Rail rolling contact fatigue Research by the European Rail Research Institute

Rail rolling contact fatigue is an increasing problem in high speed, mixed and heavy haul railways and since 1987 this has been the subject of a research programme of the European Rail Research Institute, Utrecht. The objectives of the programme are to develop an improved understanding of the rolling contact fatigue problem and the means of controlling or eliminating it. The programme has covered a broad range of activities including reviews, theoretical analyses, laboratory and track experiments. The programme is managed by the ERRI D173 Committee and has involved the collaboration of 11 railway authorities, 7 rail makers and 5 universities. This paper presents a state of the art review of the research programme and some of the observations so far.