Vibration Measurement Experiment of Rails at Shinkansen Rail Yard in Kumamoto

Automatic train control systems, which prevent trains from colliding and over speed, are used on railroads. Train position detection and communication are performed through signal bonds welded to the rails. The welding of the signal bonds is known to come off over time. In this paper, we propose a method for measuring rail vibration, assuming that the vibration exerted on the rail by the train causes weld off. Vibration measurement experiments were conducted at the rail yard of Kyushu Shinkansen. The vibration data obtained from the experiments are analyzed.