RAILWAY TRACK

LOCOMOTIVE

Typical Horsepower-per-net-ton Ratios

TRADITIONAL TRACK STRUCTURE
• Flat-bottom steel rails
supported on timber or pre-
stressed concrete sleepers
• Which are themselves laid
on crushed stone ballast
RAILWAY TRACK

Structure consisting of the:

1. rails
2. fasteners
3. railroad ties (sleepers)
4. ballast (or slab track)
5. underlying subgrade.
BALLASTLESS TRACK
• A disadvantage of traditional track structures
is the heavy demand for maintenance,
particularly surfacing (tamping) and lining to
restore the desired track geometry and
smoothness of vehicle running.
• Weakness of the subgrade and drainage
deficiencies also lead to heavy maintenance
costs.
• This can be overcome by using ballastless
track. In its simplest form this consists of a
continuous slab of concrete (like a highway
structure) with the rails supported directly on
its upper surface (using a resilient pad).
LADDER TRACK
• Ladder track utilizes sleepers
aligned along the same
direction as the rails with
rung-like gauge restraining
cross members. Both
ballasted and ballastless types
exist.
BALLASTED LADDER TRACK
• Minimizing the maintenance for
normal/tunnel sections or even
roadbeds in bad conditions.
• Solution for track irregularity at bridge
approach.
• Buckling free enabling continuous
welded rail at sharp curve .
• Substantial prolongation of surfacing
cycle at level crossing area.
FLOATING LADDER TRACK
• Minimizing vibration and noise.
• Shortening remarkably the
period of time necessary for
track installation work.
• Reducing construction cost for
viaduct by light-weight &
vibration reducing track.
FLOATING LADDER TRACK WITH CONCRETE BED
FUNCTIONS OF SLEEPERS
• Hold the rail to correct gauge
• Absorb blows and vibrations of moving loads
• Support the rail at proper level in straight track and proper super
elevation on curves
• Transfer load to wider area of ballast or girders in case of bridges
SLEEPERS
• Depending upon the position in a
railway track, sleepers may be
classified as:
• Longitudinal sleepers: consists of slabs
of stones or pieces of woods placed
parallel to and underneath the rails. To
maintain correct gauge of the track,
cross pieces are provided at regular
intervals.
• This type of sleepers are discarded
because:
• Running of the train is not smooth
• Noise created by the track is
considerable
• Cost is high
SLEEPERS (cont’d)
• Transverse sleepers: introduced in 1835
and are universally used. Remove the
drawbacks of longitudinal sleepers, i.e.
more economical, silent in operation and
running of the train over these sleepers is
smooth.
• Classified according to material used:
• Timber/wooden sleepers
• Steel sleepers
• Cast iron sleepers
• Concrete sleepers
RAILS
ADVANTAGES
1. Dependable:
a. most dependable mode of transport as it is the least affected by weather
conditions such as rains, fog etc. compared to other modes of transport.
2. Better Organised:
a. better organised than any other form of transport
b. has fixed routes and schedules
c. service is more certain, uniform and regular as compared to other modes of
transport.
3. High Speed over Long Distances:
a. speed over long distances is more than any other mode of transport, except
airways
b. best choice for long distance traffic.
ADVANTAGES
4. Suitable for Bulky and Heavy Goods:
a. Railway transport is economical, quicker and best suited for carrying heavy
and bulky goods over long distances.
5. Cheaper Transport:
a. cheaper mode of transport compared to other modes of transport
b. increase in the railway traffic is followed by a decrease in the average cost
c. economical in the use of labour, as one driver and one guard is sufficient to
carry much more load than the motor transport
d. stabilisation of prices
6. Safety:
a. safest form of transport
b. chances of accidents and breakdowns are minimum compared to other
modes of transport
ADVANTAGES
7. Larger Capacity:
a. carrying capacity is extremely large
b. capacity is elastic which can easily be increased by adding more wagons
8. Public Welfare:
a. largest public undertaking in the country
b. perform many public utility services
c. charges are based on ‘charge what the traffic can bear’ principle which helps the
poor
d. it is a national necessity.
9. Administrative Facilities of Government:
a. providing administrative facilities to the Government
b. defence forces and the public servants drive their mobility primarily from the
railways
10. Employment Opportunities:
a. provide greater employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled labour
ADVANTAGES
11. Encourage commercial unity
a. products and goods are distributed to a larger area
b. Intra marketing of produce among regions
12. Development of nation
a. opening of remote areas to easier access towards development
13. Migration of population in mass scale
a. movement of population in large numbers from one place to another is
possible during times of crisis
14. Troops movement during war
a. Military personnel and equipment can be mobilised in large numbers at any
one time
15. Access to tourist attractions
a. Providing cheap and safe transportation for tourism
DISADVANTAGES
1. Huge Capital Outlay:
a. large investment of capital
b. cost of construction, maintenance and overhead expenses are very high compared
to other modes of transport
c. investments are specific and immobile
d. if traffic is not sufficient, the investments may mean wastage of huge resources
2. Lack of Flexibility:
a. Inflexibility - routes and timings cannot be adjusted to individual requirements
3. Lack of Door to Door Service:
a. cannot provide door to door service as it is tied to a particular track
b. intermediate loading or unloading involves greater cost, more wear and tear and
wastage of time
c. time and cost of terminal operations are a great disadvantage of rail transport
DISADVANTAGES
4. Monopoly:
a. as railways require huge capital outlay, they may give rise to monopolies
b. work against public interest at large
c. even if controlled and managed by the government, lack of competition
may breed inefficiency and high costs
5. Unsuitable for Short Distance and Small Loads:
a. unsuitable and uneconomical for short distance and small traffic of goods
6. Booking Formalities:
a. involves much time and labour in booking and taking delivery of goods
through railways as compared to motor transport
DISADVANTAGES
7. No Rural Service:
a. because of huge capital requirements and traffic, railways cannot be operated
economically in rural areas
b. large rural areas have no railway service even today
c. causes much inconvenience to the people living in rural areas
8. Under-utilised Capacity:
a. railway must have full load for its ideal and economic operation
b. as it has a very large carrying capacity, under-utilisation of its capacity, is a great
financial problem and loss to the economy
9. Centralised Administration:
a. being the public utility service railways have monopoly position
b. as such there is centralised administration
c. local authorities fail to meet the personal requirements of the people as
compared to roadways