REDUCTION OF TRAIN DERAILMENTS BASED ON GAGE FACE FRICTION

MANAGEMENT

Leonardo Souza Soares

Railroad Development Engineering
Rumo Logística
lsoares@rumolog.com
+55 41 99901-0584

Bárbara Dias Moreira

Railroad Development Engineering
Rumo Logística
Barbara.moreira@rumolog.com
+55 41 98875-1614

NUMBER OF WORDS: 2,676

ABSTRACT

The efficiency of gage face friction management at wheel-rail contact is known across all railways.
The benefits go beyond the reduction of consumption of rails or wheels, but also in several
intangible results promoting the increase of railway safety. In the case of railway safety,
specifically derailment events, this analysis can be difficult due to the large number of variables
involved.

In order to better identify this result, a heavy haul railway started installing gage face friction
management equipment in a corridor with high rates of derailments with various causes. After two
years of observation and a series of analyzes, it was possible to quantify the reduction in
accidents generated by the implementation of gage face friction management in this corridor. All
other variables were assessed, in particular, conditions relating to track and the rolling stock
maintenance as to not impact the study result.

This work will present with real data the effective reduction of derailments after the implementation
of gage face friction management in a heavy haul railway based on statistics. Real and historical
comparative data carefully analyzed confirmed the theory of increased railway safety.This study
can be used by railways with few maintenance resources and a high number of derailments to
prioritize investments.

INTRODUCTION

The study of gage face friction management is continually the subject of technical papers, mainly
with economic and safety purposes. The results related to financial impact are known and can be
measured with indicators common to the world's railroads. However, when we seek effective
results from gage face friction management in increasing the safety of the railway operation, no
basis for comparison is known.

In Brazil, the situation does not differ from other railroads, however, the identification of potential
safety improvements related to gage face friction management becomes more evident due to the
derailment statistics on railways with maintenance deficiencies. This situation was identified by
RUMO Logística, the largest freight railway operator in Brazil, assessing the history of derailments
in each area before and after the implementation of gage face friction management. Working with
derailment statistics data, volumes transported, causes of railway accidents, rail track geometry
defects, rolling stock failures, among others; the rate of derailment reduction generated by the
correct friction management of the gage face was quantified.

With this work, the reader will be able to identify that the gage face friction management is a quick
and effective alternative for the reduction of derailments in the short term, allowing a longer period
for carrying out maintenance activities that have less impact on transport.
Analysis scenario

Rumo Logística has a network of approximately 14,000 km extending from south to central Brazil.
Its main transport consists of agricultural commodities for export, using a complex metric and
wide gauge railway network.

The section under study is in the southern Brazilian region, metric gauge, with an annual volume
of 25 MGT. Typical train composition is two ES43 BBi locomotives and 80 hopper wagons of 100
gross capacity (25 tons per axle). The analysis was developed in 333 kilometers of track (km 248
+ 920 to km 582 + 800) in the period between January 2015 to June 2019 (54 months). The
distribution of the gage face lubrication equipment is shown in diagram 1.

Diagram 1: Gauge face lubricators in the Southern Brazilian region

The analysis period was divided into two stages:

• 1st Period: January 2015 to October 2016 - WITHOUT GAGE FACE FRICTION MANAGEMENT

• 2nd Period: October 2016 to June 2019 - WITH GAGE FACE FRICTION MANAGEMENT

The separation of the analysis periods is fundamental to identify the results of the gage face
friction management efficiency regarding the derailment reduction results.

Derailment statistics

The study of the gage face friction management efficiency in terms of safety came from the
monitoring of occurrences of derailments in the section analyzed according to graph 1:

Graph 1: Number of derailements in the section analyzed

The dashed line in October 2016 indicates the start of operation of gage face friction
management, in this case, specifically electric gauge face lubricators. It is observed that from that
date the number of overall derailments has reduced significantly (64% when compared to the 22
months prior to the installation of equipment However, to confirm that the results were obtained
by the gage face friction management, an analysis is necessary to verify the transported volume,
the conditions of the railway track and the conditions of the rolling stock. A significant change in
any of these variables can alter the likelihood of railway accidents and does not indicate that the
reduction comes from the gage face friction management.

Since the gage face friction management acts directly on the critical L / V ratio for derailment
defined by Nadal according to equation 1, it is necessary to evaluate the distribution of accidents
by root cause. This assessment is shown in Graph 2.

