Rail trespassing remains a persistent safety challenge at the system level in the United States. However, identifying hot spots proactively is difficult due to limited incident data and strong spatial dependencies within the built environment. This study creates a ZIP-code–level geospatial analytics framework to identify current and emerging trespassing hot spots across North Carolina by combining land-use composition, rail exposure metrics, and historical Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) trespassing records. Geospatial layers were integrated within a GIS workflow to derive predictors such as rail miles, grade crossings, crossings per mile, population density, and land-use types encoded as one-hot vectors. Exploratory spatial analysis showed significant clustering of trespassing incidents, with Global Moran’s I indicating positive spatial autocorrelation across multiple neighborhood sizes. Permutation z-scores confirmed non-random hotspot formation along major rail corridors. A k-means clustering method identified four structural risk environments, and a Cluster Risk Index (CRI) was developed from weighted, standardized exposure and land-use variables to quantify latent risk, independent of raw casualty counts. Results demonstrate that dense urban–industrial rail corridors have the highest CRI values and exhibit the strongest spatial autocorrelation. In contrast, rural ZIP codes with long rail lines show increased exposure-based risk despite fewer historical casualties. The resulting risk surfaces and hotspot classifications provide an interpretable and scalable framework for statewide safety planning, early hotspot detection, and targeted interventions by transportation agencies.
Abstract: The first concepts for the construction of High-Speed Rail (HSR) in Poland date
back to 1995. However, it is only in recent years that these projects have begun to take
concrete shape. A key investment within the HSR program is the "Y" line, connecting
Warsaw, Łodź, Poznań, and Wrocław, where trains will reach speeds of up to 320 km/h. An
essential infrastructure element is the construction of the long-distance tunnel in Łodź, which
will become part of a multimodal railway hub. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024,
TINES has played a signifi cant role in the development of modern railway track structures in
Poland, particularly in slab track construction. Its innovative solutions help reduce vibrations
and noise while enhancing infrastructure durability. TINES actively participates in
infrastructure projects, adapting its products to meet EU and national technical standards.
However, regulatory and legal challenges continue to pose a risk to the full utilization of
Polish companies' potential in HSR construction. Nevertheless, the industry's commitment
and growing expertise inspire optimism regarding the implementation and future development
of Poland's high-speed rail system.
Keywords: High-Speed Rail; Ballastless Track; Infrastructure Development
Highway engineering. Roads and pavements, Bridge engineering
On-board lightning arresters are critical components for ensuring the safety of EMUs operating on high-speed railways. This paper focuses on arresters mounted on EMUs as the research object. Through performance and aging tests (thermal-electrical aging, impulse aging, and high-order harmonic aging) conducted on arresters in operation over different distances and durations, this study examined their aging characteristics and the change patterns in performance parameters, and evaluated the reliability and service life of these on-board arresters. Additionally, an aging life model was established using the principal component analysis method for these arresters. The results show that the calculated evaluation value of the failure thresholds for the five performance parameters of the arresters reach 82 after standardized processing, indicating a service capacity of up to 7.5 million kilometers for new on-board arresters. The study can provide technical support for optimizing operation maintenance and overhaul limits in the subsequent applications of arresters, thereby improving levels of reliability.
Stress factor is an important parameter defined in EN 15085-3 standard. In order to obtain reliable stress factor calculation results, according to the fatigue load cases provided in EN 13749, the stress factors of key joints in typical frame were calculated and compared based on Goodman-Smith fatigue limit line diagram and master S-N curve method respectively. For the fatigue limit method, taking a pipe joint as an example, according to the comparison of different stress extraction methods, it was proved that the stress at the weld toe obtained by interpolation linear extrapolation was more conservative. For the master S-N curve method, the equivalent calculation formula of stress factor using cumulative damage was deduced. The calculation results of the stress factor of the welded joints of the actual frame showed that due to the different calculation methods of the stress factor and the basic data of anti-fatigue design used under static and dynamic load cases, the maximum value and position of the stress factor of the same weld in the structure may be quite different. Therefore, when applying EN 15085-3 standard, the calculation of stress factor should refer to the calculation results of two load cases at the same time, so as to more reasonably determine the weld quality and inspection class. In addition, the analysis showed that the stress factor calculation based on S-N curve method could also consider the fatigue damage contribution of multiple load cases and reflect the influence of the change of load cycles and the improvement effect of weld toe. Therefore, the calculation result is more reliable and the application is more flexible.
