What kind of maintenance do the rails themselves need? About how often do they need to be replaced, and do frequency or weight per wheel of trains have anything to do with this?
A guess based on a Google search suggests a rail lifespan anywhere between 5-99 years. Lightly used industrial spurs could easily have rails that are 90 years old or more, whereas a curved piece of track with high frequency, fast, heavy trains might only last 3-4 years. In terms of maintenance, rail grinding is used to keep to track smooth, and maintenance teams inspect the track periodically (obviously not enough in North America). If I recall correctly in Japan the Shinkansen tracks get inspected every night for safety and upkeep, a great way of keeping high-speed trains safe and fast.
What kind of maintenance do the rails themselves need? About how often do they need to be replaced, and do frequency or weight per wheel of trains have anything to do with this?
A guess based on a Google search suggests a rail lifespan anywhere between 5-99 years. Lightly used industrial spurs could easily have rails that are 90 years old or more, whereas a curved piece of track with high frequency, fast, heavy trains might only last 3-4 years. In terms of maintenance, rail grinding is used to keep to track smooth, and maintenance teams inspect the track periodically (obviously not enough in North America). If I recall correctly in Japan the Shinkansen tracks get inspected every night for safety and upkeep, a great way of keeping high-speed trains safe and fast.