Numerical and experimental analysis on the corrugation caused by a vehicle equipped with resilient wheels

Rail corrugation growth is a major issue for railway infrastructure owners and operators determining extra costs due to an increased maintenance. Generally, rail corrugation leads to increased wear and vibration levels that eventually lead to degradation and damage of both railway track and vehicle components Aim of this work is to study, both from an experimental and from a numerical point of view, rail corrugation observed on the low-rail of a sharp curve (radius equal to 110 m) of an underground line. The causes of the corrugation may be found in the interaction between the track and the vehicle which is equipped with resilient wheels.