Engineering news
The Institute of Railway Research, based at the University of Huddersfield, will begin constructing new test facilities to develop railway switches and crossings that “last longer and require much less maintenance”.
The IRR is to share in a £6.5 million, five-year project named Track to the Future, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). It involves a consortium of four universities, with Huddersfield’s IRR joining Southampton, Birmingham and Nottingham to investigate three broad areas of improvement. These include the aim to develop long-life tracks that require much less frequent maintenance. Another is to develop noiseless tracks, improving the quality of life for people dwelling in the vicinity of rail lines.
Researchers at the University of Huddersfield will look into both areas, but will take the lead in developing new designs for switches and crossings. These complex components of the network are exceptionally prone to wear and tear because the blades of switches are made of thinner rail and also have to take extra heavy loads as they guide vehicles at speed. As a result they require frequent and costly maintenance and replacement, leading to disruptions in service.
Professor Simon Iwnicki, director of the IRR, said that switches and crossings account for less than 1% of the entire route length of railways in the UK, but they absorb 20% of expenditure on track maintenance. The aim of the institute’s research is to make drastic reductions in these costs.
The IRR will develop optimised designs for switches. A new layout and geometry could improve the support for wheels and gradually reduce the pressure they exert as they cross the transition point.
Researchers at the university will also examine more sophisticated use of materials, resulting in what Iwnicki describes as “a tuned variation in geometry and material properties”.
He said: “Instead of just having a simple cross-section and a standard material right the way through, we might decide to optimise the way that the material is put through the switch, and the geometry of it.”
The IRR said that it will also utilise its expertise in computer modelling for the Track to the Future project. As an alternative to using standard, off-the-peg switches and crossings designs, computer modelling could enable new switches to be designed for specific locations, according to factors such as the amount and nature of rail traffic crossing over them.
Dr Yann Bezin, head of research at the IRR, said: “Our numerical simulation tools have already helped manufacturers understand keys issues with specific installations and help them assess potential corrective actions before significant money is spent in the field. Likewise, they can be used earlier in the design process to achieve an optimum design from the start, thus reducing maintenance needs in the future.”
Iwnicki said that this approach would be “a step change” for the industry. Currently, some components in switches last as little as three years, but the research should lead to major improvements.
The project is a Programme Grant and will last for five years. The EPSRC awarded £6.5 million for Track to the Future after a detailed proposal from the consortium partners, including Professor Iwnicki and Dr Bezin.