TRACK GEOMETRICS

CONSTRUCTION
AND
MAINTAINENCE
What is Highway alignment?
A highway alignment may be defined as a position occupied by the centerline of
the road on the ground. It is just laying down the road on the ground. There are
different factors that affect the highway alignment described below.

Factors affecting highway alignment

1) Obligatory points through which highway is to pass

2) Obligatory points through which highway is not to pass

3) Composition of traffic

4) Geometric features

5) Economy

6) Others
Gradient In Railway
Gradients are provided to negotiate the rise or fall in the level of the railway track.
A rising gradient is one in which the track rises in the direction of movement of
traffic and in a down or falling gradient the track loses elevation the direction of
movement of traffic.

A gradient normally represented by the distance travelled for a rise or fall of one
unit. Sometimes the gradient indicated as per cent rise or fall. For example, if
there is a rise of 1 m in 400 m, the gradient is 1 in 400 or 0.25 per cent.

Gradients are provided to meet the following objectives

 To reach various stations at different elevations

 To follow the natural contours of the ground to the extent possible
 And To reduce the cost of earthwork
Types Of Gradients
The following types of gradients used on the railways

 Ruling gradient
 Pusher or helper gradient
 Momentum gradient
 Gradients in station yards

 Ruling Gradient
The ruling gradient is the steepest gradient that exists in a section. It determines
the maximum load that can hauled by a locomotive on that section.

While deciding the ruling gradient of a section, it is not only the severity of the
gradient, but also its length as well as its position with respect to the gradients on
both sides that have to taken into consideration.
 Pusher or Helper Gradient
In hilly areas, the rate of rise of the terrain becomes very important when trying to
reduce the length of the railway line and, therefore, sometimes, gradients steeper
than the ruling gradient are provided to reduce the overall cost.

In such situations, one locomotive not adequate to pull the entire load, and an
extra locomotive required.

 Momentum Gradient
The momentum gradient also steeper than the ruling gradient and can overcome
by a train because of the momentum it gathers while running on the section. In
valleys, a falling gradient sometimes followed by a rising gradient.

In such a situation, a train coming down a falling gradient acquires good speed
and momentum, which gives additional kinetic energy to the train and allows it to
negotiate gradients steeper than the ruling gradient.
 Gradients in Station Yards
The gradients in station yards are quite flat due to the following reasons

It prevents standing vehicles from rolling and moving away from the yard due to
the combined effect of gravity and strong winds.
And It reduces the additional resistive forces required to start a locomotive to the
extent possible.

It may mentioned here that generally, yards not levelled completely and certain
flat gradients are provided in order to ensure good drainage.

The maximum gradient prescribed in station yards on Indian Railways is 1 in 400,

while the recommended gradient is 1 in 1000.
Superelevation
Superelevation or cant Superelevation or cant (Ca) is the difference in height
between the outer and the inner rail on a curve. It is provided by gradually lifting
the outer rail above the level of the inner rail. The inner rail is taken as the
reference rail and is normally maintained at its original level. The inner rail is also
known as the gradient rail.

The main functions of superelevation are the following.

(a) To ensure a better distribution of load on both rails

(b) To reduce the wear and tear of the rails and rolling stock
(c) To neutralize the effect of lateral forces
(d) To provide comfort to passengers
 What is Coning of Wheels in Railways ?
The tread of the wheels of a railway vehicle are not made flat, but sloped like a
cone in order to enable these vehicles to move smoothly on curves as well as on
linear straight track. The wheels generally remain central on a straight and level
surface with uniform gauge and the circumference of the treads of both the
vehicles are equal as can be seen in the figure.
 Tilting of Rails

Rails are tilted inward at an angle of 1 in 20 to reduce wear and tear on the rails
as well as on the tread of the wheels. As the pressure of the wheel acts near the
inner edge of the rail, there is heavy wear and tear of the rail. Lateral bending
stresses are also created due to eccentric loading of rails. Uneven loading on the
sleepers is also likely to cause them damage. To reduce wear and tear as well as
lateral stresses, rails are titled at a slope of 1 in 20, which is also the slope of the
wheel cone. The rail is tilted by 'adzing' the wooden sleeper or by providing
canted bearing plates.
 Track branching
Track branching is the name given to the branching of a track from one (or more)
main line track(s), made by means of points, crossings or crossing points.

