EG7032

Highway & Railway Engineering

Basic Rail Track system

Dr. Rasha Mohammad PhD
Railway Transportation

TW2

Email: [email protected]
Room: KD 1.68
Content of the module (Railway)

Lecture Railway Topic Remarks

1 Railway Transport Evaluation, Policy & Legislations

2 Basic Rail Track system

Subgrade- Geotechnical Analysis

3 (Guest lecturer/Case Study)
Ballast- Mechanical Behaviour & Granulometric Analysis Coursework Handout on
4
18th Feb 2025
5 Slab Track/Ballastless track

6 Sleepers- Fastenings

7 Project update

8 Railway Geometry Design

9 Railway Signalling System (NetworkRail-Guest Lecturer)

Safety-Level cross & Switches

10 (NetworkRail-Guest Lecturer)
Rail characteristics and defects
11 (NetworkRail-Guest Lecturer/ Railway rolling stock & maintenance)

Assignment Submission
12 Environmental effects of Railways
due 01/05/2025 at 4:00pm
 Lecture Outline

1. Basic Rail Track system

2. Rail Track system and permanent way.

3. Railway Traffic Loads

1. Basic Rail Track system

4
1.1 Rail track Basics
• Track is the base upon which the railway runs.

• The track is a fundamental part of the railway infrastructure that

represents the primary distinction between this form of land
transportation and all others in that it provides a fixed guidance
system.

• Track design and construction is part of a complex and multi-

disciplinary engineering science involving: earthworks,
steelwork, timber and suspension systems and the infrastructure
of the railway.

• Many different systems exist throughout the world and there are
many variations in their performance and maintenance.

To give a train a good ride, the track alignment must be set to

within a millimetre of the design.
Background
• The usual track form consists of the two steel rails, secured on sleepers/
crossties, so as to keep the rails at the correct distance apart (the gauge)
and capable of supporting the weight of trains.

• The track is the steering base for

the train and has evolved from an
ancient design of vehicle
guidance with origins dating from
the Sumerian culture/2000 BC.
• In General, the modern railway version is based on the steel wheel
running on a steel rail, and other forms of guided vehicle technology
exist, for example:

 rubber-tyred trains,  magnetic levitation “Maglev”

 guided busways.
 The traditional division of railway topics into track, traction, and
operation
Railway network organization distinguish railway science into three topic areas:

1. Track topics: Subjects of railway infrastructure are dealt with, in order to ensure the
safe operation of the rolling stock at the scheduled speed. The superstructure (rails,
sleepers, fastenings, ballast or concrete slab) and the subgrade are central subjects
of track topics. Track topics also include layout, stations, switches and crossings,
maintenance and safety issues.
2. Traction topics: Subjects concerning rolling stock are elaborated on. Also, include
electric traction, telecommunications, and signalling. Certain railways, however,
include these latter in the area of track topics, since they are part of the permanent
railway infrastructure.

3. Operation topics: which include:

– Commercial operation: marketing, commercial, and pricing policies are analysed.

– Technical operation: issues concerning schedule organization, optimum use of

rolling stock, and traffic safety are examined.

Note:
To the above should be added the topics of urban railways (metros and tramways), which constitute a specific railway
class of their own of great importance to mass transit in large urban centres.

However, after the separation of infrastructure from operation, track topics, electrification, telecommunications,
signalling, and technical operation belong to the responsibilities of infrastructure, whereas rolling stock operation and
maintenance and commercial operation belong to the responsibility of operation.
However, the rail track consist of two main parts, as the follows:

o The upper part (Rail &Sleepers), and

o The lower part (Ballast, Sub-ballast and Formation). Sub-structure

 a) Rail

• Each rail section has:

1. a ‘head’ on
which the wheel runs,
2. a 'web’ and
3. a 'foot’/ the base

Example of rail section fastened with clamps

to a wooden sleeper
• Rail Types:

There are two main rail forms:

• In the bull-head section the head and the foot are of the same width, but the
head is deeper than the foot in order to allow for wear.
• In the flat-bottom section the head is of similar shape to the head of the
bull-head section, but the foot is much wider and is flat on the under side.
 • The standard form of rail used around the
world is the "flat bottom" rail.
• It has a wide base or "foot" and narrower
top or "head".
• The UK introduced a type of rail which was
not used elsewhere - apart from a few UK
designed railways.

