This article concerns assessing the dynamical properties and shape optimization of railway transition curves (TCs) for the wide range – 600, 900, 1200, 2000, 3000, and 4000 m – of circular arc radii. The search for the optimum shape means in the current article the evaluation of the curve properties based on chosen dynamical quantities and generation of such shapes with use of a mathematically understood optimization method. As a transition curve in the studies performed, the authors adopted a polynomial of n-th degree, where n = 9 and 11. In the study one model of rail vehicle was used. The model represented 2-axle freight car of the average values of parameters. The authors took the so-called standard transition curves of 9th and 11th degrees, and 3rd degree parabola as initial transition curves in the optimization processes. As quality functions (evaluation criteria) the authors used three functions concerning lateral and vertical vehicle dynamics, and creepages in wheel-rail contact. In this work, the results of the optimization – types of the curvatures of the optimum transition curves – were presented and compared.