C1 RAILWAY ENGINEERING Rajan

RAILWAY
ENGINEERING
Prepared by,
Mr. S. Varadarajan
Asst. Professor
Department of Civil Engineering, AITAM
The branch of Civil Engineering which deals with the design,
construction & maintenance of the railway tracks for safe &
efficient movement of trains is called as Railway Engineering
Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Permanent Way
The permanent way is the elements of railway lines, generally the pairs of rails typically laid
on the sleepers embedded in ballast, intended to carry the ordinary trains of a railway
 The gauge of the permanent way should be uniform, correct and it should not get altered
 Proper amount of super elevation should be provided to the outer rail above the inner rail on curved portion of
the track
 The permanent way should be sufficiently strong against lateral forces.
 The curves, provided in the track, should be properly designed.
 An even and uniform gradient should be provided through out the length of the track.
 The tractive resistance of the track should be minimum.
 The design of the permanent way should be such that the load of the train is uniformly distributed on both the
rails so as to prevent unequal settlement of the track.

 All the components parts such as rails, sleepers, ballast, fixtures and fastenings, etc.
should satisfy the design requirements.
 It should be provided with fence near level crossings and also in urban areas.
 It should be provided with proper drainage facilities so as to drain off the rain
water quickly away from the track
 It should be so constructed that repairs and renewals of any of its portion can be
carried out without any difficulty.

GAUGES
Definition: the clear horizontal distance between the inner faces of the two rails forming
a track is called as gauge

GAUGES IN INDIA
 Broad Gauge - 1.67m
 Meter Gauge - 1.0m
 Narrow Gauge - 0.76m

1. FORMATION LEVEL
2. BALLAST
3. SLEEPERS
4. RAILS
5. FASTENINGS & FIXTURES

1.FORMATION LEVEL
o Subgrade is the naturally occurring soil which is prepared to receive the ballast.
o The prepared flat surface, which is ready to receive the ballast, along with sleeps and rails, is
called the formation.
o The formation is an important constituent of the track, as it supports the entire track
structure.
It has the following functions:
(a) It provides a smooth and uniform bed for laying the track.
(b) It bears the load transmitted to it from the moving load through the ballast
(c) It facilitates drainage.
(d) It provides stability to the track.

2. BALLAST
Ballast is the granular material usually broken stone or any other suitable material which is
spread on the top of railway formation and around the sleepers.

Ballast in railway track performs the following functions:
 To hold the sleepers in position and preventing the lateral and longitudinal
movement.
 To distribute the axle load uniform from sleepers to a large area of formation.
 To provide elasticity to the track. It acts as elastic mat between subgrade and
sleepers
 To provide easy means of maintaining the correct levels of the two rails in a track.
 To drain rain water from the track.
 To prevent the growth of weeds inside the track..

It should have sufficient strength to resist crushing under heavy loads of moving trains.
 It should be durable enough to resist abrasion and weathering action.
It should have rough and angular surface so as to provide good lateral and longitudinal
stability to the sleepers.
It should have good workability so that it can be easily spread of formation.
It should be cheaply available in sufficient quantity near and along the track.

It should not make the track dusty or muddy due to its crushing to powder under
wheel loads.
It should allow for easy and quick drainage of the track.
It should not have any chemical action on metal sleepers and rails.

In India, the following materials are used as ballast
(i) Broken stone.
(ii) Gravel
(iii) Sand
(iv) Ashes or cinders
(v) Kankar
(vi) Moorum
(vii) Blast furnace slag
(viii) Brick ballast
(ix) Selected earth

Sand ballast
o Sand ballast is used primarily for cast iron (CI) pots. It is also used with wooden ir.d steel trough
sleepers in areas where traffic density is verve low.
o Coarse sand is preferred in comparison to fine sand. It has good drainage properties, but has the
drawback of blowing off because of being light. It also causes excessive wear of the rail top and
the moving parts of the rolling stock.
Moorum ballast
o The decomposition of laterite results in the formation of moorum.
o It is red and sometimes yellow in color. The moorum ballast is normally used as the initial ballast
in new constructions and also as sub-ballast. As it prevents water from percolating into the
formation, it is also used as a blanketing material for black cotton soil
Coal ash or cinder ballast
o This type of ballast is normally used in yards and sidings or as the initial ballast in new
constructions since it is very cheap and easily available.
o It is harmful for steel sleepers and fittings because of its corrosive action.

