Metallurgical Contribution to Reducing Railway Track Maintenance Costs

The importance of efficient transport systems for achieving sustainable economic
growth of a region is widely acknowledged and is highlighted in the Regional
Economic Strategy published by YF. This proposed project will contribute to the
achievement of this strategic objective by generating solutions to decrease the
maintenance and renewal costs of railway transport. The strength ofthe project lies in
bringing together the traditional metallurgical strengths of the region with new
innovative technologies proven in other industrial sectors to deliver demonstrable
benefits to railways. The synergistic effect of these technologies and expert
organisations will develop directly implementable solutions as products, processes, or
services that can be delivered, preferably by regional companies, to the railway
industry to generate significant economic growth for the region.
The following solutions will be delivered:
1. Degradation algorithms for rails to enable planned & predictive renewal &
maintenance
2. Metallurgical management of corrugation to increase life of rails
3. "Intelligent Rail" using advanced sensors to predict residual rail life
4. Innovative weld repair procedures & equipment to extend rail life
5. Novel Steel Composition for railway crossings
6. Increasing rail life by preventing corrosion
Brief details of scope, deliverables, and milestones from each activity are indicated in
later sections and will be further expanded in the full proposal.