The track system and its components

 Two discrete subsystems (see fig. 2.1 &

LECTURE 2 2.2)
TRACK SYSTEM  Thesuperstructure
 The subgrade (formation layer,
subsoil)

1 2

Fig. 2.1: The track system Fig. 2.2: Typical Cross-section

3 4

1
 The track system and its components … The track system and its components …
 The superstructure;
 The superstructure consists of:
 Supports and distributes train loads and;
 The ballast, usually; crushed stone and
 Maintenance and replacement
gravel (exceptional cases).
 The superstructure consists of:
 ballast ensures adequate load
 The rails, support and guide the train
distribution and fast drainage of rainwater
wheels
 The sleepers (also called ties, North
America) with their fastenings, distribute
the loads applied to the rails and keep
them at a constant spacing
5 6

The track system and its components … The track system and its components …

 The superstructure consists of:  The subgrade

 The subballast, consists of gravel and  Receives adequately distributed loading from
exceptionally of sand. superstructure
 Principally, no interventions during periodic
 The subballast protects the subgrade top
maintenance of the railway track
from the penetration of ballast stones
 The subgrade consists of:
 Additionally; distributes external loads  The subsoil, for track laid along a cut, on site
and soil, while in the case of an embankment, soil
 Ensuring quick drainage of rainwater transported to the site
 The formation layer, used whenever the
subsoil material is not of appropriate quality
7 8

2
 The track system and its components … The track system and its components …

 Note The Rail

The depth to which mechanical effects  The rail consists of three main parts (Fig.
resulting from train circulation occur, 2.3):
extends to around 2 m below the  The head
subgrade top, and this is the depth down  The web
to be referred to by the term subgrade  The base (foot)

9 10

The track system and its components …

Rail Profiles
 Grooved rail (Fig. 2.4) is used along tracks
where the rail top and the pavement
surface are at the same level

Fig. 2.3: Main rail parts

11 12

3
 The track system and its components …

Rail Profiles
 The rail profile currently widely used is the
rail with base, also known as the flat bottom
rail (Fig. 2.5)
 The cross-sections of standard gauge rails
have been standardized by the
International Union of Railways (UIC -
French: Union Internationale des Chemins de
fer)
Fig. 2.4: Grooved rail
13 14
 See UIC rail profiles in Fig. 2.6 & 2.7

Fig. 2.5: Flat Base Rail

15 16 Fig. 2.6: Rail Profiles for Standard Gauge Tracks

4
 The track system and its components …
Choice of Rail Profile
 The choice should take into account the
following parameters:
 Speed
 Axle load
 Traffic of the track
 Sleeper spacing
 Lifetime and
 Eventual reuse
Fig. 2.7: Rail Profiles for Metric and Broad Gauge Tracks
17 18

The track system and its components … The track system and its components …

Choice of Rail Profile Choice of Rail Profile

Standard gauge tracks Metric gauge tracks
 UIC 54 rail for a low traffic load track  S49 is most commonly used rail profile for
 UIC 60 rail for medium and heavy traffic medium and high traffic volume tracks
load tracks  S33 rail profile is used for low traffic load
 UIC 71 introduced some years ago, but has tracks
not been used extensively until today

19 20

5
 The track system and its components … The track system and its components …

Choice of Rail Profile Resilient Pads

Broad gauge tracks  To attenuate train vibrations (absorb
energy) and noise (Figg. 2.8) – rail/sleeper
 Support greater axle loads compared to
contact forces
standard gauge tracks
 Also they provide some insulation between
 For that reason, heavier rails are used in
rail-sleeper and contribute to a more
broad gauge tracks such as the one
uniform distribution of external loads
extensively used in Russia
 Thickness of pads are usually between 5–
10mm
21 22

The track system and its components …

Resilient Pads
 In recently constructed or renewed tracks,
a baseplate is placed between rail and
sleeper (Fig. 2.9)
 In this case, resilient pads are placed
between rail and baseplate and between
baseplate and and sleeper

Fig. 2.8: Resilient pads between rail and sleeper

23 24

6
 Track Gauge

 The distance between the inner sides of

the heads of the two rails, measured
14mm below the rolling surface (Fig.
2.10)

25 26
Fig. 2.9: Rail/baseplate & baseplate/sleeper pads

Track Gauge … Track Gauge …

Tracks with different gauge values:
 Standard gauge, e = 1.435m.
 Metric gauge, e = 1.000m or e = 1.067m.
 Broad gauge, e = 1.520m or 1.524m
(Russia), e = 1.668m (Spain), e = 1.676m
(India), e = 1.600m (Ireland) and elsewhere.
 To be differentiated from the standard
gauge, mainly for political reasons, to
prevent standard gauge rail vehicles from
trespassing into broad gauge tracks.
27 Fig. 2.10: Track gauge (standard gauge) 28

7
 Track Gauge … Axle Load and Traffic Load

 Narrow gauge, e = 0.914m or e = 0.760m. Axle Load

 In a total of 1,028,723 kms of railway lines  Critical factors for track and subgrade
worldwide, fatigue – the axle load and the traficc load
 57.5% are laid on the standard gauge, (tonnage)
 26.5% on the broad gauge,  Permitted values of axle load - rail, sleeper
 15.5% on the metric gauge and and ballast characteristics.
 0.5% on the narrow gauge

29 30

Axle Load and Traffic Load … Axle Load and Traffic Load…

Axle Load Axle Load

 For standard gauge tracks, axle loads have  The axle loads for broad gauge tracks
been standardised and classified into four (Russia, Spain, etc) is 25t.
categories:  For metric gauge tracks axle loads are up
 A: Max.16t to 14 to 16t
 B: Max. 18t  Some metric gauge tracks can support axle
 C: Max. 20t load up to 18 to 20t
 D: Max. 22.5t

31 32

8
 Axle Load and Traffic Load… Axle Load and Traffic Load…
Traffic Load
Axle Load
 On a track, various kinds of rail vehicles are
 Rail fatigue is an exponential function of the running, passenger vehicles, freight vehicles,
axle load Q locomotives.
 Thus, any increase in the axle load results  Railway engineering uses the analogue of the
in a much larger increase in track material passenger vehicle unit (PVU) of traffic
fatigue engineering.
 To determine the traffic load (or tonnage) on a
track, the loads of the various trains are first
converted into equivalent passenger train loads
and then speeds are also taken into account.
33 34

Axle Load and Traffic Load… Sleeper Spacing

Traffic Load
 This is the distance between the axes of
 Based on the daily traffic load, railway lines
consecutive sleepers
are classified according to the UIC, into 6
 The optimum value for standard gauge
groups:
tracks is 0.60m, which can be reduced to
 Group 1: Tf > 130k tons/day
0.55m in case of subgrade inadequacy and
 Group 2: 80k tons/day< Tf < 130k tons/day small radius of curvature
 Group 3: 40k tons/day< Tf < 80k tons/day  Accepted tolerances of sleeper spacing
 Group 4: 20k tons/day< Tf < 40k tons/day during construction of the track are
 Group 5: 5k tons/day< Tf < 20k tons/day ±0.002m.
35
 Group 6: Tf < 5k tons/day 36

9
 Sleeper Spacing … Sleeper Spacing …

 1,666 sleepers per kilometre of track is The study of track behaviour has shown that;
taken as the average value  The closer the sleepers are spaced, the
 In railways with higher values of axle load better the load distribution and the smaller
(e.g., the USA), sleeper spacing may be the stresses developed.
reduced to 0.50m  As sleeper spacing is made smaller,
however, track maintenance becomes more
difficult
 A compromise should therefore be found
between the above two requirements
37 38

10