Broken stone ballast
 This type of ballast is used the most on Indian Railways.
 Good stone ballast is generally procured from hard stones such as granite, quartzite,
and hard trap. The quality of stone should be such that neither it should be porous nor
it flake off due to the weathering.
 Good quality hard stone is normally used for high-speed tracks. This type of ballast
works out to be economical in the long run.
Other types of ballast

There are other types of ballast also such as the brickbat ballast, gravel ballast, kankar
stone ballast, and even earth ballast. These types of ballast are used only in special
circumstances
SIZES OF BALLAST
 Previously,
50 mm (2") ballasts were specified for flat-bottom sleepers such as concrete and wooden sleepers
and
40 mm (1.5") ballasts for metal sleepers such as CST-9 and trough sleepers.
Now, to ensure uniformity, 50 mm (2") ballasts have been adopted universally for all types of
sleepers.
Points and crossings are subjected to heavy blows of moving loads and hence are maintained to a
higher degree of precision. A small sized, 25 mm (1") ballast: s. therefore, preferable because of its
fineness for slight adjustments, better compaction, and increased frictional area of the ballast.

For uniformity sake, the Indian Railways has adopted the same standard size of ballast for the
main line as well as for points and crossings. This standard size of ballast should be as per
Indian Railways specification.
The specification provides grading of ballast from 25 mm to 65 mm,

maximum quantity of ballast being in the range of 40 mm to 50 mm size.

3.SLEEPERS
 Sleepers are the transverse ties that are laid to support the rails.
 They have an important role in the track as they transmit the wheel load from the rails to
the ballast.
 Several types of sleepers are used in Indian Railways.
 The characteristics of these sleepers and their suitability with respect to load conditions
are described in this section.

The main functions of sleepers are as follows:
Holding the rails in their correct gauge and alignment
Giving a firm and even support to the rails
Transferring the load evenly from the rails to a wider area of the ballast
Acting as an elastic medium between the rails and the ballast to absorb the
blows and vibrations caused by moving loads
Providing longitudinal and lateral stability to the permanent way
Providing the means to rectify the track geometry during their service life

Apart from performing these functions the ideal sleeper should normally fulfill the following
requirements
o The initial as well as maintenance cost should be minimum.
o The weight of the sleeper should be moderate so that it is convenient to handle.
o The designs of the sleeper and the fastenings should be such that it is possible to fix and
remove the rails easily.
o The sleeper should have sufficient bearing area so that the ballast under it is not crushed.
o The sleeper should be such that it is possible to maintain and adjust the gauge properly
o The material of the sleeper and its design should be such that it does not break or get
damaged during packing.
o The design of the sleeper should be such that it is possible to have track circuiting.
o The sleeper should be capable of resisting vibrations and shocks caused by the passage of
fast moving trains
The sleepers mostly used on Indian Railways are
(i) Wooden sleepers,
(ii) Cast iron (CI) sleepers,
(iii) Steel sleepers &
(iv) Concrete sleepers.

SLEEPERS
• Sleepers are transverse members of the track placed below the
rails to support and fix them in position.

Sleepers are of the following types:
1. Wooden sleepers.
2. Steel sleepers.
3. Cast iron sleepers.
4. R.C.C. sleepers.
5. Priestesses concrete sleepers.

