Track Improvement Study Guide for Speed-up Conventional Railway

간선철도 속도향상을 위한 궤도개량 연구방향

Conventional railways are less competitive than other land transportation means in term of speed, and thus users preference and transportation share for rail system are relatively lower than others. For example, most of the conventional lines except the Seoul~Busan corridor run at an average speed of 70 km/h or less, which imposes certain constraints on roles and functions as the trunk lines. In this regard, the speed of the conventional lines should be improved up to 200 km/h to gain competitiveness, promote balanced regional development and lead the era of low carbon green growth. As track system is one of the most important elements for the speed-up, it is critical to come up with optimum technical solutions. Improvement of ballast track structure with efficient track installation can provide structural stability for higher speed and ensure operational safety with lower maintenance efforts. Thus, this study focuses on consequences followed by the speed-up including increase of load imposed on the track and impacts on track components, and provide solutions for track maintenance by analyzing impact on the track structure by speed. Also, it compares ballast and concrete tracks under designing and construction and considers how to meet needs for passengers comfort and environmental requirements as a strategic approach.