• This was known as "Bullhead" rail and is shown in comparison with the standard type
in the diagram (above).

• Bullhead rail was originally designed with reuse in mind. It was intended that it would
be turned over when the top had worn but this proved impossible because the
underside also wore where it had been secured to the sleeper. As a result this one in
obsolete.
• Bullhead rail has to be mounted in a special "chair" made of cast iron and secured by
a "key" wedged between the rail web and the chair.
• The chairs are secured to the sleepers by "coach screws” or fang bolts which pass
through the sleeper.
• The arrangement can be seen in the first photo below:

Bullhead Rails fastening

method
This photo shows a flat bottom rail clipped to a baseplate under the rail.
• Flat bottom rails can also be "spiked" directly to the sleepers.
• A wide headed nail is driven into the sleeper on each side of the rail so that the
foot of the rail is held by the heads of the spikes.
• Normally, the rail rests on a cast steel plate which is screwed or bolted to the
sleeper.

• The rail is attached to the plate by a system of

clips or clamps, depending on the design.
• The older UK standard design was an elastic spike
with a sprung, curved top which secures the rail.
• There are a number of variations seen around the
world.
Flat bottom rail fastening method
• A resilient pad will be provided between the rail and the base plate and around the
securing clip, where required to provide insulation for the track circuits, if installed.

• The most basic of fastening methods is the dog-spike (timber sleepers only), which
can be used with or without a baseplate, and relies upon the spike holding the foot of
the rail in both horizontal and vertical position.
• One of the most popular clips is the "Pandrol" clip .
b) The Gauge:

• Gauge refers to the clear distance between the inside faces of each running
rail.
• The track commonly found in UK/MOD facilities falls into two main types,
each specified according to function.

o Standard gauge

o Narrow gauge
o Standard Gauge track is found in most British railways and is normally
chosen for its ability to support high tonnages, faster speeds and compatibility
with the European rail network

o Narrow gauge track is comprised of lighter components and is

therefore likely to be used for transporting lighter, smaller loads using
tighter radius within a self contained railway. Typical gauges are 600mm,
610mm, 762mm and 1000mm.
o Cape Gauge 1067 mm (8%) Africa, japan and Australia

o Meter gauge 1000 mm (9%) France and India.

o Board gauge 1676 mm (15%), mainly use in India (63%),

Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Russia, Brazil and Argentina.

o While, the share of standard gauge is (62%) out of over all the
world and uses mainly in UK, USA, Canada, turkey and China.
c) Sleepers (Ties)

• Traditionally, sleepers (known as ties in the US) are wooden. They can be
softwood or hardwood. Most in the UK are softwood, although London
Underground uses a hardwood called Jarrah wood.

• Sleepers are normally impregnated

with preservative and, under good

conditions, will last up to 25 years.

• Sleepers are normally spaced at 650 mm (25 ins) to 760 mm (30 ins)
intervals, depending on the particular railway's standard requirements.

• They are easy to cut and drill and used to be cheap and plentiful.
• Nowadays, sleepers are becoming more expensive and other types of
materials have appeared, notably concrete and steel.
• Concrete is the most popular of the new types.

• heavier than wooden ones, so they resist

movement better.

• work well under most conditions

• less flexibility and are alleged to crack more easily

under heavy loads with stiff ballast.

• Cannot be cut to size for turnouts and special

trackwork.

• weighs up to 320 kg (700 lbs) compared with a

Typical arrangement of
wooden sleeper which weighs about 100 kg or 225 concrete sleepers with flat
bottom rail.
lbs.

