Track maintenance machine and method for stabilizing a ballast bed

A track maintenance machine for stabilizing a ballast bed of a track after a tamping operation, the track maintenance machine comprising:

• on-track undercarriages;
• a machine frame mobile on said on-track undercarriages;
• a stabilizing unit having rollers for gripping a track grid disposed on sleepers on a ballast bed defining sleeper-end regions;
• a vibration generator for actuating the track grid with a vibration;
• and
• clearing devices each disposed at a respective longitudinal side of the track maintenance machine, said clearing devices disposed in front of said stabilizing unit relative to a working direction of the track maintenance machine, each of said clearing devices including a respective clearing tool lowerable into the ballast bed for removing ballast from a respective one of the sleeper-end regions, and said clearing devices creating furrows extending parallel to an axis of the track and exposing end surfaces of the sleepers, said exposed end surfaces reducing resistance of the track grid to lateral displacement.