Condition Analysis of Ballasted Track for Maintenance Planning in Thailand

Abstract

Thailand is currently undergoing significant development in railways infrastructure, including the construction of new double-track railways such as the Ban Phai - Nakhon Phanom route and the Den Chai - Chiang Rai - Chiang Khong route, as well as high-speed train projects to connect the Bangkok - Nong Khai region. The majority of railways in Thailand utilize ballast tracks, which are deformable under the influence of factors such as axle load and weather conditions. These factors can lead to ballast deformation, degradation, and changes in grain size distribution of ballast. Consequently, the geometric dimensions of the railway track deviate, posing safety risks to train operations. In track condition analysis, geometric deviations such as longitudinal level and alignment are used to calculate the Track Quality Index (TQI). Over time, these deteriorating factors cause the TQI to increase until track maintenance is performed and the TQI is reduced. Therefore, track condition analysis involves calculating the rate of TQI growth and predicting the time it takes for the TQI to reach the target TQI value. This approach enables a reduction in track maintenance costs by one-third compared to traditional maintenance planning.