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The authors of this paper analyze the freight wagon wheel rolling surface damage detection process in Lithuanian Railways. The wagons were selected for this study in consideration of the Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD) database. The results gained by experimental measurements of wheel rolling surface defects were compared with the data recorded by WILD. Distribution of failures of wheel types and dependence of the influence of the wheel-set location in a wagon on the occurrence of different defects of wheels was defined. The authors examined the reliability of WILD read-outs and wheel defect types influence on the dynamic coefficient value. Finally, basic conclusions and recommendations are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main tasks of the long-term expansion of the Lithuanian railway transport is to ensure, following the European Union legislation, the implementation of a reform of the Lithuanian railway transportation sector so that the competitiveness of the country's railways in the European transport services market is increased. To properly implement the aforementioned objective, it is crucial to understand and to carry out a careful analysis on the existing railway management models (the separated one, the integrated one following the principle of holding and a completely integrated one). Only once all the pros and cons of the railway management models have been analyzed, one can choose the most optimum option for Lithuanian railways. This article will look at the advantages and disadvantages of the integrated model on the basis of the German railways. The article analyses the review of the German railway management model, the structure of the railway system, the criticism of the Deutsche Bahn model is provided in it along with the advantages of the German model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid social and economic development of the European Union countries, their technical progress, and world trade globalization tendencies generate a huge demand for high-quality transportation services. The countries of the Western Europe, being concerned about safety, environment, sustainable use of the energy and other resources, use economic and legal measures to encourage transportation of passengers and freights. A catenary is a complex technical mechanism of electrified railways, for which specific requirements are applied, depending on the type of current, the capacity of electrified trains, speed, traffic intensity, road profile, geographic location and other conditions influencing constructional solutions and the peculiarities of maintenance. The article analyses the peculiarities of direct current and alternating current catenary maintenance in summer and winter periods. The solutions are provided for the improvement of the contact of a pantograph current collector of an electric train and the contact wire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the influence of transient operating modes in the Cat 3512B-HD and MTU 4000 R41 locomotive diesel engines on their energy usage. This analysis represents an integral component of the technological research and development performed at Lietuvos Geležinkeliai AB (JSC Lithuanian Railways) with the objective of increasing the efficiency of freight transportation with the upgraded 2M62M and modern ER20CF/2ER20CF diesel locomotives. The influence of transient modes on the operating variables of the locomotive diesel engines was evaluated under operational load-cycling conditions to aid in the selection of appropriate parameters (e.g., the train weight, the diesel locomotive type, and the technical characteristics of the diesel locomotive to be modeled) for freight transportation on Lithuanian railway lines. It was determined that the engine’s electronic control system compensates for the negative effects of transient operations on the engine’s energy usage. As a result, the increase in fuel consumption is less than 3% during transient operation when compared to steady-state operation. Through this research, methodological foundations have been formulated and adapted for the use of the mathematical modeling of the transient modes of locomotive diesel engines to optimize freight transportation, resulting in an expected decrease of 10–15% in fuel consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]