Vehicle dynamics and wheelset design effect on vehicle-track mode-coupling rail corrugation

Rail corrugation persists on curved tracks and is often attributed to vehicle behaviour. This work presents a simulation methodology and an extensive parametric analysis on how vehicle design parameters influence the excitation of unstable modes. The approach combines multibody simulation of curve negotiation with a pre-stressed finite element modal analysis of a calibrated wheel–rail system, enabling identification of unstable eigenmodes and quantitative indicators of corrugation susceptibility. A total of 1728 simulations evaluated the impact of vehicle design parameters, including wheelset type, load, velocity, wheelbase, bogie centre distance and suspension stiffnesses, on dynamic behaviour. The results indicate variations in wheelbase and load primarily affect the angle of attack and contact forces, respectively, but admissible design ranges do not significantly alter the effective damping ratios of the dominant unstable modes. In contrast, wheelset design changes that influence modal behaviour show strong mitigation potential: elastic wheels suppress unstable modes within the analysed frequency range, and brake disc mass and position adjustments can reduce or eliminate mode excitation. Other axle design variations exhibit limited influence. Overall, the results demonstrate the value of the proposed methodology for early-stage vehicle design evaluation to avoid unstable mode coupling that can cause corrugation.