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M. Meninas, A. Magno, J. Pagaimo, F. Marques, S. Vieira, H. Magalhaes, "A Methodology for Generating Track Models with Realistic Rail Wear for Digital Twin Applications", 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 18.15, 2026, doi:10.4203/ccc.15.18.15

Keywords: railway dynamics, wheel-rail contact, wear, multibody dynamics, spatial interpolation, digital twins.

Abstract

Railway infrastructure managers face the continuous challenge of maintaining the rail network within strict safety and operational parameters. A critical aspect of this maintenance is ensuring that rail wear remains below the thresholds imposed by standard regulations. Traditionally, rail wear inspection relies on dedicated track recording vehicles operating on a periodic basis. However, a key challenge in modern railway engineering is the development of on-board condition monitoring technologies capable of being installed on in-service vehicles for continuous monitoring aiming to optimize maintenance costs and avoid components failure. To address this gap, this study proposes a methodology to evaluate rail wear based on the dynamic response of operational vehicles. Recognizing that vehicle dynamics are influenced by rail profile degradation, numerical simulations are employed to analyse vehicle behaviour and generate comprehensive datasets correlating dynamic responses with specific rail wear conditions. Track models incorporating varying degrees of worn rails are developed using a dedicated computational tool originally designed to support the complex geometry of switches and crossings (S&C). Furthermore, an advanced wheel-rail contact model, previously benchmarked for S&C applications, is implemented to handle the complex contact mechanics associated with worn rail profiles. Ultimately, this approach provides a robust simulated framework to support the development of continuous, data-driven track inspection strategies.

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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 18.15 A Methodology for Generating Track Models with Realistic Rail Wear for Digital Twin Applications M. Meninas¹, A. Magno¹, J. Pagaimo¹, F. Marques², S. Vieira¹ and H. Magalhaes¹ ¹IDMEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal ²CMEMS-UMinho, Universidade do Minho, Portugal doi:10.4203/ccc.15.18.15 Full Bibliographic Reference for this paper M. Meninas, A. Magno, J. Pagaimo, F. Marques, S. Vieira, H. Magalhaes, "A Methodology for Generating Track Models with Realistic Rail Wear for Digital Twin Applications", 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 18.15, 2026, doi:10.4203/ccc.15.18.15 Keywords: railway dynamics, wheel-rail contact, wear, multibody dynamics, spatial interpolation, digital twins. Abstract Railway infrastructure managers face the continuous challenge of maintaining the rail network within strict safety and operational parameters. A critical aspect of this maintenance is ensuring that rail wear remains below the thresholds imposed by standard regulations. Traditionally, rail wear inspection relies on dedicated track recording vehicles operating on a periodic basis. However, a key challenge in modern railway engineering is the development of on-board condition monitoring technologies capable of being installed on in-service vehicles for continuous monitoring aiming to optimize maintenance costs and avoid components failure. To address this gap, this study proposes a methodology to evaluate rail wear based on the dynamic response of operational vehicles. Recognizing that vehicle dynamics are influenced by rail profile degradation, numerical simulations are employed to analyse vehicle behaviour and generate comprehensive datasets correlating dynamic responses with specific rail wear conditions. Track models incorporating varying degrees of worn rails are developed using a dedicated computational tool originally designed to support the complex geometry of switches and crossings (S&C). Furthermore, an advanced wheel-rail contact model, previously benchmarked for S&C applications, is implemented to handle the complex contact mechanics associated with worn rail profiles. Ultimately, this approach provides a robust simulated framework to support the development of continuous, data-driven track inspection strategies. download the full-text of this paper (PDF, 8 pages, 559 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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