Heavy-haul Indian Railway: Towards Safe, Efficient and Sustainable Design

Project Member(s): Nimbalkar, S., Sheng, D.

Funding or Partner Organisation: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT - Australia-India Council)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT - Australia-India Council)

Start year: 2021

Summary: The project aims to examine the performance of heavy-haul railway track structure to minimise impact from climate change and complex ground. A set of design charts on the basis of laboratory testing demonstrations, supported by advanced numerical analyses in commercial finite element package conveniently employed in industries will be provided. The proposed research outcomes will lead to improved track design and analysis so that rail freight can be safer, cheaper, faster, more reliable and more sustainable than road haulage. In particular, numerical simulations using a novel model capable of predicting mechanical behaviour of track will facilitate to provide the essential fundamental knowledge imperative to design high capacity railway transport corridors for modern heavy haulage freight train services, with special reference to mechanically improved granular foundations, thereby ensuring the stability for major infrastructure routes, resulting in substantial time and costs savings for haulage of bulk commodities and general cargo in India.

Publications:

Punetha, P & Nimbalkar, S 2023, 'Numerical investigation on dynamic behaviour of critical zones in railway tracks under moving train loads', Transportation Geotechnics, vol. 41, pp. 101009-101009.
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Punetha, P & Nimbalkar, S 2022, 'Performance improvement of ballasted railway tracks using three-dimensional cellular geoinclusions', Geotextiles and Geomembranes, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 1061-1082.
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FOR Codes: Civil Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Construction Design, Rail Infrastructure and Networks, Civil geotechnical engineering , Urban rail infrastructure and networks (incl. light and metro rail), Heavy rail infrastructure and networks

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.