Since the goal of grinding is to achieve a GQI of 100, the user can know in real-time the effectiveness of the grinding pass by noting how close to 100 the post-grinding profile is rated. If a grinder is not achieving a GQI close to 100 on a rail after a pass, it indicates that at least one more pass is necessary to achieve the target rail profile. If the GQI on a segment decreases following grinding, it indicates that the grinding pass actually shaped the rail to be less like the desired profile than before the grinding pass.

The advantage of calculating the GQI on the grinder in real time is the ability to assess the effectiveness of the grinding pass immediately and decide whether additional grinding is warranted while the grinder is still there. It also allows the grinding operators or railroad supervisor to assess the effectiveness of the grinding operation and to make adjustments, such as changing grinder speed, grinding patterns, etc.

Producing post-grinding reports for the ground track segments also allows office personnel to evaluate the grinding performance for each individual segment or for a stretch of track. This allows for an accurate evaluation of the overall grinding effectiveness as well as a start on defining the needs for additional grinding or the next grinding pass.

Figure 4 shows a report that displays data from a stretch of track, including location, time of grinding, curve properties and grinding quality. Except for the two segments marked with an asterisk (*) indicating erroneous input, the GQI improved on each segment following the grinding pass. Note, however, that for segments 1 and 2, the right rail, though improved by the grinding pass, still had a GQI value of less than 80, indicating that additional grinding is needed to achieve the final desired profile.