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ICTD 2026

Rail Transport

Advances in Track Structure Evaluation

Recent Developments in Track Structural Capacity Rating (TSCR)

Tuesday, June 30, 2026
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM East Coast USA Time
Abstract: Many indices have been developed to objectively quantify railroad track quality and capacity. The two most common index classifications are the track geometry index (TGI), including parameters such as profile, twist, gauge, and alignment and the track structure index (TSI), which accounts for the condition of track structural components including the rail, crosstie, fastening systems, subgrade, and drainage systems. This separation fails to provide a comprehensive assessment of railroad track performance within a single metric. To reduce this gap and present a comprehensive metric, this paper introduces advancements to the Track Structural Capacity Rating (TSCR), a holistic index that integrates superstructure and substructure parameters to evaluate track condition according to the desired level of service for train operations. The index is visualized through a color-coded map, helping identify track sections requiring maintenance for short-term issues like offset gauge and long-term concerns like ballast degradation and fouling, supporting both immediate and strategic decisions. Principal recent advancement has focused on integrating local geotechnical measurements (e.g., dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) and falling weight deflectomer (FWD)) into the broader metric to improve the accuracy of track deflection and stress calculations. This presentation will present the broader metric as well as the recent advancements and data.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees can expect to learn the following from this session:
  • Define what is required to assess track structural capacity
  • Understand how DCP and FWD can be used in railroad track assessments
  • Communicate why track structural capacity analysis matters.