Advanced Railway Track Systems and Vehicle Dynamics
A special issue of Infrastructures (ISSN 2412-3811).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1060
Special Issue Editors
Interests: track structure condition detection; ballasted track; railway intelligent maintenance; environmental vibration control; multi-scale modeling; maintenance machinery
Interests: AI-based railway infrastructure health monitoring; intelligent diagnosis and maintenance of railway track infrastructure; vibration and noise control in urban rail transit; large multimodal models for train operation state diagnosis
Interests: ballasted track; track maintenance and rehabilitation; snow disaster risk early warning; service performance assessment and diagnosis; risk assessment
Interests: construction materials for railway track; railway condition monitoring; track geotechnology; digital planning and design; life cycle assessment
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue of Infrastructures, entitled ‘Advanced Railway Track Systems and Vehicle Dynamics’, aims to systematically explore cutting-edge scientific and technological challenges in the field of modern rail transportation, focusing on innovative theories and engineering practices related to track infrastructure, track design, vehicle design, and the dynamic interactions between them. As global rail transit evolves toward higher speeds, heavier loads, and greater intelligence, the durability, smoothness, and safety of track systems have become central to ensuring operational efficiency and passenger comfort. This Special Issue will delve into design optimization methods for high-performance track structures—such as ballasted and ballastless tracks, slab tracks, and vibration- and noise-damping tracks—and examine simulation, monitoring, and control strategies for vehicle dynamics in complex operating environments.
The issue emphasizes the latest multidisciplinary research achievements, covering intelligent detection technologies for track geometry deformation, wheel-rail contact mechanics modeling, active control of suspension systems, vibration propagation and noise suppression, as well as big data- and artificial intelligence-based predictive maintenance systems for track conditions. Additionally, attention is also given to the potential applications of new construction materials, such as composite track materials and high-performance elastic components, and novel structures, such as adaptive track foundations and flexible turnouts, in enhancing system reliability. Furthermore, this Special Issue also addresses the planning and design of railway systems using digital tools and sheds light on sustainability aspects for each phase of the transport infrastructure’s lifecycle.
By compiling pioneering research from scholars and engineers worldwide, this Special Issue seeks to provide theoretical foundations and technical solutions for extending the service life of track systems, improving vehicle running stability, and optimizing whole-life-cycle emissions and costs, thereby advancing the rail transportation sector toward a safer, more economical, and more sustainable future. We sincerely invite experts and scholars in related fields to submit original research articles, reviews, and case studies, contributing to a vibrant academic dialog on sustainable rail transit systems.
Dr. Zhihai Zhang
Dr. Yang Wang
Dr. Dong Ding
Dr. Diego Maria Barbieri
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Infrastructures is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- advanced railway track systems
- vehicle dynamics
- ballasted and ballastless track
- vibration and noise suppression
- active suspension control
- intelligent inspection/smart detection
- predictive maintenance
- construction materials
- life cycle analysis and life cycle cost analysis
- sustainable rail transportation
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