Management of Total Rail Grinding Maintenance Process

The article will discuss the use of rail grinding in the maintenance of track. A well planned and managed grinding process can result in longer rail life and reduce life cycle costs. In order to minimize costs and maximum benefits of rail grinding it is necessary to have a total rail grinding management process in place that should include: (1) inspection of rail profiles; (2) analysis, planning, and scheduling; (3) execution of rail grinding; and (4) quality control. Inspection and measurement is a key part of rail grinding maintenance activity since it provides the input and condition data for the proper determination of what type and amount of grinding is needed. Monitoring of the rail head profile and condition also allows for the determination of where and when grinding is needed. This is particularly important for rail because conditions can vary as a function of numerous track, traffic and location parameters such as curvature, tonnage, rail size, wheel condition, speed, etc.