Development Of Rail Corrugation Research Articles

Fatigue life analysis of subway e‐clips under multiwavelength rail corrugation excitation

AbstractFatigue‐induced clip fractures are the most common type of damage in railway systems, and they are exacerbated by rail corrugation. This research investigated the development of rail corrugation through long‐term measurements and examined the impact of rail corrugation on the fatigue life of e‐clips using a finite element model. The examination included different corrugation wavelengths, namely, short‐pitch corrugation (SPC), long‐pitch corrugation (LPC), and a new form of corrugation called superposed SPC and LPC. The results showed that increasing corrugation amplitude reduces an e‐clip's fatigue life and alters the region in the clip where fatigue damage occurs. A short corrugation wavelength shortens fatigue life. On railway tracks with superposed SPC and LPC, a significant increase in LPC amplitude sharply reduces a clip's fatigue life, even under minuscule SPC amplitude. Effective measures are proposed to prolong the fatigue life of e‐clips subjected to the effects of rail corrugation.

A frequency-domain simulation method for the evolution of rail corrugation in curves

Rail corrugation remains a major problem in many railways and metros, leading to high noise and vibration levels as well as potential damage to the track and vehicle. A frequency domain simulation method is proposed for the evolution of the rail surface roughness, which can simulate the formation and development of rail corrugation in curves. A coupled vehicle-track dynamic model is established in the frequency domain to calculate the dynamic vertical and lateral wheel-rail contact forces and the associated vibration. The wheel-rail contact state is determined by using a multi-body dynamics model. The frictional-work wear model is used to calculate the roughness change caused by wheel-rail dynamic interaction. The method is verified by comparing the results with those of on-site testing on a 300 m radius curve of a metro line. It is shown that the main causes of rail corrugation are associated with the peaks in the vertical wheel-rail forces in the frequency domain, generated by the interaction between the wheel and rail. At short wavelengths the corrugation is associated with the wave reflections in the rail between adjacent axles. The phase relationship between the vertical wheel-rail force and the initial roughness has a strong influence on the roughness growth trend, leading to preferential growth in certain wavelength bands. The wheel-rail contact state and friction parameters affect the rate of development of the corrugation. Finally, a corrugation index is proposed to allow quick evaluation of the wavelength and growth rate of corrugation.

A semi-analytical model of a discretely supported railway track

The dynamic behaviour of railway track plays an important role in the generation of rolling noise as well as the development of rail corrugation. A semi-analytical model is presented that includes vertical, lateral and axial dynamics and takes account of the discrete supports provided by the sleepers. The rail is represented by a semi-analytical beam model that includes vertical and lateral bending, extension and torsion, with warping and shear-centre eccentricity. A receptance-coupling method is used to couple the rails, through damped springs that represent the rail pads, with a finite number of flexible sleepers that are in turn supported on an elastic foundation. The model also accounts for the coupling between the two rails through the sleepers. Results are presented in terms of the point mobilities in different directions, including the vertical-lateral cross mobility, as well as the track decay rates, and the results are validated by comparison with measurements. The inclusion of torsion and warping is shown to have a significant effect on the lateral rail mobility, leading to better agreement with the measured results. The response on one rail due to excitation on the other rail is also explored and the results agree well with the measurements. It is found that the coupling between the two rails has only a limited effect on the resultant track response.

Predicting rail corrugation in a real line by means of a fast non-linear vertical and lateral model

This work is the result of a problem of premature development of rail corrugation found on a new metro line. As urgent solutions, a rail grinding was carried out and friction modifier started to be applied. Experimental corrugation measurements have been taken periodically in this line at 60 control points since 2018, and an extensive database has been collected since then. As a second stage, a computationally efficient new model has been developed to predict corrugation growth under different running conditions. The aim of this work has been to obtain feasible solutions to delay corrugation growth in metro type lines.

