Development of track geometry inspection equipment for high-speed comprehensive inspection train in China

Purpose–This study aims to analyze the development direction of track geometry inspection equipment for high-speed comprehensive inspection train in China.Design/methodology/approach–The development of track geometry inspection equipment for highspeed comprehensive inspection train in China in the past 20 years can be divided into 3 stages.Track geometry inspection equipment 1.0 is the stage of analog signal.At the stage 1.0,the first priority is to meet the China’s railways basic needs of pre-operation joint debugging,safety assessment and daily dynamic inspection,maintenance and repair after operation.Track geometry inspection equipment 2.0 is the stage of digital signal.At the stage 2.0,it is important to improve stability and reliability of track geometry inspection equipment by upgrading the hardware sensors and improving software architecture.Track geometry inspection equipment 3.0 is the stage of lightweight.At the stage 3.0,miniaturization,low power consumption,self-running and green economy are co-developing on demand.Findings–The ability of track geometry inspection equipment for high-speed comprehensive inspection train will be expanded.The dynamic inspection of track stiffness changes will be studied under loaded and unloaded conditions in response to the track local settlement,track plate detachment and cushion plate failure.The dynamic measurement method of rail surface slope and vertical curve radius will be proposed,to reveal the changes in railway profile parameters of high-speed railways and the relationship between railway profile,track irregularity and subsidence of subgrade and bridges.The 200 m cut-off wavelength of track regularity will be researched to adapt to the operating speed of 400 km/h.Originality/value–The research can provide new connotations and requirements of track geometry inspection equipment for high-speed comprehensive inspection train in the new railway stage.

Metal-enriched nanoparticles and black carbon:A perspective from the Brazil railway system air pollution

Having a better understanding of air pollutants in railway systems is crucial to ensure a clean public transport.This study measured,for the first time in Brazil,nanoparticles(NPs)and black carbon(BC)on two groundlevel platforms and inside trains of the Metropolitan Area of Porto Alegre(MAPA).An intense sampling campaign during thirteen consecutive months was carried out and the chemical composition of NPs was examined by advanced microscopy techniques.The results showed that highest concentrations of the pollutants occur in colder seasons and influenced by variables such as frequency of the trains and passenger densities.Also,internal and external sources of pollution at the stations were identified.The predominance of NPs enriched with metals that increase oxidative stress like Cd,Fe,Pb,Cr,Zn,Ni,V,Hg,Sn,and Ba both on the platforms and inside trains,including Fe-minerals as hematite and magnetite,represents a critical risk to the health of passengers and employees of the system.This interdisciplinary and multi-analytical study aims to provide an improved understanding of reported adverse health effects induced by railway system aerosols.

China’s railway train speed,density and weight in developing

Purpose–This study aims to analyze the development direction of train speed,density and weight in China.Design/methodology/approach–The development of China’s railway in the past 40 years can be divided into 3 stages.At the stage of potential tapping and capacity expansion,it is important to improve the train weight and density by upgrading the existing lines,and improving transportation capacity rapidly.At the stage of railway speed increase,the first priority is to increase train speed,reduce the travel time of passenger train,and synchronously take into account the increase of train density and weight.At the stage of developing high-speed railway,train speed,density and weight are co-developing on demand.Findings–The train speed of high-speed railway will be 400 km h
1,the interval time of train tracking will be 3 min,and the traffic density will be more than 190 pairs per day.The running speed of high-speed freight EMU will reach 200 km h
1 and above.The maximum speed of passenger train on mixed passenger and freight railway can reach 200 km h
1.The minimum interval time of train tracking can be compressed to 5 min.The freight train weight of 850 m series arrival-departure track railway can be increased to 4,500–5,000 t and that of 1,050 m series to 5,500–6,400 t.EMU trains should gradually replace ordinary passenger trains to improve the quality of railway passenger service.Small formation trains will operate more in intercity railway,suburban railway and short-distance passenger transportation.Originality/value–The research can provide new connotations and requirements of railway train speed,density and weight in the new railway stage.