The development of short pitch rail corrugation: Extensive field monitoring and validation of numerical predictions

Short pitch corrugation is a major rail defect worldwide, and its development mechanism remains not fully understood. This work aims to better understand corrugation and validate some numerical predictions through extensive field monitoring. 105 corrugations on four sections of mainline tracks were continually monitored for five years. Comprehensive field data were collected, including photos, geometry, and vehicle-track dynamic responses. Numerical results of corrugation development agree with the field observations. It confirms that corrugation initiates with necessary initial excitation, consistently grows at fixed locations due to differential wear, and eventually reaches a limiting amplitude. Moreover, vehicle-track longitudinal vibrations are crucial to corrugation initiation, while vertical vibration plays an increasingly important role in corrugation growth. • The formation of short pitch rail corrugation is studied using extensive field data. • About 105 corrugations on four types of tracks are monitored for five years. • Numerical simulations of the corrugation development process are validated. • Rail longitudinal mode plays a decisive role in corrugation formation. • Corrugation initiates and consistently grows at fixed locations due to differential wear.