• The spacing of concrete sleepers is about 25%

greater than wooden sleepers.
• Another type of concrete sleeper is shown in this drawing:

o This is the twin-block sleeper, this design consists of two concrete

blocks joined by a steel bar.
o (30%) lighter than a regular concrete sleeper, allowing it to be moved
manually.
o It is popular in France (where it is called Stedef) and for some lighter
track forms like those used for tramway systems.
• The photo shows twin block and wooden sleepers in the same track.

• The sleepers shown in the photo are supplemented with wooden

sleepers at the crossover, because it is easier to cut the timber to the
correct size.

• Sleepers at crossovers and turnouts vary

in size according to their position in the
layout.
• Steel sleepers are also now used on
more
.
lightly used roads, but they are
regarded as suitable only where speeds
are 100 mi/h (160 km/h) or less.
• They can last up to 20 years.
d) Sub-Structure
• Track is the most obvious part of a railway route but there is a sub-structure
supporting the track which is equally as important in ensuring a safe and
comfortable ride for the train and its passengers or freight.

• This part consists of three main elements:

– the formation

– the sub-ballast and

– the ballast
1)- Formation
• The formation is the ground upon which the track will be laid. It can be the
natural ground level or "grade" or it can be an embankment or cutting.

• It is important that the formation is made of the right materials and is

properly compacted to carry the loads of passing trains.

• The natural or constructed formation has to bear the weight of traffic

transmitted via the rails, baseplates, sleepers and ballast. This weight must
be distributed sufficiently so that the formation can take the load without
significant deformation. It is usually compacted and finished to levels
allowing for cross drainage of water off the formation.

• The formation under the track has a "camber" rather like that seen on a
roadway. This is to ensure ease of water run-off to the drains provided on
each side of the line.
2). Ballast

• Ballast is provided to give support, load transfer and drainage to the track
and thereby keep water away from the rails and sleepers.

• Ballast must support the weight of the track and the considerable cyclic
loading of passing trains.

• Individual loads on rails can be as high as 50 tonnes (55 US or short tons)

and around 80 short tons on a heavy haul freight line.
• Ballast is made up of stones of granite or a similar material and should be
rough in shape to improve the locking of stones. In this way they will better
resist movement.

• Ballast stones with smooth edges do not work so well.

• Ballast will be laid to a depth of 9 to 12 inches (up to 300 mm on a high

speed track).

• Ballast weighs about 1,600 to 1,800 kg/cu/m. See also Ballasted vs Non-
Ballasted Track below.
e) Drainage

• Drains are provided to carry away water which has percolated through the
ballast and down the cross-fall of the formation. otherwise it may soften the
haunches of the formation.

• On embankments this usually presents no problem as the water runs over

the edge and down the slope of the bank.

• While, in cuttings the water must be collected and carried to a discharge

point, usually nearby streams or ditches.
2. Rail Track system and permanent way.
 2.1 Rail track components
• The superstructure (rails, sleepers, ballast, sub-ballast), which
supports and distributes train loads and is subjected to periodical
maintenance and replacement.

• The subgrade (formation layer, base), on which the train loads, after
adequate distribution in the superstructure, are transferred and which
in principle should not be subjected to interventions during periodical
maintenance of the railway track.

superstructure
2.2 The permanent way

• In permanent way, the rails joined in series by fish plates and

bolt and then they are fixed to sleepers by different types of
fastening. The sleepers properly spaced and boxed with ballast.
The layer of ballast rest on the prepared sub grade called the
formation.
2.3 Track on ballast or on Concrete slab
a ballasted track, is applied in most of the tracks worldwide, as it:

• ensures flexibility.

• And, it is much lower construction cost, while at the same time

offering a very satisfactory transverse resistance, even at high
speeds.
• a slab track, is used in certain railways (e.g. the Japanese and the
German, among others).

• a slab track, is most effective when used in tunnels, because it

allows a smaller cross-section and facilitates maintenance.

• Track on concrete slab cause much greater noise than the track on
ballast.

