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1 PRELIMINARY REMARKS
New railway infrastructure has been built for high speed traffic over a period
of more than forty years between the mid 1950s and the current decade. Hence
the criteria adopted for line design have changed in the course of time,
reflecting advances made in knowledge about the different aspects connected
with operation at higher speeds.
Experience has shown that design engineers have sought to allow a certain
margin for higher speeds for the future. Because the service lives of
infrastructure and rolling stock are different, it is advisable to provide for this
margin which competition and current standardisation work may in fact
reduce.
km/h
INCREASE IN MAXIMUM SPEEDS Graph 1
600
500
max speed in trials
400
300
200
max revenue speed
100
Revenue service experience has been concentrated thus far in the 250 to 300
km/h speed range although, as mentioned above, some lines have been
approved for speeds as high as 320 km/h.
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Nonetheless, it has to be recognised that on the whole, economic
considerations (be they commercial or energy-related), as well as technical
(concerning rolling stock of permanent way installations) and environmental
protection considerations (line alignment, noise, etc.) have put a cap on high
speeds until now.
Yet, the picture can be expected to change in the future for some lines and for
certain types of high speed service. In Europe, the new Mediterranean TGV
line (some 60 kilometres of this line are to be operated at the speed of 320
km/h) and the Madrid Barcelona line will be the first to evolve.
The group quickly recognised the difficulty for a single group of experts of
addressing the full range of issues related both to permanent way and rolling
stock.
Furthermore, UIC had already carried out studies in certain specific fields to
resolve some of the problems falling within the scope of the groups
investigations as well as work on the Technical Specifications for
Interoperability (TSI) and for various European standards on the
infrastructure, energy, maintenance, control command, rolling stock and
operations sub-systems.
More specific issues will now be addressed in a second stage and some of the
singular aspects or parameters analysed in greater depth with a view to
drawing up more precise recommendations.
The working party has focused on identifying the main problems involved in
raising speeds above 300 km/h, but without specifying any absolute
requirements.
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Line operation characteristics differ substantially from one country to another.
There are three types of lines from the standpoint of the type of traffic
operated :
Type 1 : Lines dedicated to high speed traffic. This is the practice in France
and Belgium and in the future, the same approach will be adopted for certain
other lines in Germany (Cologne - Frankfurt)
Type 2 : Lines used for high speed passenger traffic as well as for
conventional trains at lower speeds. This is the case in Spain as well as for
future lines in Belgium.
Type 3 : Mixed traffic lines used for both passenger trains (high speed and
conventional) and freight trains as in Italy and Germany as well as for future
lines in Spain, France and Great Britain.
The combination of freight traffic and trains operated at speeds of over 300
km/h may pose capacity problems, but can also create severe track geometry
constraints because of restrictions on excess cant. For all of these reasons,
traffic at speeds above 300 km/h should be confined to type 1 and 2 lines as a
rule.
Nonetheless, it should be borne in mind that the draft TSI for infrastructure
specifies a maximum gradient of 35 over a continuous 6 km stretch of
track, added to which the slope of the mean sliding profile over 10 km must be
less than or equal to 25 .
Logically the higher the design speed for a line, the larger the curve radius
should be. At all events, once the maximum speed criterion has been set for a
line, the key parameter for determining the other geometric characteristics of
the line is cant deficiency.
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Table 1 summarises the main track geometry characteristics for different
railways based on experience to date.
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TSI
FRANCE GERMANY ITALY SPAIN BELGIUM
(Draft)
300 KM/H 300 KM/H 350 KM/H 350 KM/H 350 KM/H
PARAMETER
300 KM/H 350 KM/H LINES LINES LINES 300 KM/H LINES 300 KM/H 350 KM/H 300 KM/H LINES
LINES LINES Nuremberg - Cologne - Study LINES Study LINES LINES LINES Study
Ingolstadt Frankfurt assumption assumption assumption
PASSENGER / PASSENGER / PASSENGER /
Type of traffic PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER
FREIGHT FREIGHT FREIGHT
Maximum axle load for the
17 17 17 17 < 16 17 17 17 18 17 17
max. line speed, HS trains (t)
Maximum axle load for
- - 20 - - 22,5 22,5 20 - 22,5 -
locomotives (t)
Maximum axle load for wagons
- - 22,5 - - 22,5 22,5 - - 22,5 -
(t)
Minimum curve radius for 6 250 Defined by
4 000 4 000 3 350 5 120 5 450 7 000 4 000 6 500 4 800
maximum speed (m) exc.(5 556) Cd
Maximum cant (mm) 180 180 160 170 170 105 130 150 150 150 200
35 (long
Maximum gradient (mm/m) 35 35 20 40 40 12 (6) 12 (6) 12,5 25 15 (21)
< 6 km)
130
ballasted
Cant deficiency at design track
85 65 (85) 105 112 90 75 100 65 100 80
speed (Cd, mm) 150
ballastless
track
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3 - CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRACK CROSS SECTION AND OF
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
The TSI specify a minimum value of 4.50 metres for the distance between
track centres (for speeds above 300 km/h). Some railways have adopted
different values, in some instances without explaining the reason for this.
