Rail Condition Monitoring using Axle Box Acceleration Measurements: Defect detection in the Netherlands and Romania

In this paper we discuss rail condition monitoring based on axle box acceleration (ABA) measurements. We present three case studies. The first one in The Netherlands, the detection of local defects with different severity levels (squat A, squat B and squat C) is analysed. The second case from the Faurei testing ring in Romania, the detection of rail defects over the whole testing ring is presented and examples of responses at a local defect (wheel-burn) is discussed with measurements at 80km/h (conventional speed measurement) and 200km/h (high speed measurement). In the third case, ABA measurements were obtained during operation in a train with passengers in the railway line near Brasov, Bartolomeu-Zărneşti. Examples of the defects and validations are discussed.Railway Engineerin