Railway application - Track superstructure decision-making

This IRS (International Railway Solution) aims:

- to establish a guideline to help the IMs make the choice between ballasted track and slab-track (ballastless);

- to provide key elements for decision-making between different solutions of slab-track, according to multiple and diverse factors.

The structure of this IRS is divided into these three main fields:

1) Criteria for the decision-making between different track solutions

The purpose of this field is to study the key criteria for decision-making based on the analysis of the extensive Bibliography and the previous projects/studies on the subject.

In a first stage, a state of the art of the decision-making processes has been developed as it is necessary to provide a context for the justification of the parameters and processes selected. This first stage has been developed in point 3 of the present IRS.

In a second stage, the methodological approach, the analysis of key effects and technical parameters to be considered and the decision-making process stages to be scheduled have been developed to finally provide a suitability analysis and selection process guide. This second stage has been developed in chapter 4 of the present IRS.

Additionally, a state of the art for decision-making processes has been included in Appendix A.

2) State of the art of the track systems

The scope of this field is to analyse the existing ballasted and ballastless track systems in the Railway Infrastructures.

Appendix B of the present IRS will develop the state of the art of ballasted track systems.

Appendix C of the present IRS will develop the state of the art of ballastless track systems.

3) Case study

The scope of this field is to provide an example of the application of the guidelines for decisionmaking between different track solutions for a defined section of a new railway line.

Appendix D will develop this example.