Influence of Lateral Wheelset Force on Track Buckling Behaviour

The Prud’homme criterion, the limit value for lateral wheelset forces, has increasingly become a topic of discussion due to doubts about its correct application in railway vehicle assessment. Interpreted as a safety-related limit value for running dynamics, it is not precisely stated what hazard is to be avoided, especially since Prud’homme himself refers to maintenance relevance. The criterion does not apply to sudden track shifts under the wheelset, and the occurrence of track buckling does not depend on it. To help clarify this question, the influence of lateral wheelset forces on track buckling is specifically investigated by means of simulation. A track section is modelled and validated against historical measurements, and the influence of wheelsets on track buckling is calculated. We conclude that this limit cannot be relevant to safety. A revision of this approach is necessary.