Rail surface defects such as the abrasion, scratch and peeling often cause damages to the train wheels and rail bearings. An efficient and accurate detection of rail defects is of vital importance for the safety of railway transportation. In the past few decades, automatic rail defect detection has been studied; however, most developed methods use optic-imaging techniques to collect the rail su...

This study evaluates rail transit benefits based on a comprehensive analysis of transportation system performance in major U.S. cities. It finds that cities with large, wellestablished rail systems have significantly higher per capita transit ridership, lower average per capita vehicle ownership and annual mileage, less traffic congestion, lower traffic death rates, lower consumer expenditures ...

This report evaluates criticism of rail transit systems. It examines claims that rail transit is ineffective at increasing public transit ridership and improving transportation system performance, that rail transit investments are not cost effective, and that transit is an outdated form of transportation. It finds that critics often misrepresent issues and use biased and inaccurate analysis. Th...

This paper discusses the results of an investigation into ways in which the safety risks of travel on road and rail interact with each other in Great Britain, other than through physical contact such as at level crossings. The two main foci of the paper are: (1) an analysis of the 'whole journey' risks of journeys for which the national rail system is the main mode, but which also include stage...

Dry port is an inland intermodal terminal directly linked by road or rail to a seaport as a center for the transshipment of sea freight to inland destinations. However roads contribute to pollution more than rail. For sustainable transportation systems, we need to improve the performance of rail dry port systems. The purpose of this research is to propose a diagnostic system for modeling and cl...

In this paper, we have designed a machine visionbased method to identify the defected or missed or grounded rail anchors/fasteners that attach each line with the sleepers. Rail line inspection system is executed manually, especially in third world countries, like Bangladesh. This manual inspection is lengthy, laborious and subjective. To detect and classify the damaged or missed or grounded rai...

The evaluation of trial operation of urban rail transit is a decisive link of whether the new line of urban rail transit can put into trial operation. Whether the result of evaluation is objective, reasonable and effective has a direct relation with whether urban rail transit can ensure operation safety and satisfy the basic service requirements. Therefore, it is very important to make sure tha...

A generation method for the rail random irregularity with arbitrary wavelength interval (WI) is developed, and its accuracy and efficiency are demonstrated. Then a moving wheel-rail-bridge interaction element is derived to establish the finite element equations of motion for the train-rail-bridge interaction system, and the flow chart of assembly and calculation for the system equations is give...

This paper is produced and circulated privately and its inclusion in the conference does not constitute publication. Abstract The UK currently only has one new light rail (tram) scheme being implemented. By way of contrast, a number of high-quality bus systems have been developed; for example Cambridge and Luton Guided-busways, Thames Gateway Fastrack, Crawley Fastway and 'streetcar' bus operat...