Working Capacity Research of Track Sections

Abstract

EN: Abstract. The paper identifies the problems and ways to implement the measures to increase the working and carrying capacity of railway lines. The analysis of this problem shows that for Ukrainian rail network there is no holistic approach to formalize procedures for calculating the working capacity of track sections taking into account technological features of passage of individual car traffic volumes. In addition, there are few studies of factors that influence the level of working capacity use. This necessitates research in this area, which can be a basis for calculating working capacity of sections depending on the influence of various factors. The main ways to increase the working and carrying capacity of railway lines are to increase the weight and length of the trains. But it is a difficult complex task. When solving this task it should be considered restrictions on the useful length of station tracks, restrictions on the traction force of locomotives, possible reduction of train service speed, and many other additional factors. Increase of the train weight makes it possible to increase the carrying capacity of railway lines on the average by 10-30%. But the problem of train weight is closely connected with analysis of the length of existing receiving and departure tracks on the main directions of train movement of OJSC "Ukrainian Railways." Having analyzed the working capacity reserve at all the existing lines of Dnipropetrovsk Management of Rail Transportations we can conclude that the available working capacity exceeds the required one (the reserve is sufficient).