Insights

Technique

Cant: Why the outer rail is higher (and by how much)

In curva la rotaia esterna è rialzata rispetto all'interna per compensare la forza centrifuga. Ma non si può compensare tutto: da qui…

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Wheel-rail contact: from Hertz's theory to meandering

The entire weight of the train passes through a coin-sized ellipse: how the wheel-rail contact works, including Hertzian theory, forces…

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Aluminothermic welding of rails

A chemical reaction exceeding 2,400°C melts steel and welds two rails together in the field: how aluminothermic welding works, from…

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ERTMS in Italy: with the Rome–Florence line, signalling is changing.

With the activation of the Orvieto-Settebagni section, the Rome-Florence line completes its transition to ERTMS. What this means for the infrastructure, and why it directly affects those who work there...

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Digital twins and predictive track maintenance: what the 2026 research says

A 2026 scientific review takes stock of the digital twin applied to railway infrastructure: sensors, artificial intelligence, measurable benefits, and the great…

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Railway axle counter: how it works

No current on the tracks: The axle counter detects whether a section is free by counting the axles entering and exiting. How it works…

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Hangzhou Bay: The World's Longest Transmarine Rail Bridge

29.2 km above sea level at 350 km/h, with a 450 m cable-stayed span on a slab track: inside the railway bridge…

high speedHangzhou Bayplate trackChina Read → Reliefs

Railway surveys with LiDAR and drones: from point cloud to digital twin

Aerial and rail LiDAR, drones, and BIM are rewriting the way we survey a line: point clouds, shape, geometry of the…

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Caiyuanba: the first high-speed line under the Yangtze

11.9 km excavated with a 12.6 m diameter TBM under 9 bar of water pressure, through karst, faults, and gas…

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Mumbai–Ahmedabad: Inside the construction site of India's first bullet train line

508 km at 320 km/h with Shinkansen technology, a 7 km undersea tunnel and 357 km of viaduct already installed: the…

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Sri Lanka Railways: Innovation on Historic Tracks

Sri Lanka Railways: Past, Present, and Future Sri Lanka Railways (SLR), the lifeblood of the country's transport network, boasts a history…

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Italy in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T): Rail Focus

Italy occupies a strategic position in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), an ambitious European Union project that aims to create a network…

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