Influence of different track structures on the development of corrugation in small radius curve section of subway

Many studies have shown that the rail corrugation on the small radius curve section of subway floating slab track is serious. And it seems to be different from the rail corrugation on the common track. The track structure must play an important role in the generation and development of rail corrugation. This paper measured a subway line in Tianjin, including 2 different track structures, and analyzed the measured data by using the international evaluation and acceptance indexes of rail corrugation. The results show that the inner rail of short sleeper monolithic track (SSMT) has poor smoothness in the wavelength range of 0-300 mm, and the overall smoothness of outer rail is good; the inner rail of steel spring floating slab track (SSFST) has poor smoothness in the wavelength range of 100-300 mm, and the outer rail has poor smoothness in the wavelength range of 300-1000 mm. Then the vehicle-track coupling model and wheel-rail wear calculation model is established. The calculation results show that in the existing rail corrugation, the short-wavelength rail corrugation of 20-25 mm will continue to appear or deteriorate, and the development of rail corrugation of other wavelengths will slow down or stop to varying degrees; with the increase of train passing times, the rail corrugation of SSFST with the wavelength of 315 mm develops the fastest, and the rail corrugation of SSMT with wavelengths of 20 mm and 160 mm develops the fastest.

Analysis of Rail Corrugation Characteristics on High-Speed Rail Based on Transient Finite Element Method

By using the transient finite element method, a three-dimensional wheelset-track coupled rolling contact model for high-speed rail is established, and the rationality and effectiveness of the model are verified by field measurements. Next, the wheel-rail contact stress states and relative slip characteristics are calculated and analyzed to reveal the cause of inner rail corrugation. Then, the vertical vibration acceleration of the rail/wheel is taken as the output variable to study the dynamic responses of the wheelset-track system. Finally, the parameter sensitivity analysis is carried out. The results show that the maximum normal/tangential contact stress between the inner wheel and inner rail is greater than that between outer wheel and outer rail due to the unbalanced load of inner rail caused by the excess superelevation of track structure, which indicates that the unbalanced load of the inner rail may aggravate the development of rail wear, and the rationality of the model established in this paper is verified. The wheel-rail relative slip region on the inner rail side appears periodically, and the distance between the two adjacent slip regions is close to the characteristic wavelength of the measured inner rail corrugation, which illustrates that the periodic variation of slip regions on the inner rail surface plays an important role in the formation of rail corrugation, and the validity of the model is verified. The periodic distribution of wheel-rail relative slip regions on the outer rail surface is not obvious, demonstrating that the outer rail tends to form uniform wear, which is consistent with the fact that the outer rail corrugation is slight in the measured section. The wheelset-track system has been in the process of unstable continuous oscillation in the analysis interval, combined with the analysis results of the wheel-rail relative slip characteristics, it can be concluded that the unstable self-excited vibration of wheelset-track system under the condition of tangential contact force reaching saturation is the main cause of rail corrugation. The dominant characteristic frequencies of vertical vibration accelerations of rail and wheel are all 561 Hz, the corresponding characteristic wavelength (148 mm) is close to the distance (150 mm) between the calculated adjacent slip regions, and is also close to the characteristic wavelengths (125 mm and 160 mm) of inner rail corrugation, which shows that the resonance phenomenon occurs in the wheelset-track system at the above frequency, thus leading to the increase of dynamic responses of wheelset-track system. The fastener vertical stiffness and wheel-rail coefficient of friction have significant effect on the development of rail corrugation, and the running speed determines the occurrence probability of inner/outer rail corrugation by affecting the track superelevation state.

Rail Corrugation of High-Speed Railway Induced by Rail Grinding

Rail corrugation is a common railway defect that involves diverse and complex factors. Rail grinding is also the most commonly used method to address corrugations. Through numerous irregularity tests and one-third octave frequency spectrum analyses, this study determined the characteristics and development process for rail corrugation on high-speed rail tracks. The vibration transmission properties of the grinding train were tested using the force hammer impacting method. Thereafter, using a simulation, the influence of the vertical vibration behavior of the grinding stone and the stiffness of the hydraulics were determined. Through a series of field tests and numerical simulations, this study revealed a clear correlation between rail corrugation and rail grinding and confirmed that the technical operation of rail grinding is closely associated with regular grinding marks at a wavelength of approximately 60 mm on rail surfaces. The combination of the natural vibration of the grinding stone (frequency of 60 Hz) and an inappropriate operational process can aggravate the grinding marks on the rail surfaces, thereby forming an initial excitation of rail corrugation. Although a large number of irregularity tests are performed after rail grinding, these wavelength-fixing grinding marks can cause the formation and development of rail corrugation. Suggestions for improving the high-speed rail-grinding technology are also provided.