Some of the studies carried out for the international Figueres - Perpignan
section of the Barcelona - Perpignan new line show that an increase in the
distance between track centrelines from 4.5 m to 4.8 m adds a further 1 % to
civil engineering costs.
The track cross section must be considered in the light of local features such as
drainage, access ways, earth walls replacing noise abatement walls, etc.
TUNNELS
This limit has been set as a precaution in the event of failure of the pressure-
sealed system and the values adopted have been set from the standpoint of
passenger health and not comfort.
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be operated in combination with freight trains, timing the latter in separate
slots.
One extremely important point for track gang safety is the distance between
the edge of access ways and the outside edge of the rail. Once again there are a
wide variety of criteria to define this parameter which ranges between 2.15
and 3.00 meters.
The TSI specify that trainsets at 250 km/h shall not cause dangerous
slipstream effects on persons at a distance of 2 metres.
For higher speeds, each railway will have to consider whether additional
precautions need to be taken, such as increased clearances, protective screens,
etc.
BRIDGES
Dynamic effects.
An in-depth study of this occurrence has shown that the instability is caused
by vertical acceleration in bridge decks which can be as high as 0.7 g and even
0.8 g. The vertical acceleration is caused by the passage of trains at certain
speeds and not necessarily at top speed.
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Furthermore, the regular and repeated load distribution of high speed trainset
axles in certain speed ranges may give rise to resonance in bridge decks and
amplify deflection and vertical acceleration substantially.
Loading tests.
Structural and loading tests must be carried out to ensure that the dynamic
parameters (stiffness, natural frequency, damping, etc.) of engineering
structures are identical to the design values.
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The same type of sub-grade transition structure is used for both 300 km/h and
350km/h lines, but given the large number of engineering structures on new
high speed lines, it would be advisable to study the solutions and dimensions
needed for these transition elements.
Expansion joints.
Insofar as possible, long viaducts should be designed bearing in mind the need
to reduce (or eliminate) the number of expansion joints which are frequently
too long and also pose considerable maintenance problems.
4 - ENVIRONMENT
As speed increases, the level of noise emission and the nature of noise changes
also, rendering noise abatement walls less effective.
As a rule, it is legitimate to assume that the higher the speed, the more noise
problems there will be. Consequently, provision must be made for protective
measures (noise abatement walls, earth walls, etc.), as well as for changes in
line layout or the construction of artificial tunnels or covered cuttings,
maintenance measures (grinding) and of course measures on rolling stock.
Graph 2 shows the different criteria and values obtained between 200 and 300
km/h.
Graph 2
95 TRANSRAPID
ICE
85
STI
75 IC - DB AG
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65
100 200 300 400 500 Speed (km/h)
5 TRACK EQUIPMENT PARAMETERS
RAILS
There is general agreement among the railways that the same types of rail can
be used irrespective of the speeds practised on a line. Hence the type of rail
recommended for the speed of 300 km/h as well as for 350 km/h is the
standard 60E1 type rail (UIC 60). Specialists are also unanimous about the
grade of steel (900 A).
On the whole, the quality of rails is not affected by raising speeds above 300
km/h if top quality rails are used. However, special attention should be given
to acceptance, laying, welding, superficial flaws, etc.
The TSI recommend a rail cant of 1:20 for speeds above 280 km/h. Similarly
they specify the track gauge, rail cant and wheel profile values for the lowest
conicity possible at speeds above 280 km/h (without any distinction being
made between 300, 350 km/h, etc.).
As a rule, the higher the speed, the lower the equivalent conicity should be.
The wear profile should be studied from the standpoint of economic efficiency
and compliance with the theoretical equivalent conicity.
SLEEPERS
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Normally speaking, the various railways do not plan to make any changes in
the mass per kilogram of sleepers to prepare for operation at speeds of 300
km/h and above.