𝐿 𝑡𝑎𝑛(𝛿)−𝜇
(𝑉) > 1+𝜇×𝑡𝑎𝑛(𝛿) Equation 1
𝐹𝑂𝑅 𝐷𝐸𝑅𝐴𝐼𝐿𝑀𝐸𝑁𝑇

Where: L – lateral force: the force of the wheel flange pushing out on the rail

V – vertical force: the wheel load of the equipment bearing down on the rail

δ – the angle made when the wheel flange is in contact with the rail face

µ - the coefficient of friction between the wheel and the rail

 Graph 2: Number of derailments by root cause

The analysis of graph 2 shows that a common factor to all causes of accidents was altered with
the installation of the gauge face lubrication equipment. As shown by Nadal in equation 1, the
change in the friction coefficient in the rail wheel contact is critical for the occurrence of railway
accidents, which already demonstrates a gain in safety against accidents.

However, as previously described, the change of variables correlated with accident conditions
could also contribute to the reduction and therefore need to be verified.

Transport

The first variable of influence for both the maintenance of the railway track and the rolling stock
is the volume transported. In addition to determining the rate of component degradation, the
transport volume directly affects the likelihood of derailments. Therefore, the reduction in the
number of derailments indicated in Graph 1 may have its origin in a drastic reduction in the volume
of transport in the section under study.

Graph 3 shows the transported volume in the evaluation period, where it is verified that this
variable has not undergone any significant change. There was an increase in transported volume
of approximately 8% when comparing the 22 months before the start of gage face friction
management and the 22 months after the gage face friction management. This indicates a higher
degradation of the components of the railway track and rolling stock, as well as a greater
probability of derailments.

Therefore, the volume of transport did not contribute to the reduction of accidents in the area and
period analyzed.
 Graph 3: Transported volume in the evaluation period

Rolling stock conditions

Since the conditions of rolling stock maintenance may have changed during the study period, the
history of wagon failures in the period of derailment analysis was evaluated. It is worth mentioning
that in the analyzed period, no new wagons or locomotives were purchased, which could in some
way alter the behavior of maintenance statistics, impacting the study result.

Graph 4: Historical rolling stock failures

Graph 4 shows that the condition of the rolling stock that does not contribute to the reduction of
derailments shown in Graphs 1 and 2. After installing the gage face friction management
equipment, the fleet's maintenance conditions show worse results. The failure rate calculated on
rolling stock failures by MGT increased after the equipment was installed. Therefore, the reduction
of derailments, including those related to the rolling stock, did not originate from maintenance.

Railway track conditions

The conditions of the railway track differ from the rolling stock since they have undergone
changes. The main changes are correlated to the geometry, since the area has not undergone
interventions on rails and sleepers beyond the usual maintenance.
It was found that in 2015, 10 months before the implementation of gage face friction management,
the maintenance of the railway track was intensified, significantly reducing the number of
geometry defects by MGT. This condition can be verified in graph 5, through the blue line graph.

Graph 5: Comparison between track defects and track related derailment

However, in the following year (2016) it is verified that the derailments caused by geometry
defects in the railway track are still high. Comparing the first 10 months of 2015, during the
maintenance of the railway track, there were 48 accidents caused by defects in track geometry.
In 2016, with the reduction of defects in geometry, from January until the installation of the gage
face friction management equipment (October 2016), 44 derailments were recorded with root
cause related to the railway track. In the 10 months of comparison between 2015 and 2016 there
was a reduction of 8% in derailments.

However, when the period after installation of gage face friction management equipment is
analyzed, we have a significant reduction. From January to October 2017, derailments related to
defects in track geometry totaled 12 events. A reduction of 72% when compared to the same
period in 2016. In the period from January to October 2018 the reduction persists with the same
condition of railway track and with a greater volume of transport; there were 4 derailments related
to defects in track geometry, a reduction of 90% when compared to the same period in 2016.

It is observed that the significant reductions in derailments occurred after the installation of the
gage face friction management equipment. Even with the improvements made to the railway track
about 10 months before the installation of the equipment, the reductions in derailments was not
significant. This is most likely due to derailments generated in critical locations. This analysis
proves again that the increased safety generated by the management of gage face friction
presents more immediate and more substantial results in relation to the maintenance measures
adopted for this railway section.

Derailment reduction rates

Once the variables of interference in the reduction of railway accidents were analyzed, it was
identified that they did not undergo significant changes to the point of promoting significant
reductions in the number of railway derailments. In summary, the transported volume increased
by about 8%, the condition of maintenance of the rolling stock had a greater degradation and the
railway track remained with similar defect levels during the analysis period (considering 10 months
before the installation of gage face friction management equipment). Therefore, as previously
shown, only the change of a common variable to the wheel-rail contact may have promoted the
reduction of derailments.
Nadal's equation mentioned above correlates between the forces that cause derailment and the
friction coefficient in the wheel-rail contact. In particular, the area studied underwent a change in
the friction coefficient indicated by Nadal's equation with the installation of the gage face
lubrication equipment. Such equipment acts on the friction coefficient with the application of a film
of lubricating grease on the gage face of the rails; with the reduction of the friction coefficient, the
limit L / V for the derailment becomes greater, that is, a greater imbalance of forces will be
necessary for the accident to occur. Graph 6 presents theoretical simulations of the L / V ratio
with different friction coefficients in the wheel-rail contact.