Study on the effects of wheel-rail friction self-excited vibration and feedback vibration of corrugated irregularity on rail corrugation

Both the self-excited vibration of the wheel-rail system and the feedback vibration of track irregularity have certain effects on the rail corrugation. The present paper focuses on the effects of wheel-rail friction self-excited vibration and feedback vibration of corrugated irregularity on rail corrugation. Taking the typical rail corrugation on the low rail of the small-radius curve of the metro as the research object, the relevant wheel-rail finite element model and the worn rail surface of corrugated irregularity are established. Then, considering the influences of the wheel-rail friction self-excited oscillation and feedback vibration of corrugated irregularity, the stability and dynamic response of wheel-rail system on smooth and worn rail surfaces are studied to explore the dynamic origin of rail corrugation. Furthermore, the effects of the friction coefficient, corrugation depth and corrugation wavelength on the development of rail corrugation are studied, respectively. The results show that the wheel-rail friction-induced vibration may cause the rail corrugation and the feedback vibration of corrugated irregularity may aggravate the development of the subsequent rail corrugation. Then, the increase of the wheel-rail friction coefficient will increase the possibility of rai corrugation whether the rail surface is smooth or wear. When the wheel-rail friction coefficient is less than 0.2, no unstable vibration occurs. Moreover, the development of wear depth and the expansion rate to the surrounding rail of subsequent rail corrugation will be further intensified with the corrugation depth increases. Furthermore, when a corrugation wavelength is less than 60 mm, the feedback vibration of rail corrugation will aggravate the development of rail corrugation. Otherwise, the development rate of rail corrugation will gradually slow down with the corrugation wavelength increases continuously.

Analysis of influence factors of rail corrugation in small radius curve track

Abstract. In order to effectively prevent and control the generation and development of rail corrugation, according to the actual line condition of the small radius curve section, the vehicle (with flexible wheel sets)–track space coupled model was established by using the multi-body dynamic software UM (Universal Mechanism), which could consider the coupled relationship in three directions of space, and the dynamic analysis for the corrugation section was carried out by using the model. Then, based on the theory of friction self-excited vibration, the three-dimensional model of a wheel–rail system was established by using the finite-element software ABAQUS, and the complex eigenvalue analysis of influence factors of rail corrugation was conducted based on wheel–rail contact parameters obtained by dynamic calculation. Through the stability analysis of the wheel–rail system with different fastener vertical and lateral stiffnesses, friction coefficients, and superelevation states, we find that properly increasing the fastener vertical and lateral stiffnesses, controlling the wheel–rail friction coefficient below 0.4, and keeping the balanced superelevation state of the track structure can effectively reduce the occurrence possibility of unstable vibration of the wheel–rail system, thus inhibiting the generation and development of rail corrugation. The excess superelevation state of the track structure results in the unstable friction self-excited vibration of the wheel–rail system at the inner wheel–inner rail, while the deficient superelevation state results in the unstable friction self-excited vibration of the wheel–rail system at the outer wheel–outer rail, which shows that the superelevation state of the track structure directly affects the formation of rail corrugation and determines the development order of corrugation of inner and outer rails. This conclusion can well explain the cause of corrugation appearing on only one side rail.

Parameter Influences on Rail Corrugation of Metro Tangential Track

Rail corrugation can reduce riding comfort by vibration and noise, and even cause running accident. In this paper, the vehicle–track coupled dynamic model was developed for a metro’s tangential track considering the wear in rail materials. The influences of different track structure parameters and vehicle speed on the generation and development of rail corrugation of the tangential track were analyzed using the developed model by the control variable method. The results show that for different parameters, the friction power in wheel–rail contact patch fluctuates with time, but the overall fluctuation range is relatively uniform. Meantime, an analysis of one-third octave curves of the friction power reveals that the characteristic frequencies of friction power are mainly concentrated in the middle and low frequency bands. At the dominant characteristic frequency, the longitudinal stiffness and damping of fasteners, and lateral and vertical damping of fasteners have less influence on rail corrugation, while the lateral and vertical stiffnesses of fasteners, spacing of fasteners, wheel–rail friction coefficient and vehicle speed have greater effect on rail corrugation. The changes in vertical stiffness and spacing of fasteners will cause the characteristic frequency of friction power to be offset, resulting in a shift from 80[Formula: see text]Hz to 100[Formula: see text]Hz, which will further lead to rail corrugation of the corresponding wavelength. Thus, it can be concluded that the vertical stiffness and spacing of fasteners have an important impact on the generation and development of rail corrugation at the specific frequency. Besides, the variations of the other variables bring little change to the characteristic frequencies of friction power as well as on rail corrugation. The mechanism of parameters unveiled here provides some guides for the parameter optimization problem on restraining the generation or development of rail corrugation on the tangential track.

