposed for the analysis of vertical track behavior as a result of moving railway vehicles. This approach led to the development of an integrated model called DARTS (Dynamic Analysis of Railway Track Structures). The method was applied for evaluating car body accelerations, rail deflections and wheel/rail contact forces resulting from the passage of a Thalys high speed train, travelling on a conventional ballasted track and a non-conventional embedded rail structure. From the results presented, conclusions could be drawn with respect to track structure behavior under high speed train operation.