2. Transverse stability of LRS

The most common form of transverse instability in CWR is the appearance of major transverse misalignments that can be up to 1 m long and extend over 25 m (Figure 11 ). This phenomenon is known as horizontal rail buckling. Vertical buckling, i.e. significant vertical deformation of the rails, occurs more rarely. Several parameters come into play, and will be discussed in Section 3. Here, we will focus on the main causes: high compressive forces, a marked initial misalignment, poor track strength conditions and vehicle-induced loads.