Tamping processes and track quality – an integrated analysis

Levelling-Lining-Tamping is an integral constituent of the railway system. We analyse ac-ceptance protocols of several hundred tamping operations conducted in Austria and merge these files with track geometry measurements of the infrastructure manager. This enables very comprehensive and at the same time detailed investigations of the impact of tamping on track geometry quality. In this paper we investigate the influence of track panel lifting on track behaviour and show that lifting values between 20 and 50 mm yield best results. In addition, we analyse measurement data recorded by sensors at the tamping units. Comparisons of these measurement parameters with laboratory analyses of ballast samples extracted from the tamping sec-tions demonstrate that reliable assessments of the ballast condition during tamping are possible. Combined analyses of general tamping parameters such as the applied lifting and data-based ballast condition indicators provide a comprehensive view of the tamping process and its impact on track behaviour.