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Keywords: wheel/rail equivalent conicity, car-body shaking, field test, dynamic performance, lab test, resonance mechanism.

Abstract

This study investigates the underlying mechanism of car-body shaking, a lateral low-frequency vibration phenomenon frequently observed in in-service high-speed trains. Through extensive field tests on CR400BF EMUs operating on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, lateral accelerations of both bogie frames and car bodies were recorded under real-operation conditions, while wheel and rail profiles were periodically measured to evaluate the evolution of wheel–rail geometric interaction. Results reveal that when the wheel–rail equivalent conicity exceeds 0.35 – typically occurring toward the end of a wheel reprofiling cycle-a pronounced lateral harmonic vibration at approximately 8 Hz emerges in the bogie frame, which is subsequently transmitted to the car body. Complementary modal analyses, including both laboratory-based and operational (working) modal testing, reveal that the car body possesses a diamond-shaped elastic mode with a natural frequency falling within the 7.9~8.1 Hz range across service speeds of 250~380 km/h. This close alignment between the excitation frequency (induced by bogie hunting) and the structural resonance frequency of the car body leads to significant amplification of vibrations, manifesting as perceptible “shaking” for passengers. Based on this resonance mechanism, three targeted mitigation strategies are proposed: (1) optimizing wheel and rail profiles to suppress the growth of equivalent conicity, (2) enhancing car-body structural dynamics to shift critical modal frequencies away from the hunting band, and (3) implementing real-time monitoring algorithms to detect and diagnose abnormal vibrations during operation. The findings provide a systematic framework for improving ride comfort and structural safety in high-speed rail systems.

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Front Page Browse CCC CCP CSETS CTR IJRT Other Authors Search Purchase Guide FAQ Contact us	Civil-Comp Conferences ISSN 2753-3239 CCC: 15 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY: RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE Edited by: J. Pombo Paper 18.3 Mechanism and Mitigation of Carbody Shaking in Chinese High-Speed Trains X. Dong¹, G. Ren², X. Li³ and Z. Xu¹ ¹Locomotive and Rolling Stock Research Institute, China Academy of Railway Sciences, Beijing, China ²China Railway Group Corporation, Beijing, China ³Changchun Railway Vehicle Co.Ltd, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation Limited, Beijing, China doi:10.4203/ccc.15.18.3 Full Bibliographic Reference for this paper X. Dong, G. Ren, X. Li, Z. Xu, "Mechanism and Mitigation of Carbody Shaking in Chinese High-Speed Trains", in J. Pombo, (Editor), "Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Railway Technology: Research, Development and Maintenance ", Civil-Comp Press, Edinburgh, UK, Online volume: CCC 15, Paper 18.3, 2026, doi:10.4203/ccc.15.18.3 Keywords: wheel/rail equivalent conicity, car-body shaking, field test, dynamic performance, lab test, resonance mechanism. Abstract This study investigates the underlying mechanism of car-body shaking, a lateral low-frequency vibration phenomenon frequently observed in in-service high-speed trains. Through extensive field tests on CR400BF EMUs operating on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, lateral accelerations of both bogie frames and car bodies were recorded under real-operation conditions, while wheel and rail profiles were periodically measured to evaluate the evolution of wheel–rail geometric interaction. Results reveal that when the wheel–rail equivalent conicity exceeds 0.35 – typically occurring toward the end of a wheel reprofiling cycle-a pronounced lateral harmonic vibration at approximately 8 Hz emerges in the bogie frame, which is subsequently transmitted to the car body. Complementary modal analyses, including both laboratory-based and operational (working) modal testing, reveal that the car body possesses a diamond-shaped elastic mode with a natural frequency falling within the 7.9~8.1 Hz range across service speeds of 250~380 km/h. This close alignment between the excitation frequency (induced by bogie hunting) and the structural resonance frequency of the car body leads to significant amplification of vibrations, manifesting as perceptible “shaking” for passengers. Based on this resonance mechanism, three targeted mitigation strategies are proposed: (1) optimizing wheel and rail profiles to suppress the growth of equivalent conicity, (2) enhancing car-body structural dynamics to shift critical modal frequencies away from the hunting band, and (3) implementing real-time monitoring algorithms to detect and diagnose abnormal vibrations during operation. The findings provide a systematic framework for improving ride comfort and structural safety in high-speed rail systems. download the full-text of this paper (PDF, 17 pages, 693 Kb) go to the previous paper go to the next paper return to the table of contents return to the volume description
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