RSSB 2413 - T1073 Loading requirements for track systems - Supplier Day on Thursday 8th December

RSSB is holding a Supplier Day on Thursday 8th December here at our offices in London from 11.30 - 13:00

If you are wanting to attend please email Shareditt@rssb.co.uk by Tuesday 6th December 5pm.

As we finalise our specification and seek financial authority for phase 02 of our project T1073 Loading requirements for track systems, we are holding a suppliers' meeting on Thursday 8 December for suppliers who are interested in it. The meeting will be held in our Shinkansen Room in our offices in Moorgate from 11:30 to 13:00 and will be followed by a buffet. A number of steering group members will be on hand to answer formal questions and there is an opportunity to attend a relevant mirror group meeting after the suppliers' meeting. Please do let us know if you are coming so we can fix the size of the buffet. You can also join the meeting by telephone; please let us know if you wish to do this and we will make appropriate arrangements.

The project

Current practice for specifying loading for track design purposes is inconsistent because of a lack of coherent and supported standards within Great Britain (GB) and across Europe that offer effective design requirements. Current standards for track loading are based on the known satisfactory performance of track systems in the past, which are refined in the light of experience at particular sites, rather than being scientifically determined. This uncertainty around track loading requirements creates potential issues of over-provision or under-provision of track assets. This directly affects track whole life cost, as well as system safety and reliability. This also forms a commercial problem where whole life cost is not priced in appropriately, and limits the potential for innovation.

This research will provide an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms for track loading and the response of the track system so that the track loading parameters can be defined. This can improve the way that track systems are designed, delivered and maintained. It will deliver a track system loading model process for the industry, to optimise track system design and enable the integration of track with the underlying substructures. This generates the opportunity to provide the most economical solution for track assets over their intended life, which helps to realise the Rail Technical Strategy 2012 vision of a 'simple, reliable and cost-effective infrastructure'.

The first stage of the project reported on current experience, practice and regulations for loadings for track design worldwide to establish, among other things, any common factors in design and approach. The second stage will build on this, to determine a set of loading requirements to be used in track design. The resulting track loading parameters can be used to inform track designs for future projects, and will also be available to inform the future revision of the European standard for track loading, EN 164