Recent advances in discrete element–finite element (DEM-FEM) simulations have enabled the use of increasingly sophisticated models of railway infrastructure, accounting for detailed ballast behavior and track dynamics [1]. However, the high computational cost of DEM remains a significant challenge for simulating long track segments, particularly when using polyhedral particles or including fine subballast. While GPU acceleration has improved performance [2], computational demands often limit the spatial and temporal scale of practical simulations, even though a large number of load cycles must be applied to capture long-term settlement and degradation. Current strategies to mitigate computational cost include modeling of ballast as spheres or clumps of spheres, reducing the simulated ballast layer to the most critical sections, or approximating the ballast as a continuous FEM layer. While these approaches reduce runtime, they may compromise accuracy or fail to capture detailedbehaviors critical for realistic track performance predictions. In this study, we explore strategies to enhance the computational efficiency of DEM-FEM simulations for railway tracks, while maintaining fidelity. Specifically, we evaluate adaptive timestepping schemes and multirate integration concepts in fully dynamic 3D simulations, assessing their potential to reduce runtime while preserving accuracy in track response and ballast behavior. Results indicate that these approaches can significantly accelerate simulations, enabling more realistic modeling of extended track sections and fine-grained ballast materials. These findings provide insights into how the computational efficiency of high-fideltity models can be improved, supporting the broader adoption of DEM-FEM methods in railway engineering for predictive maintenance, long-term performance assessment and design optimization. REFERENCES [1] Ahmadi, A., Nasrollahi, K., Nielsen, J. C., & Dijkstra, J. (2026). Dynamic vehicle–track interaction and differential settlement in a transition zone on railway ballast—An integrated 3D discrete–continuum model. Computers and Geotechnics, 190, 107737. [2] N. Govender, D. N. Wilke, P. Pizette, R. K. Rajamani, Industrial scale particle simulations on the gpu using the blaze-dem code, in: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Discrete Element Methods, Springer, 2017, pp. 1379–1388. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-1926-5_142.