Use of digital data for rail infrastructure management

Maintenance of train tracks and especially turnouts is of primordial importance to ensure the stability of the train and prevent derailment. Apart from safety considerations, the maintenance activities undertaken by Infrabel, the Belgian government-owned railway infrastructure company, incur significant costs. Balancing the frequency of maintenance is crucial, as excessive maintenance leads to unnecessary expenses. This paper focuses specifically on turnout maintenance rather than the entire track. Turnouts, characterized by rail discontinuities, result in increased wheel-rail contact forces compared to standard rails. Moreover, the deviating branches of switches introduce higher lateral forces. Consequently, maintenance in turnouts necessitates greater frequency than regular tracks.