Rail Accidents Caused by Failure on the Permanent Way

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the potential of rail accidents due to lack of preventive maintenance of the permanent way or appropriate procedures for rail maintenance and fastening, especially in railways for the freight trains in Brazil. In recent years, the railway in Brazil increased significantly, from 389,000 Thousand of Tonnes (useful tonne) in 2006 to 450,000 Thousand of Tonnes in 2013. In despite of the increase of products transported in these railways, the number of accidents decreased from 1638 in 2006 to 866 in 2013, according to reports from the National Land Transport Agency of Brazil (ANTT). In spite of the reduction, it still constitutes a major concern due to increased travel time of trains. The main cause of these accidents, as ANTT report, is due to the permanent way, for lack of either maintenance or poor condition. The current state of railroad has been responsible for over a third of accidents in the period between 2006-2013, many of these accidents occur by the lack of appropriate procedures in preventive maintenance, and the lack of technical tests that allow more rigorous acceptance of the components, and most effective results of the maintenance procedures of the railways. This paper aims to emphasize the need for greater rigor in the selection of components and procedures for maintenance of the permanent way, and the potential of these components are not within the appropriate technical standards, which can cause serious accidents and long periods of interruption of the railroad.