Keywords: ballast, acceleration, bridge deck vibrations, track stability, vibration induced creep, temperature.

This paper deals with the impact of the passage of trains on the lateral stability of the track on bridges. Firstly, the basic problems of the ballasted track on bridges are introduced and the mechanics of lateral track stability are explained. Then, the lateral behaviour of ballasted tracks on vibrating bridge decks is discussed based on experimental results, and an empirical creep formula for the vibration induced displacements of the sleeper is derived. Afterwards, the results from a numerical study incorporating such creep behaviour show the influence of several track parameters on the stability of a vibrating bridge deck. To conclude, several possibilities for the improvement of the lateral track stability are discussed.

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