Comparison between time and frequency studies of a corrugated curve of RER Paris network

In this paper, both time and frequency domain approaches are applied to a corrugated, curved, ballasted track section located in the RER commuter rail network in Paris. From the railhead profile measurements, two corrugation wavelengths are identified on the low rail. The wavelength fixing mechanisms are found to correlate to a resonance of the concrete sleepers and a resonance of the unsprung mass of the vehicle on the track stiffness. Corrugation growth rates are established from both approaches and compared. Then, an extensive parameter study is performed in order to evaluate the relevance of various parameters and to identify viable solutions for mitigating the observed corrugation. Specifically we examine the impact on rail corrugation due to the following track parameters: the vertical and lateral rail pad stiffness, the sleeper mass and the superelevation.