1. WOODEN SLEEPERS:
These sleepers are regarded to be the best as they satisfy all the requirements of
good sleepers and are the only sleeper suitable for track circuiting. The life of
wooden sleepers depends upon their ability to resist wear, attack by white ants and
quality of timber used. Timbers commonly used in India for sleepers are sal, Teak,
Deodar and chair wood.
The standard sizes of wooden sleepers for different gauges are as follows:
• For B.G. – 2740 mm X 250 mm X 130 mm
• For M.G. – 1830 mm X 203 mm X 114 mm
• For N.G. – 1520 mm X 150 mm X 100 mm
ADVANTAGES
(i) Timber is easily available in all parts of India.
(ii) Wooden sleepers are suitable for all types of ballest.
(iii) Wooden sleepers require less fastening and simple in design.

(iv) These sleepers give less noisy track.
(v) These sleepers absorb shocks and vibrations more than any
other sleepers.
(vi) These sleepers are best suited for track circuiting.

DISADVANTAGES
• The life of wooden sleeper is less as compared to other types of
sleepers.
• It is difficult to maintain guage of the track in case of wooden sleepers.
• These sleepers are subjected to wear, decay and attack by white ants etc.
• Track laid over wooden sleepers is easily disturbed.
• Maintenance cost is more as compared to other sleepers.

2. STEEL SLEEPERS
These sleepers consist of steel throughs made of 6 mm thick
sheets, with its both ends bend down to check the running out of
ballast. At the time of pressing of sleepers, an inward slope of 1 in
20 on either side is provided to achieve required tilt of rails. The
standard length of these is 2680 mm

ADVANTAGES
• Steel sleepers are light in weight and can be handled easily.
• these require less fastenings.
• the life of these sleepers is more than the wooden sleepers.

• The gauge can be easily maintained and adjusted.
• The scrap value is more than the wooden sleepers.
• The track laid on steel sleepers has good lateral and longitudinal rigidity.
• Creep of rails can be checked by using steel sleepers

DISADVANTAGES
• Initial cost of these sleepers is more than wooden sleepers.
• Cracks are developed at rail seat of these sleepers.
• Steel sleepers are not suitable for track circuiting.
• These are not suitable for all types of ballast.

• These are liable to corrosion.

3. CASTE IRON SLEEPERS
The sleepers made of cast iron, known as cast iron sleepers, have
been extensively used in India as compared to other countries in the
world. Cast iron sleepers are of the following types:
 Pot or bowl sleeper
 Plate sleeper
 Box sleeper
 CST-9 sleeper
 Duplex sleeper

ADVANTAGES
• The life of C.I sleepers is more.
• The maintenance cost of thesesleepers is low.
• Gauge can be easily maintained and adjusted with these sleepers.
• These sleepers are more durable.
• Creep rails can be checked by using these sleepers.

DISADVANTAGES
• More ballast is required than any other type of sleepers.
• The number of fittings required is more.
• These sleepers are liable to break.
• These are not suitable for all types of ballast.

4. RCC SLEEPERS
• Reinforced cement concrete sleepers are of two
types:
• (i) Through type
• (ii) Block and tie type

(I) THROUGH TYPE RCC SLEEPER:
• This is also known as one piece or mono-block sleeper.
• In this type of sleeper cracks develop on the tension side when

stressed.
• These cracks are very small and almost invisible but tend to
enlarge with the repetition of impact loading, causing failure.
(II)BLOCK AND TIE TYPE R.C.C. SLEEPER
• This type of sleeper consists of two RCC blocks connected by a metal

tie of inverted T- section.
• These sleepers are not subjected to any degree of tensile stress as in
through type.

ADVANTAGES OF R.C.C. SLEEPERS
• Concrete sleepers have long life, generally 40to 60 years.
• These are free from natural decay and attack by insects etc.
• These sleepers require less fittings.
• Track circuiting is possible in these sleepers.
• These sleepers provide more lateral and longitudinal rigidity as
compared to other sleepers.
• The maintenance cost is low.
• Due to higher elastic modulus, these can withstand the stresses

due to fast moving trains. Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM
DISADVANTAGES
• Due to heavy weight, handling and transportation of these sleepers are
Difficult.
• If not handled properly, the chance of breaking is more.
• The renewal of track laid with these sleepers is difficult.