Graph 6: Theoretical simulations of the L / V ratio with different friction coefficients in the wheel-
rail contact

The installation and proper maintenance of gage face friction management equipment promoted
a change in the friction coefficient and a change in the balance of the L / V ratio, requiring greater
magnitudes of forces for derailments to occur. Thisproves that without a significant change in the
other variables (railway track, rolling stock and transported volume) there was an increase in the
safety of train operation generated by the gage face friction management.

Translating this increased safety into numbers, derailment curves were drawn by MGT before and
after the installation of the gage face friction management equipment.

Graph 7: Comparison of derailments/MGT before and after friction management

Visually it is verified that for the same transported volume, the number of derailments is lower
after the implementation of gage face friction management. Using linear trend lines, it is possible
to compare the slope rates, which represent the derailment rates per MGT. That is, for the stretch
without friction management, we have a rate of 4.0479 derailments for each MGT; however, for
the same area with friction management, we have a rate of 0.8826 derailments for each MGT. A
reduction of 78.2% in the rate of derailments per MGT was achieved when comparing the periods
with and without gage face friction management.

However, the reduction in the rate of derailments by MGT does not remain constant for the
different causes.

Graph 8: Comparison of track related derailments/mgt before and after friction management

Graph 9: Comparison of rolling stock related derailments/mgt before and after friction
management
 Graph 10: Comparison of operation related derailments/mgt before and after friction
management

It is observed in this case that the gage face friction management acted more efficiently in
preventing derailments caused by the track. While for this category the rate of derailments
reached a reduction of 82.5% (rate reduction from 3.0792 to 0.5373), derailments with root cause
related to rolling stock decreased by 64.3% (rate reduction of 0 , 9687 to 0.3453) and those related
to operational failures decreased by 69.4% (rate reduction from 0.2902 to 0.0886). In any case,
both reductions are significant, demonstrating the role of friction management in Nadal's equation
and, consequently, in increasing railway safety with reductions in derailment rates above 60%,
regardless of root cause.

CONCLUSION

The work shows through real data, the increased safety of train operation with the
implementation of gage face friction management. Once the variables that are directly related to
railway derailments are analyzed, the gage face friction coefficient is the key to prevention in
relation to the other variables related to the vehicle and track. Maintenance measures are effective
but require time and financial resources to implement, an issue for most railways.

With the implementation of gage face friction management, an immediate reduction of 78.2% in
railway accidents was realized in the 22 months after installation. The speed of return of
investment in terms of safety is noteworthy as it is unlikely that other safety initiatives have had
such an substantial result, except for those related to operational speeds, but which in turn reduce
the volume of transport.

In this way, it is concluded that the gage face friction management is a fast and efficient alternative
for the reduction of rail derailments regardless of the cause, since it acts simultaneously in the
control of the forces of the L / V ratio through the friction coefficient once again proving Nadal's
theory.

REFERENCES

[1] Handbook of Railway Vehicle Dynamics – Simon Iwnicki – CRC Press 2006 – ISBN-13: 978-
0-8493-3321-7

[2] Proceedings – 8th International Heavy Haul Conference / Technical Session 03 – Lubrication
Workshop – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2005 – ISBN: 0 646 33463 8
[3] Guidelines to Best Practices for Heavy Haul Railway Operations – Infrastructure Construction
and Maintenance Issues – 2009 – ISBN: 978-1-930566-74-3

LISTING OF GRAPHS AND DIAGRAM

Graph 1: Number of derailements in the section analyzed

Graph 2: Number of derailments by root cause
Graph 3: Transport volume in the evaluation period
Graph 4: Historical rolling stock failures
Graph 5: Comparison between track defects and track related derailment
Graph 6: Theoretical simulations of the L / V ratio with different friction coefficients in the wheel-
rail contact
Graph 7: Comparison of derailments/MGT before and after friction management
Graph 8: Comparison of track related derailments/mgt before and after friction management
Graph 9: Comparison of rolling stock related derailments/mgt before and after friction
management
Graph 10: Comparison of operation related derailments/mgt before and after friction management

Diagram 1: Gauge face lubricators in the Southern Brazilian region