Monitoring track transition zones in railways

This manuscript presents the first measurement program and data collection on the Dinatrans
track transition solution after it was installed in a track section in the north of Spain (Galicia).
The Dinatrans solution was created to address the limitations of several track transition solutions.
This novel solution consists of two inner and outer rails from slab track to ballast track, pads with
different stiffness over sleepers of variable lengths installed from ballast track to slab track, and a
simple substructure formed by non-structural concrete poured over the natural ground. The main
objective of this research was to assess the suitability and the initial performance of the Dinatrans
track transition solution. The measured variables for these initial real-world tests were vertical accelerations
on sleepers, shear stress on rails, vertical displacements on rails and vertical displacements
on sleepers. All measurements of these variables were obtained in an in-situ program by installing
vertical accelerometers and LVDTs on the track structure and extensometer gauges on the rails and
sleepers. The methodology and the procedures followed are described. The Dinatrans initial solution
was compared with the Standard solution used in Spain using these initial measurements. This field
analysis provides an initial understanding of the performance of the new track transition. Further
measurements will be required to check the track transition performance over the long term; however,
no maintenance works have been necessary since construction (2016).