Causes and development characteristics of corrugation on tangential track of metro

In order to investigate the causes and development characteristics of rail corrugation on the tangential section, based on the finite element model of track structure and the vehicle-track space coupled dynamic model, modal analysis and dynamic analysis were carried out for detailed analysis. The results show that the line condition and passing frequency range of measured corrugation are close to those of roaring rail corrugation caused by Pinned-Pinned resonance of track structure, so it is preliminarily considered that corrugation occurring on this section is roaring rail corrugation. The modal analysis of track structure model shows that the vibration mode at the frequency of 513.7 Hz is the transverse Pinned-Pinned resonance of track structure and the vibration mode at the frequency of 1050.0 Hz is the vertical Pinned-Pinned resonance of track structure. The dynamic analysis of vehicle-track space coupled model shows that the amplitudes of rail vertical vibration acceleration levels are higher at the center frequencies of 500 Hz and 1000 Hz, and the one-third octave band widths corresponding to above center frequencies are in the frequency range of Pinned-Pinned resonance of track structure. Therefore, it can be determined that rail corrugation on the measured line is roaring rail corrugation. The changing trends of rail vertical vibration acceleration levels under different sleeper spacings and operating speeds are basically the same and amplitudes of rail vertical vibration acceleration levels at the center frequencies of 500 Hz and 1000 Hz are higher. With the increase of the sleeper spacing and operating speed, the variation trends of rail vertical vibration acceleration levels at 500 Hz and 1000 Hz are almost unanimous. By changing the sleeper spacing and operating speed, the rail vertical vibration acceleration levels can be changed significantly, which shows that the appropriate sleeper spacing (about 700 mm) and operating speed (about 80 km/h) can effectively control the occurrence and development of rail corrugation.

Effect of Rail Pad Stiffness on Vehicle–Track Dynamic Interaction Excited by Rail Corrugation in Metro

Rail corrugation can cause intense dynamic interaction between train and track, which can reduce riding comfort and lifespan of track structure, and even threaten running safety. Instead of investigating the root cause and growth of corrugation, this case study aims to investigate possible solutions to the excess train–track dynamic interaction excited by rail corrugation in a metro track through both numerical analysis and field experiments. Numerical analysis was performed based on a vehicle–track coupled dynamical model with field-measured rail corrugation information from two curves. The numerical analysis results indicated that rail pad stiffness was the key factor affecting wheel–rail contact force in the studied direct fixation type transit track system. Rail pads with a lower stiffness could reduce the wheel–rail interaction; however, softer rail pads will also increase the rail displacement. Therefore, both the wheel–rail contact force and rail displacement need to be considered while determining the optimal rail pad stiffness. New rail pads with a stiffness of 35 MN/m, which are softer than the original rail pads with a stiffness of 50 MN/m, were recommended for the track in this study. Through field validation and long-term monitoring, new rail pads have been proven to effectively reduce the vehicle–track dynamic interaction and ease the development of rail corrugation to a certain extent. Compared with regular rail grinding, using rail pads with the appropriate stiffness can save transit agencies a tremendous amount of time and cost. The observations from this case study can benefit transit facing rail corrugation problems.

Modeling the development of rail corrugation to schedule a more economical rail grinding

Rail corrugation should be managed appropriately, as it causes noise, vibration, and degradation of track components and materials. Generally, rail corrugation is managed with the removal of rail surface roughness by rail grinding. However, in many cases, rail corrugation will reoccur after the rail is ground, thereby making the management of the phenomenon difficult for railway operators. For the proper management of rail corrugation, it is necessary to understand the development of rail corrugation and model it mathematically. However, this effort has not been made in previous studies. This paper investigates an efficient method for scheduling a regular grinding maintenance to manage rail corrugation. Using regularly measured data about rail surface roughness on a commercial line, a mathematical model was developed to estimate the growth of rail corrugation. This model was utilized to estimate the effects of the remaining roughness after rail grinding on the maintenance cost and to optimize the maintenance schedule. First, it was confirmed that the development of rail surface roughness of rail corrugation can be expressed in three phases and can be modeled by fitting the functions of growth curves to measurements of rail surface roughness recorded over a long period. Next, the rail grinding strategy was examined by applying this model to realize both effective and economical strategies for the maintenance of rail corrugation. This study confirmed that maintenance costs can be reduced by rail grinding that removes almost all of rail corrugation. In the case of ballasted tracks, it has been found that the optimal grinding schedule can reduce the cost of rail grinding as well as the cost of tamping. These findings can be applied by railway operators tasked with managing maintenance schedules for railway lines at a minimum cost.