The bearing surface of sleepers is a key factor for distributing vertical forces
on the ballast. If the forces exerted on rails increase with the higher speeds and
are transmitted to sleepers through baseplates and to the ballast, it would be
highly advisable to assess dynamic forces and other additional forces (due to
braking in particular).
Baseplates are generally made of rubber or elastomer and one of their main
characteristics is vertical elasticity. They are particularly important on bridges,
in tunnels and on slab track.
Graph 3
Optimal stiffness
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Given the importance of vertical track stiffness in track-vehicle dynamics, this
aspect should be investigated in depth to ascertain the optimum value for each
variable.
The trend today is to design track for an overall stiffness of about 100 kN/mm.
At all events, track stiffness values should be uniform along the entire length
of a line.
A reference value should be set for both vertical track stiffness and for track
damping in order to assess generally whether train traffic can be operated at
the speed of 300 km/h and above on a line without giving rise to unduly heavy
maintenance costs.
TRACK LAYING
On the whole, high speed lines in Europe consist of ballasted track in most
instances. Nonetheless, DB AG also has ballastless track on which trains are
operated at speeds above 200 km/h. This type of track is used in France also
on underground sections of line operated at 220 km/h.
BALLAST
There are no significant differences from one country to another regarding the
size of the smallest particles used for the ballast on high speed lines. Any
differences are often due to the national standards applied.
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Special attention is given to the presence of fines in the ballast. In some
instances the ballast needs to be washed (sometimes twice).
Todays high quality ballast can be used without posing any particular
problems for 350 km/h lines, as requirements do not in fact vary to any large
degree between 300 and 350 km/h.
BALLASTLESS TRACK
Several railways (DB AG, FS, SNCF, JR) have built ballastless track. In
Germany, in particular, DB AG decided to build ballastless sections of high
speed line (or lines designed for speed above 200 km/h) except in areas where
trains should run at lower speeds, for example in the vicinity of stations.
On the whole, construction costs for ballastless track are much higher than for
ballasted track, but experience has shown that maintenance costs are about 1/5
lower, expecially in tunnels because the track geometry deteriorates more
slowly.
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Nonetheless, it is too early to conclude that the total life cycle cost of
ballastless track will be much lower than for conventional ballasted track.
Other types of track tested to variable degrees (track laid on asphalt, track with
special fastenings, ladder track, Riessberger track, etc.) are not used for high
speed lines for the moment.
Points and crossings, bridge bearings, transition structures, etc have not been
addressed in this study for the time being.
These aspects will be addressed in greater depth in a second stage of the study.
A few preliminary considerations have been noted nonetheless.
The catenary tension required depends on train speeds and ranges from 15 kN
at 250 km/h, to 20 kN at 300 km/h and 30 kN at 350 km/h. New alloys have
made it possible to increase catenary tension.
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Contact wire height for the different countries falls within the values specified
in the draft Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI), i.e. 5.08 or 5.30
m.
7 OPERATING CONDITIONS
WEATHER CONDITIONS
On the whole (and apart from the impact on overhead lines, for which catenary
tension must be raised in order to increase resistance to sidewinds), train
sensitivity to sidewinds (from the standpoint of stability) increases with speed.
Generally, speed restrictions are required when the sidewind velocity exceeds
certain values (on some railways, SNCB for example, the permissible limit of
wind velocity applies to all directions). If wind velocity exceeds certain
values, traffic may have to be stopped.
In some instances, windscreens may obviate the need for speed restrictions
and eliminate the risk of high speed trainsets overturning.
At very low temperatures, blocks of ice may form underneath vehicles and
falling ice may cause ballast projections (see section on ballast).
MAINTENANCE
Depending on the distance between track centres and the track gang danger
zone circumscribed (which varies from one country to another), the presence
of track gangs for inspection or maintenance work may mean that speed will
have to be reduced to below 350 km/h on tracks remaining in service.
As far as technical aspects are concerned and from a general standpoint, there
should be a requirement at speeds of 350 km/h for systems able to detect and
correct very long wavelength faults.
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should diminish the need for tamping as a rule - welding, grinding of welds,
traces on rails, etc.).
The members of the group hold the view that with experience acquired in
railways in the field of high speed operation, the transition from 300 to 350
km/h can be achieved with current technology.
Nonetheless, this report has identified certain subjects that are influenced by
speed and others where clearly the decision to opt for the speed of 350 km/h
rather than 300 km/h has no impact on the criteria adopted insofar as no new
threshold has been identified.
Aspects connected with high speed line maintenance (and concomitant track
quality) deserve particular attention. A study on definition of maintenance
policy is still needed even though the added cost of maintenance for a high
speed line is not substantial.
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