A New Method for Horizontal Curve Design of Railway Tracks incorporating Safety Criteria

In this study, a new approach for the evaluation of horizontal curve design in railway tracks integrating safety criteria is proposed. To conduct this research, a vehicle-track interaction model is developed in ADAMS Rail program and simulation of dynamic vehicle response from derailment point of view is followed. Using this model, sensitivity analyses are made on the main geometry parameters of horizontal curves, including radius, super-elevation and transition length, considering different speeds. Consequently, the influences of each parameter are investigated on governing derailment criteria i.e. overturning, Nadal and Prud’homme. The obtained results form the basis for further practical charts by which, both the geometry design and safety evaluation of railway horizontal curves can be determined. A practical use of the new approach is finally presented to indicate its capability and applicability.