Ballasted track and Slab track

• When a slab track is applied (e.g. in the case of a tunnel), the
sudden variation in track stiffness (felt by passengers as a jolt) is
lessened by placing rubber pads of a suitable thickness along the
tunnel entrance and exit.
3. Load per axle and Load traffic
3.1 Load per axle (Q):

Permitted values of axle load depend principally on:

1. Track equipment.
2. Rail, Sleeper and ballast characteristics.

Depending on track equipment, different values of axle load may be

applied.
 Stander gauge tracks:

For standard gauge tracks, axle loads have been standardized

and classified by UIC into four categories:
A : Maximum load per axle 16 t
B : Maximum load per axle 18 t
C : Maximum load per axle 20 t
D : Maximum load per axle 22.5 t
Certain railways with standard gauge tracks, however, use larger per
axle loads, (e.g. in the USA the maximum load per axle for standard
gauge tracks is 25-32t).

 Broad gauge:

Axle loads for broad gauge tracks (Russia, Spain, etc.) is 25t.

 Metric gauge:

For metric gauge tracks axle loads are up to 14-16t (some metric
gauge tracks can support axle loads up to 18-20t.
3.2 Traffic Load :
Various kinds of rail vehicles are running on a track:
o Passenger vehicles,
o Freight vehicles,
o Main-line locomotives and Shunting engines, etc.

• The algebraic sum of the vehicle loads cannot give an accurate quantification of
the running load, because it does not consider the way in which the load is
applied, the running speed, etc.
• Railway engineering uses the analogue of the passenger vehicle unit (PVU) of
traffic engineering.

• Therefore, the loads of the various trains are first converted into equivalent
passenger train loads and then speeds are also taken into account.
 Tth = Tp+ Kfr . Tfr + Kloc . Tloc

• Tp : The mean daily passenger tonnage hauled (in gross tons),

• Tfr : The mean daily freight tonnage hauled (in gross tons),

• Tloc : The mean daily tonnage of tractive units used in

passenger and in freight traffic (tons),
• Kloc :a coefficient which allows to take into account wear resulting from
traction vehicles. is usually given the value:

Kloc =(1.40)

• Kfr :a coefficient taking into account effects of both the load and wear
provoked by freight bogies, and is given normally the value:

Kfr =(1.15)

Note:

(Kfr = 1.30) for traffic based principally on 20t axle loads (more than 50% of traffic) or for
a significant proportion of traffic with 22.5t axle loads (more than 25% of traffic)

• (Kfr = 1.45) for traffic based principally on 22.5t axle loads (more than 50% of traffic)
or for traffic largely consisting of 20t or heavier axle loads (more than 75% of traffic),
 Tact = Tth . S . ECU (ton/day)

S :is coefficients related to the running speed of the train.

=1.0 for V < 60 km/h
=1.05 for 60 km/h < V < 80 km/h
= 1.15 for 80 km/h < V < 100 km/h
= 1.25 for 100 km/h < V < 130 km/h
= 1.35 for 130 km/h < V < 160 km/h
= 1.40 for 160 km/h < V < 200 km/h
= 1.45 for 200 km/h < V < 250 km/h
= 1.50 for V > 250 km/h.

ECU= equivalent unite. (ton)

Based on the daily traffic load, the various railway lines are classified,
according to the UIC (Code 714R), into 6 groups

group 1 for Tf> 130,000 tons/day

group 2 for 80,000 tons/day< Tf< 130,000 tons/day,
group 3 for 40,000 tons/day< Tf< 80,000 tons/day,
group 4 for 20,000 tons/day< Tf< 40,000 tons/day,
group 5 for 5,000 tons/day < Tf< 20,000 tons/day,
group 6 for Tf < 5,000 tons/day
 Exercise (1)
Determine the actual traffic load and define the relating rail
group (UIC-group) for double railway track, taking under
consideration the following specifications:

- The mean daily passenger tonnage hauled (120) ton,

- Number of passenger track (unites) = 10 train
- The mean daily freight tonnage hauled (60) ton,
- Number of freight track (unites) = 30 train
- Maximum Speed = (120) km/h,
- ECU= 40 (ton)
What we discussed today:
(Basic Rail Track System)

What we will be discussed next week

(Subgrade- Geotechnical Analysis)
(Guest lecturer/Case Study)TBC
Thank you

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