Modelling and enhancing track support through railway switches & crossings

The main aim of this research is to improve the long-term behaviour and life cycle cost of railway switches & crossings and transitions. This work will focus on analysing the effects of non-homogeneous track support stiffness on the vehicle-track system and developing solutions to optimise its performance. To do so, it is necessary to understand the main degradation mechanisms on the switch and crossing panels. A numerical model of the train and a complete turnout will be developed, that accurately considers the train-track interaction and allows to predict these degradation mechanisms and study different solutions to improve the long-term behaviour and life cycle costs.