Sun kink

A track fault is an unintentional deformation of railway or tram tracks that no longer allows a risk-free driving on the track affected. Track buckling are generally formed by thermal deformation of the rails at high heat.

Railway tracks are designed so that the thermal forces that would lead to an expansion of the rail with heat are absorbed by the substructure, so there is no expansion of the rails. Can the base no longer absorb these forces, for example due to poor installation, improper maintenance or excessive heat, it still comes in rare cases, to an expansion of the rails so that the train track is deformed, forming wavy lines. If such a track buckling is not discovered in time, it can lead to serious accidents. Mostly, however, they arise directly in the moment of traveling, as this additional dynamic forces act through the rail vehicle in the already heavily loaded track.