5. PRE STRESSED CONCRETE SLEEPERS
• Pre stressed concrete sleepers are now-a-days extensively used in

Indian Railways.
• These sleepers have high initial cost but are very cheap in
long run due to their long life.
• In these sleepers, high tension steel wires are used.
• These wires are stretched by hydraulic jack to give necessary tension in
the wires.

• The concrete is then put under a very high initial compression.
• These sleepers are heavily damaged in case of derailment or accidents
of trains

SLEEPER DENSITY & SPACING OF SLEEPERS
o Sleeper density is the number of sleepers per rail length.
o It is specified as (M + x) or (N + x), where M or N is the length of the rail in meters and
x is a number that varies according to factors such as
(a) axle load and speed,
(b) type and section of rails,
(c) type and strength of the sleepers,
(d) type of ballast and depth of ballast cushion, and
(e) nature of formation.

4. RAILS
Rails are the members of the track
laid in two parallel lines to provide
an unchanging, continuous, and level
surface for the movement of trains.
To be able to withstand stresses, they RAILS

are made of high-carbon steel.
Standard rail sections, their
specifications, and various types of
rail defects are discussed in this
section.
Rails provide a continuous and level surface for the movement of trains.
They provide a pathway which is smooth and has very little friction. The friction
between the steel wheel and the steel rail is about one-fifth of the friction between
the pneumatic tyre and a metalled road.
They serve as a lateral guide for the wheels.
They bear the stresses developed due to vertical loads transmitted to them through
axles and wheels of rolling stock as well as due to braking and thermal forces.
They carry out the function of transmitting the load to a large area of the formation
through sleepers and the ballast.

“RAILS”
Head The head of the rail should have adequate depth to allow for vertical wear. The rail head
should also be sufficiently wide so that not only is a wider running surface available, but also the
rail has the desired lateral stiffness.
Web The web should be sufficiently thick so as to withstand the stresses arising due to the loads
bore by it, after allowing for normal corrosion.
Foot The foot should be of sufficient thickness to be able to withstand vertical and horizontal
forces after allowing for loss due to corrosion. The foot should be wide enough for stability
against overturning. The design of the foot should be such that it can be economically and
efficiently rolled.
“RAILS”
Fishing angles These must ensure proper transmission of loads from the
rails to the fish plates. The fishing angles should be such that the
tightening of the plate does not produce any excessive stress on the web
of the rail.
Height of the rail The height should be adequate so that the rail has
sufficient vertical stiffness and strength as a beam.

LENGTH OF RAILS
Theoretically, the longer is the rail, the lesser would be the number of
joints and fittings required and the lesser the cost of construction and
maintenance.
Longer rails are economical and provide smooth and comfortable
rides.
The length of a rail is, however, restricted due to the following factors:
(a) Lack of facilities for transport of longer rails, particularly on curves
(b) Difficulties in manufacturing very long rails
(c) Difficulties in acquiring bigger expansion joints for long rails
(d) Heavy internal thermal stresses in long rails

LENGTH OF RAILS
Taking the above factors into consideration, Indian Railways has
standardized a rail length of 13m for broad gauge and 12m for
Meter gauge & Narrow gauge tracks.
Indian Railways is also planning to use 39 m, and even longer rails in
its track system. Now 65m long rails are being produced at SAIL,
Bhilai and it is planning to manufacture 130 m long rails.

QUANTIFYING TRACK MATERIAL
It is important that the exact quantities of track material are conveyed to the
site. Any excess material gets wasted, whereas shortage of material results in
difficulties and delays in carrying out renewal work. It is normally desirable to
have a small spare stock of extra material ready in case of unforeseen
contingencies.

MATERIAL CALCULATION
 The exact quantity of material required for 1 km of track is calculated as given below.
 If the track is with 52-kg rails and sleeper density M + 7 (where M is the length of the rail in
meters, which is normally 13 m on BG), then the calculations are as follows.

RAIL JOINTS
• Rail joints are necessary to hold together the adjoining ends
of the rails in the correct position, both in the horizontal &
vertical planes.
• It is the weakest part of the track.

