A study of the effect of track irregularity prevention methods for the transition zone between different track structures

Abstract

It is common knowledge that at the transition zones between ballastless and ballast track, track irregularity becomes locally discontinuous; therefore, hanging sleepers are likely to occur. As a countermeasure for local track irregularity, the authors have developed a track structure which uses automatic irregularity-correcting sleepers called AICS. In this paper, the authors performed cyclic loading tests with full-scale track models, simulating transition zones. The authors thereby clarified that the AICS has superior performance in the prevention of hanging sleepers and that elastic sleepers have some degree of efficacy.