Abstract: The level of traffic noise depends mainly on road traffic parameters such as: traffic volume, share of trucks in traffic and vehicles speed. Traffic conditions determined by such parameters as, for example, the average travel speed, average delays at the intersection and the number of vehicles stops are also important. Their particular importance is revealed especially in the case of bad traffic conditions and a significant reduction of traffic flow. The paper presents selected methods of measuring road traffic parameters, and in particular - traffic conditions on the example of research on their impact on the noise level in the vicinity of the street and intersections. The results of these tests are also presented, determining the impact of such parameters on traffic noise as: instantaneous speed, sectional speed, average delays at the intersection entry, the number of vehicle stops, volume to capacity of the entry ratio. Keywords: Traffic noise; Traffic conditions; Traffic parameters; Measurement methods
Highway engineering. Roads and pavements, Bridge engineering
Aiming at the problems of high-labor intensity and difficult operation of freight locomotive, a scenario-specific objective curve planning method was proposed, and the proportional-integral-differential (PID) control algorithm of expert system was designed to follow and optimize iteratively the objective curve in real time. The automatic train operation (ATO) function of freight locomotive was realized. The key and difficult control scenarios in the experiment were verified, and the results show that the control method is safe and effective.
The aim of this article is analyze of usage solution of the toilets in the trains and show of the law regulation how many of the toilets should be in of the train. The article discusses the problem of the number of toilets in trains and the level of maintenance. It is noted that this should not depend on the will of the local government contracting authority, as it has been so far, but should result from the provisions. The problem of the technical standard of the toilet, which would allow for greater convenience for passengers, was also raised. Keywords: Toilet, Rail car, Maintenance
Highway engineering. Roads and pavements, Bridge engineering
At present, the share of traction energy consumption and auxiliary energy consumption of vehicles lacks effective basic data, so a metro energy consumption and management system based on Hadoop platform was proposed. The system could collect and store energy consumption data recorded by energy consumption recorders of trains on metro lines, and support the analysis and monitoring of energy consumption data, providing an effective and intuitive assessment tool for vehicle energy saving work.
To ensure the safety of maglev train operations, the track must be periodically checked and maintained. The traditional way of manual or vehicle cruise detection would affect the normal operation of the vehicle and the detection efficiency was low. On the basis of analyzing the characteristics of the track and bogie, a dynamic track detection system was designed, with characteristics of high portability and high detection efficiency. An off-line mathematical model of the detection system was proposed. The simulation data verified the validity of model and the experiment proved that the detection error was within 0.2 mm.
In order to guarantee the reasonable distribution of wheel load and axle load for a 100% low floor tram with float carbody, a theoretical calculation method of wheel load and axle load was studied for the tram by force analysis of carbodys and bogies. Taking the existing tram as an example, the wheel load and axle load simulation and analysis model was established by using SIMPACK software, and the theoretical calculation results were compared with the simulation analysis results to verify the correctness of the theoretical calculation method.
Pantograph-catenary dynamics performance determined the current receiving quality. The pantograph-catenary dynamics model was built according to CED160D pantograph and simple chain contacting catenary with ADAMS. The operating state of the train was used as the excitation load to the model, and the contact force of the pantograph catenary, contact wire dynamic lifting, pantograph amplitude, contact loss rate and other important current receiving parameters were calculated, which provided an easy and practical method for the study of the pantograph-catenary interaction and evaluation of current receiving quality.
It is very important for bogie design process to calculate the parameter expression of coupling displacement ability required by a bogie and the affect of each parameter on the required displacement ability, which will make the designer to grasp the design initiative and make the design more efficient. The parameter expression of coupling displacement ability required by a bogie was obtained which was applicable for bogie with motor suspended on frame and gear box suspended by a suspender. For similar bogies, it was simple to obtain the required coupling displacement ability and the curves changing with relevant parameter by entering the values of the parameters to improve the design finally. Firstly, the geometrical model based on the actual structure was proposed, and then equations were obtained by using analytical method and solved gradually with Matlab. At last, the parameter expression of required coupling displacement ability was obtained which was proved right by substitution and Pro/ENGINEER method. For a specific bogie dimension, the curves of required displacement ability changing with relevant parameters were drawn and the results showed that horizontal distance between large gear axis and small gear axis, upper/lower end of suspender and large gear axis have a large effect on the required coupling displacement ability.
Rotation articulation is the critical safe equipment of LRV. According to the principle, function and structure analysis, the proof and fatigue load of the rotation articulation was provided, and the detailed structure design of the rotating articulation was finished, which was validated by the calculation and finite element analysis, it was verified that the design of product met the requirements. 2 million cycles fatigue test showed that the design and process of the rotation articulation could meet the requirement of the LRV.
With analysis of a certain type PCB field failure, it was found that pins of the relay broke because of the CL element corrosion. To verify the above conclusion and choose the better material, the accelerated corrosion test profile was designed. After six cycles, the failure mode was reappeared successfully, which could provide references for the following work such as material selection and design optimization.
For the test patterns conversion complexity and workers high work intensity of locomotive test, a new design scheme of synchronous control system was presented. Converter control pattern changing and optimization of synchronous gear box design method was provided, which could realized vehicle dynamic test three control modes conversion of rig control, frame control and axis control conveniently to meet the locomotive test requirements.
The related technologies of Simulink and C# mixed programming were introduced. The building process of AC drive test simulation platform and the designing features of interface were described. The difficulties in design were summarized. The effective solution was proposed.