The transient response of high-speed wheel/rail rolling contact on “roaring rails” corrugation

A high-speed wheel/rail finite element model is developed to focus on the non-steady-state rolling contact. The wheel/rail contact is solved based on the surface-to-surface contact algorithm, and the explicit finite element method is used to simulate the dynamic high-speed wheel/rail rolling contact. Considering the track–vehicle coupling system dynamics and the wheel/rail geometric nonlinearities, the wheel/rail contact on the short wave rail corrugation under the high-frequency vibration and the influence of train passing frequency on the track–vehicle system dynamics are studied. The explicit finite element method can be used to simulate the non-steady-state rolling contact process of the high-speed wheel/rail. After the initial load condition, the wheel/rail contact state tends to be stable in a short period of time. The short wave corrugation causes the high-frequency vibration of the track–vehicle system; the slightly advanced phase of the wheel/rail contact force promotes the development of rail corrugation in the rolling direction. When the train passing frequency is close to the rail pinned–pinned frequency, the pinned–pinned resonance occurs. The overall vibration near the fastening is relatively large and accelerates the damage of components. The longitudinal force is clearly affected by the traction torque with a periodic wheel/rail stick-slip vibration. The pinned–pinned resonance will promote the sliding wear at the wave trough near the fastening and it will become severe with the increase of the traction.

Effect of Surface Hardening on Dynamic Frictional Rolling Contact Behavior and Degradation of Corrugated Rail

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of surface hardening technology on dynamic frictional rolling contact behavior and degradation of corrugated rail in Shenzhen. Characteristic parameters such as length and depth of corrugation were analyzed by means of a continuous measurement method based on the corrugation analysis trolley. The explicit finite element method for material hardening characteristics and real contact geometry was adopted to set up the 3D transient FE model of wheel and rail, after which the value and distribution of stress/strain as well as contact solutions could be obtained during frictional contact, and then the Archard wear model and simplified wear superposition method are integrated as a numerical simulation tool for rail wear after hardening. The simulation results show that laminar plasma surface hardening technology can increase residual stress and shear stress in quenched zones, leading to local stress concentration at their boundaries; the plastic strain in the matrix material is higher than that in the quenched zones, while the strain concentration is mainly focused on the matrix material. The hardening can remarkably reduce the rail wear along the corrugation wave, and the wear depth of material with hardening technology is about 36% of that of nonhardening material. Laminar plasma surface hardening technology can therefore restrain the development of rail corrugation.

A model of a discretely supported railway track based on a 2.5D finite element approach

The dynamic properties of a railway track are important for both the generation of rolling noise and the development of rail corrugation. A conventional track consists of long rails mounted periodically on transverse sleepers and supported in ballast. In order to improve the predictions of the noise and vibration of the track, a model of a discretely supported track is proposed based on the so-called 2.5 dimensional (2.5D) finite element approach, which is used to model an infinite free rail. This is coupled to a finite number of sleepers, by means of an array of springs representing each rail pad, using a receptance coupling method. The sleepers are represented by flexible beams, supported on an elastic foundation. Results are presented in terms of the point mobility and track decay rate and these are compared with the corresponding field measurements for two tracks, one with soft rail pads and one with stiff rail pads. Very good agreement is found between the predictions and the measurement results, especially for the track with soft rail pads. The flexible sleeper model is shown to give improved results compared with a rigid mass model, especially for the track with stiff rail pads.

