The parametric instability of a wheel moving on a discretely supported rail is discussed. To achieve this, an analysis method is developed for a quasi-steady-state problem which can represent an exponential growth of oscillation. The temporal Fourier transform of the rail motion is expanded by a Fourier series with respect to the longitudinal coordinate, and then the response of the rail deflection due to a quasi-harmonic moving load is derived. The wheel/track interaction is formulated by the aid of this function and reduced to an infinite system of linear equations for the Fourier coefficients of the contact force. The critical velocities between the stable and unstable states are calculated based on the nontrivial condition of the homogeneous matrix equation. Through these analyses the influences of the modeling of rail and rail support on the unstable speed range are examined. Moreover, not only the first instability zone but also other zones are evaluated. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.