@article{Wang2026, 
author = {Chenyang Wang and Bolun An and Jiapeng Liu and Chao Xu and Xin Xu},
title = {Failure cause analysis of surface burn on high-speed railway U75VG rails},
year = {2026},
journal = {Railway Sciences},
volume = {5},
number = {5},
pages = {720-737},
keywords = {High-speed railway, U75VG rails, Rail head tread, Rail burn, White layer martensite, Rolling contact fatigue, Failure analysis},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1108/RS-05-2026-0037},
doi = {10.1108/RS-05-2026-0037},
abstract = {PurposeTo conduct a systematic failure analysis on the typical surface rail burn defects of U75VG rail steel in the straight section of a passenger dedicated line, and clarify the evolution law and failure mechanism of the damage.Design/methodology/approachMacroscopic morphology observation, scanning electron microscopy microanalysis, metallographic structure characterization, as well as comprehensive tests on chemical composition and mechanical properties were adopted to carry out the research.FindingsThe damage is a type of rail head tread burn dominated by rolling contact fatigue. The instantaneous high temperature caused by wheel-rail relative sliding during train braking converts the pearlite structure in the rail head surface layer into a hard and brittle martensitic white layer with a maximum thickness of 2.5 mm. Cracks initiate on the tread surface, propagate inward at an inclination angle of about 808, bifurcate and change the propagation direction when reaching the martensite-matrix interface, and finally lead to spalling or transverse fatigue fracture.Originality/valueA zoned differentiated maintenance strategy is proposed based on the failure mechanism, which provides a theoretical basis for the precise prevention and control of rail burn in high-speed railways.}
}