Initiation and development of rail corrugation based on track vibration in metro systems

Rail corrugation, one of the most deleterious types of track wear, affects the railroad industries in many countries. Rail corrugation leads not only to vehicle and track vibration, lifespan reduction of infrastructure, and safety and passenger comfort issues but it also produces track noise. This paper, based on the track vibration theory, studies the initiation and development of rail corrugation in both the time and frequency domains. First, four track models for the frequency-domain analysis are developed to model the common short sleeper track, vibration absorbing fastener track, elastic short sleeper track and ladder sleeper track. The frequency response analysis is performed to calculate the characteristic frequencies of the track models. In order to analyse the relationship between the natural vibration of track structures and rail corrugation, the characteristic frequencies are compared with the measured passing frequencies of tracks due to rail corrugation. Second, the vehicle–track–tunnel three-dimensional dynamic models are developed for the four track structures to study the initiation of rail corrugation under the influence of track vibration using the time-domain analysis. Finally, the development of rail corrugation for the four track structures is investigated by means of the wear growth rate. Moreover, the influence of other factors, such as the curve radius, the rail–sleeper relative position, the driving velocity and the wheel–rail friction coefficient, is discussed.

An iterative methodology for the prediction of dynamic vehicle–track interaction and long-term periodic rail wear

In this study, a versatile numerical method for the prediction of long-term growth of rail roughness is presented and its functionality is demonstrated for the development of rail corrugation on small radius curves. The procedure includes two sub-modules: (1) a time-domain model for the simulation of dynamic vehicle–track interaction in a wide range of frequencies by using a commercial software for multibody dynamics and (2) a post-calculation of sliding wear based on the Archard’s model in combination with a non-Hertzian and transient wheel–rail contact model. The structural flexibility of the wheelset is accounted for by using the finite element method. The rail wear generated by a large number of passing trains is assessed by recurrently updating the rail surface based on the wear depth calculated in each post-processing step. The current work sets out from a previous study in which a model for the prediction of long-term growth of rail roughness on small radius curves was developed in a general-purpose programming language. By transferring the model into a commercial software, the aim is to develop an engineering tool that is more applicable for different operational conditions, such as various vehicle and track designs and track alignments. The proposed method is verified by comparing the simulation results against those obtained with the pre-existing software. Conditions similar to a 120 m radius curve on the Stockholm metro exposed to corrugation growth on the low rail are considered. The corrugation is found to be generated by the leading wheelsets. The prevailing wavelength-fixing mechanisms are identified and discussed.

Experimental study of the treatment measures for rail corrugation on tracks with Egg fasteners in the Beijing metro

Rail corrugation occurring on tracks fitted with Egg fasteners has become a serious problem on the newly operated lines of the Beijing metro in recent years. Investigations and field measurements show that the dominant wavelengths of corrugation are 63–100 mm, inducing dominant frequencies of vibration on the rail in the frequency range of 160–310 Hz for train speeds at 60–70 km/h. Due to the influence of the dynamic behaviour of tracks on the formation of rail corrugation, various options for changing the dynamic behaviour of the track structure can be considered as possible solutions to treat corrugation. Four treatment measures have been considered: rail grinding, adding a rubber pad within the fastener, replacing the fastener with a compression-type fastener, and installing rail dampers on the rail. Field experiments have been carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of these rail corrugation treatment measures on two lines of the Beijing metro. Frequency response functions, track decay rates, and pass-by acceleration on the rail were measured, and the development of rail roughness was monitored. Experimental results show that all the four measures are effective to control or at least slow down the development of rail corrugation on tracks with Egg fastener. Rail grinding is mostly used to limit the effects of corrugation; here, it was noted that low-amplitude corrugation on some straight lines did not reappear after rail grinding. After adding a rubber pad within the fastener, the existing corrugation reduced in amplitude, while corrugation did not reappear on a newly ground rail. Replacing the fastener with a compression-type fastener and installing rail dampers on the rail were found to slow down the development of corrugation.

Theoretical Simulation and Experimental Investigation of a Rail Damper to Minimize Short-Pitch Rail Corrugation

The Cologne-egg fastening systems applied in metro lines, which can be subjected to rail corrugation, are considered in this paper. To understand the mechanism of the formation and development of rail corrugation, dynamic models of the wheel and the track with Cologne-egg fastening system in the frequency domain are developed to analyse the wheel and track vibration behaviour. A field test is also analysed to verify the validity of the mechanism. Using these experimental and theoretical results, the vibration mode of the rail that is responsible for rail corrugation is determined. Based on the results, a novel rail damper that can suppress the track pinned-pinned resonance and smooth the track receptance is presented to minimize short-pitch rail corrugation. It is ultimately found from theoretical simulation and experimental investigation that the application of the rail damper is a long-term and effective method of controlling short-pitch rail corrugation in metro lines.