Cause, increase, diagnosis, countermeasures and elimination of Shinkansen shelling

Abstract About 15 years ago, Tokaido Shinkansen was troubled by the “Shinkansen shelling”. It is similar to a “squat” in the UK in that it initiates from the top surface of rail, but different from “shelling” in heavy haul railway, where cracks initiate from the inside. This paper first discusses the increase and decline of rail breakages on Tokaido Shinkansen. Then, the history of these failures is considered with respect to the growth of shells, removal of shelled rails and quality of rail. A discussion of the cause and applied counter-measures, which include replacement of 50 t rail with 60 kg rail, improved inspection and rail grinding, concludes this paper.