 What are Points and Crossings?

Points and crossings are provided to facilitate the transfer of trains from one track
to another. The tracks may go in the same direction, in different directions, or
meet in the middle. Points and crossings are provided because the wheels of
railway vehicles have inside flanges. Because of these flanges, they need a special
arrangement for movement along the tracks. The "points" or "switches" help the
diversion of the rail vehicles, and the "crossings" provide certain spaces in the
rails to allow the rolling of flanged wheels over them. A set of points and crossings
and the lead rails together form a turnout.
Necessity of Points and Crossings
The wheels of rolling stock have flanges on the inside of the rails to prevent the
lateral movement of the trains.

When trains are diverted along different tracks, these flanges may cause
hindrance. Due to this, points and crossings are necessitated to facilitate the
transfer and uninterrupted movement of trains when moving from one track to
another.

Some of the major functions of Points and Crossings are:

 They facilitate in receiving the trains that approach the railway station.
 Facilitating shunting operations and marshalling of trains.
 Connecting the dispatched train to the designated rout
 What are Track Junctions?
Track junctions are the various junctions formed by the combination of points and
crossings. They facilitate the transfer of the rail vehicles from one track to another.
These include Turnout, Symmetrical Split, Gauntletted Track, Diamond Crossing,
Scissor Crossover, etc.

A railway station is defined as a place where trains are stopped for the exchange of
passengers, goods and for control of train movement.

 Purpose

A railway station is provided to serve the following purposes:

(g) For exchange of passenger and goods
(h) For control of train movements
(i) For taking fuels and water for locomotives
G) For exchanging g engines and running staff
(k) To allow trains to cross from opposites directions on a single track
(1) For attaching and removing wagons and compartments
According to operational characteristics stations are of the following
types:
(a) Block Station
(b) Non Block station
(c) Special Class station

 Block station:
A place on a railway line where permission to approach and authority to proceed
are granted is known as a block station. These stations are placed at the end of
block sections and are equipped with signals to indicate the limits of block
sections.

 Non Block stations:

The stations situated between two consecutive block stations are called non block
stations. These are also called class D or Flag stations. Non block stations are
neither telegraphically connected with any adjacent block stations nor have any
signals or staff control the control the movement of trains.
 What are the requirements of railways stations?

 Public requirement
 Traffic staff and police requirement
 Traffic requirements
 Requirements of locomotives
 Requirements for the development of railway
 A booking office for issuing tickets to the passenger
 Arrangements for the booking of goods
 Passenger and good platform with or without sheds
 Name boards of the stations
 Waiting rooms
 Proper arrangements for drinking water
 Bathroom with the sanitary arrangement
 An inquiry office
 Staff rooms
 Provisions of big boards for a schedule of trains.
What are the various points to be kept in mind while selecting A site for railway
station?

 The station site should be close to the town or village to be served.

 The station site should have fairly level ground.
 The station site should be situated on the straight portion of the track.,
 The station site should have good approach roads connecting the nearby town.
or village,
 The station site should provide a good drainage facility.
 The station site should fulfill the civil as well as military requirements.
 The station site should provide amenities like drinkable water, electricity, etc.
 The availability of a sufficient quantity of drinkable water from the nearby water
source is very essential.
 Sufficient land area for the provision of a single track or double track, additional
lines, station building, platforms, staff quarters, and for future development of
the station, should be available at the site.
 What are the stations yard? different types of yards in railways
Station yards are systems of track laid within limits for various purposes like
receiving, storing. making up trains etc. over which movement of trains is
controlled by prescribed rules, regulations, and signals.

 Types

 Passenger yards:
the main function of the passenger yard are to provide facilities for the
convenience of passengers. These yards are important at the terminal and
junctions stations where extra passenger bogies are accommodated and cleaning,
washing or strong is done.
 Good yards:
The main function of goods yards is to provide proper facilities for the movement
of the movement of the good train and for receiving, loading, unloading of goods.
Goods yards are provided in all stations except flag stations.
 Marshalling yards:

those yards where trains are received sorted out new trains formed and
dispatched onwards. These are provided at important junction stations which act
as a distributed centers for various destinations. Marshaling yards are very costly
in construction and maintenance.