Characterization of rail wear and wheel-rail contact compatibility in China’s high-speed railway network

Jijun Gong, Jianfeng Sun, Lai Wei, Junping Wang, Pingbo Wu, State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Techniques Developing Department, China Railway Materials Operation and Maintenance Technology CO, School of Engineering, Zhejiang Normal University

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit

Published online on April 17, 2026

Abstract

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, Ahead of Print.
China’s high-speed railway (HSR) network, the largest globally in terms of operational mileage, faces significant challenges in maintaining rail quality and wheel-rail contact compatibility due to the demanding requirements for high operating speeds, ...