Modeling switch rail wear using laser profilometry for predictive maintenance

The availability of railway infrastructure is a cornerstone of efficient and reliable train operation.According to the European standard EN 50126 [1], availability is defined as the "ability of an item to be in a state to perform a required function under given conditions at a given instant of time or over a given time interval, assuming that the required external resources are provided."As illustrated in Figure 1, turnout availability is not only a function of technical condition but also of effective coordination between infrastructure, maintenance processes, and traffic control systems.Alongside punctuality, availability is one of the most frequently reported performance indicators in the railway sector and is regularly documented in public reports, including those published by the Polish Office of Rail Transport (Urz�

d Transportu Kolejowego) [2].It reflects the combined effects of infrastructure design, traffic density, operational loads, and the quality and timing of maintenance interventions.Railway turnouts -essential components that enable directional changes of rolling stock -represent one of the most mechanically complex and wear-prone parts of the track system.Their proper functioning relies on high mechanical Modeling switch rail wear using laser profilometry for predictive maintenance