PROBLEMS CREATED DUE TO RAIL JOINTS
a. Weakest link in track

b. Break of continuity (horizontal & vertical)
c. Blow of wheels–loosening of fish plate, ballast, fastenings etc.
d. Wear & tear of track components
e. Impact at rail joints – reduce life span of rails, sleepers &
fastenings
f.Noise is created
g. Increases fuel consumption
REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL RAILS JOINTS
a) Holding rail ends for continuity.
b)Sufficient strength & stiffness.
c)Adequate expansion gap.
d) Easy removal or replacement, flexibility.
e) Provision for wear at rail ends. It should not allow the rail ends to get
battered in any case.

f) Adequate elasticity.
g) The joint should fulfill the above requirements with the minimum of
initial & maintenance cost. (i.e. it should be economical)

TYPES OF RAIL JOINTS
These are widely used to connect two rails together and ensure the trains passing through safety
in orbit.
According to the position of the sleeper, rail joints can be classified into three types:
a. SUPPORTED JOINTS g. SQUARE JOINT/EVEN JOINT
b. SUSPENDED JOINTS h. COMPROMISE JOINT

i. EXPANSION JOINT
c. BRIDGE JOINTS.
j. STAGGERED / BROKEN JOINT
d. RAIL JOINT AND FASTENINGS k. INSULATED JOINT
e. BASE JOINT
f. WELDED RAIL JOINT

a. SUPPORTED JOINT
A rail joint in a railroad rail having a sleeper directly under the rail ends. On one hand, it would
reduce the wear and tear of the rail through supporting the rail joint. On the other hand, such
supporting joint makes the joint move hard even though the support may have a slightly raise the
height of the rail ends.

b. SUSPENDED JOINT
a rail joint coming between two railroad rail sleepers and some portion of rail is cantilevered at
the joint. Just because the cantilever action, the joint becomes loose due to the hammering
action of passing train loads. Suspended joints are commonly used on railway systems all over
the world, especially in India.

c. BRIDGE JOINTS
a rail joint which is similar to the suspended joint. Compared with the suspended joint, on either
side of bridge joint are connected by means of a metal flat or a corrugated plate known as a
bridge plate. This type of joint is not commonly used on Indian railway.

d. RAIL JOINT AND FASTENINGS
Rail joints can also be called one of the rail fasteners. While using the rail joints, some other
fastenings is indispensable, such as fish bolt, rail nut and washer. Apart from bolts and nuts,
other fastenings like rail clips, rail clamps, dog spikes, screw spikes and rail anchors are
provided by AGICO Rail.

e. BASE JOINT
• This is similar to bridge joint, with the difference that the inner fish
plates are of bar type and outer fish plates are of the special angle
type, in which the horizontal leg is further extended over the
sleepers to be bolted to both bridge plate and sleeper.
• Due to complicated design , this is not generally used.

f. WELDED JOINT
These are the best joints as they fulfil nearly all the requirements of an
ideal or perfect joint .

g. STAGGERED / BROKEN JOINT
• The joints on railway track are not directly opposite to the joints
of the rail track.
• These joints are generally provided on curves, where the length of

outer curved track is greater than the length of inner curved track.

h. SQUARE OR EVEN JOINT
The joint of the one railway track are directly opposite to the joints of
other rail track. This type is generally used on straight track.

i. COMPROMISE JOINT
Where two different rail sections are required to be jointed together, it
is done by means of fish plates which fit both the rails and this is joint
termed as compromise joint

j. INSULATED JOINT
When insulating medium is inserted in a rail joint to stop the flow of

current beyond the track circuited part, it is called insulated joint.

k. EXPANSION JOINT
In bridges , provision for expansion and contraction is kept for girders
and rails both.

CREEP OF RAILS
DEFINITION
Creep is defined as the longitudinal movement of rails with respect to sleepers in a

track. Creep is common to all railway tracks, but varies in magnitude considerably,
the rail, in some places, moves by several centimeters in a month while in other
locations the movement of rails may be negligible. It is observed that the rails have
tendency to move gradually in the direction of dominant traffic

INDICATIONS OF CREEP
Occurrence of creep can be noticed from the following observations :
 Closing of successive expansion spaces at rail joints in the
direction of creep and opening out of joints at the point from

where the creep starts.
 Marks on flanges and webs of rails made by spike heads, by
scraping or scratching as the rails slide.

