INCREASING THE SPEED OF FREIGHT WAGON BOGIE EXCHANGE AT DOSTYK STATION THROUGH THE USE OF A TURNTABLE

Abstract

The Dostyk railway station is one of the key border freight hubs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, ensuring rail connectivity between Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China. Due to the difference in track gauge widths (1520 mm and 1435 mm), freight wagons passing through the station require bogie exchange, which significantly affects processing time, throughput capacity, and the efficiency of international transport corridors. Under conditions of growing transit volumes and increasing demands on border infrastructure, the modernization of bogie exchange technology becomes particularly relevant. The purpose of this study is to substantiate the effectiveness of using turntables to improve and accelerate the process of freight wagon bogie exchange at Dostyk station. The objectives include analyzing the existing crane-based bogie exchange technology, studying the design and operating conditions of turntables, assessing their load-bearing capacity, comparing time indicators of different technological solutions, and evaluating the practical feasibility of implementing turntables under real operating conditions. The study demonstrates that the traditional crane-based technology is characterized by high labor intensity and significant time losses due to multiple lifting and repositioning operations. The proposed use of turntables simplifies the trajectory of bogie movement and reduces the number of crane operations. Practical implementation at Dostyk station showed that the average time for replacing one bogie decreased from 6–7 minutes to 4–5 minutes, increasing productivity by approximately 1.4 times. Engineering calculations and experimental tests confirmed the structural strength and reliability of the turntable, including safe passage of a shunting locomotive. The results confirm that turntables represent a technically reliable, operationally efficient, and economically justified solution for accelerating bogie exchange processes at border stations. The proposed technology does not require large-scale reconstruction or significant capital investments and can be replicated at other stations with similar operating conditions, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s international railway corridors.