Optimized service life of rails

Purpose and goal

The aim and objective was to develop and adapt electroslag twin strip cladding for repair of long rail sections on site in the track, instead of switching to new rails, however, to reduce the environmental impact, cost and reduce traffic jams. Parts of the goals were met as the project has developed repair processes for long rails. Unfortunately, the results from the LCC analysis show that it is not economically justifiable to repair long rail sections with current conditions, but there are still large possible environmental benefits.

Expected results and effects

The technical results are promising. However, it requires additional verification tests and evaluation in the track. The expected effect was to contribute to reduced climate impact, but due to the condition aspect from the LCC analysis, it turned out that repair of long rails is not economically defensible, despite the assumption of extending the technical life by 20 years. On the other hand, it opened up discussions about repairing gears as a possible area for further development.

Planned approach and implementation

The implementation was affected to some extent by Corona when welding trials were canceled, as well as meetings and other planned activities. A key project participant from ESAB ended his employment early in the project, which created delays and other challenges. Welding tests were first performed to understand technical limitations, as input to the LCC analysis. With all the facts on hand, the LCC analysis would have been performed earlier in the project to guide the focus of the technical experiments regarding: process type, productivity goals, maximum cost of equipment, etc.