MANAGING THE CRITICAL WHEEL/RAIL INTERFACE

In the UK, the Hatfield derailment in 2000 was caused by gauge corner cracking, which is a form of rolling contact fatigue. The cracking initiation and crack propagation processes that occur in rails as a result of contact between wheels and rails are described. Crack initiation and growth in rails depends on axle load, speed, cant, the quality of the rail surface, wheel roundness, track stiffness, and vehicle suspensions. A whole life model was developed by the University of Sheffield using data from AEAT Rail at Derby to predict and control the degradation processes occurring in the rail as a result of cyclic loading by the wheels.