Test study on ice and snow splash on ballasted track of high-speed railway

In severe cold areas, due to snow accumulation and ice melting of EMU car body and trackside equipment, snow and ice splash phenomena occur when train speed is less than 200 km/h to affect operation safety of high-speed railway. Here, aerodynamic and driving dynamic performance tests of ballasted track under ice and snow conditions were conducted for the first time in a ballasted highspeed railway in China. The main conclusions were shown that (1) there is a larger safety margin for driving safety index, but it has a certain increase under ice and snow conditions, with the maximum increase of 155.1%; derailment coefficient, wheel load reduction rate and lateral force of wheel axle at tunnel entrance are larger; (2) vertical vibration accelerations of steel rails, sleepers, and track beds are all within safety limit values, but their increases are obvious on snowy days with the maximum values of 22.8 times those on sunny days; track vibration acceleration on bridge is higher, and ballast splashing is easy to occur under the action of ice and snow wind fields; (3) wind pressures at road center, pillow bottom and ballast shoulder increase with increase in train speed, with a slight increase under ice and snow conditions, with a maximum increase of 48.5% to make ballast, ice and snow particles to more easily fly; wind pressures at road center of tunnel entrance are much higher than other measured points, and ballast splashing is most likely to occur under the coupling action of wind vibrations; (4) on sunny days, no ballast splashing is observed, while on snowy days, obvious accumulated snow flying up appears; it is recommended to take corresponding measures to prevent ice and snow splashing in areas with obvious wind vibrations coupled effect, such as, tunnel entrances. © 2023 Chinese Vibration Engineering Society. All rights reserved.