THEORIES OF CREEP
Various theories are propounded to explain the different causes of creep but none of them
gives the true picture for real cause (or root cause) of creep in rails.
The various theories propounded for explaining the probable causes of creep in rails are
described in following paragraphs :
1. WAVE ACTION OR WAVE THEORY
2. PERCUSSION THEORY

CREEP THEORIES
1. WAVE ACTION OR WAVE THEORY

Wave motion is set up by moving loads of wheels. The vertical reverse curve
ABC (as shown in Figure) is formed in the rails ahead of the wheels, resulting
from the rail deflection under the load, is the chief cause of creep. The wheels
push the wave with a tendency to force the rail in the direction of traffic. On a
particular rail, the joint action by several wheels causes creep. As the wheels
move, the lift in front of the moving load is thus carried forward by the wheels
and causes creep, whereas the lift at the rear of the wheel gets back to its
normal position. Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM
Wave Theory of Creep

The pitch and depth of wave depend upon the following :
1. Track modulus
2. Stiffness of track
3. Stability of formation.
THE WAVE ACTION CAN BE REDUCED (I.E. CREEP IS REDUCED) BY

ADOPTING FOLLOWING MEASURES :
 Angular and heavy ballast-which develops good interlock

 Increased stif fness of track
 Lesser sleeper spacing
 Bigger section of the rail


CREEP THEORIES
This theory states that the creep is due
to impact of wheels at the rail end
ahead at joints. The horizontal
component ‘P’ of ‘R’ tends to cause
creep while the vertical component
tends to bend down the rail end
vertically, i.e., to make a battered rail
end. Hence as and when the wheels
leave the trailing rail and strike the
facing rail end at each joint, it pushes
the rail forward resulting in creep.
Though the creep is very small in
single impact but cumulative effect of
number of wheels in quick succession
results in sufficient creep.
CREEP THEORIES
The creep by this theory will increase due to :

 weak and loose fish bolts
 worn out fish plates
 loose packing at joints
 wide expansion gap
 heavy axle loads moving at high speed.

CREEP THEORIES
3. DRAG OR DRAGGING THEORY

It states that backward thrust on driving wheels of the locomotive of train has got a tendency to
push the rail off the track backward while the other wheels of the locomotive and the vehicles
(i.e. Wheels of coaches and wagons) push the rail in the direction of travel as explained in
Wave Action Theory and they have greater effect (as compared to drag effect). This results in
creep of rails in the direction of movement of trains.

Following factors also govern the magnitude and direction of CREEP
(i) Alignment of Track
Creep is observed greater on curves than on tangent railway track
(ii) Grade of Track
Creep is more with steep gradient particularly if the trains move downward with heavy
loads. Though in the opposite direction, it is not impossible for creep to develop.
(iii) Type of Rails
The old rails have more creep than new rails.
(iv) Direction of Heaviest Traffic
If the loaded trains run in one direction (such as from production centers to the markets)
and empty trains in opposite direction, creep will usually be found in the direction of loaded
trains.
(v) Poor Maintenance of Track Components
Poor Maintenance of Track Components and ill-design of super-elevation, curves, joints, etc.
will also increase the creep. It is observed that creep is not constant over any given time nor
does it vary at uniform rate, nor does it continue in one direction, nor do both the rails creep
by an equal amount. In fact, the direction and extent of creep cannot be predicted. Such
variations may occur daily or may be seasonal.
EFFECTS OF CREEP
The effects of creep are several and serious too, the most serious effect being buckling of the track. If a buckled track is not
attended at proper time, it may easily derail a train and result in serious losses.The common effects of creep, are the following :
1. Sleepers move out of square and out of position. This affects the gauge and alignment of track. As
sleepers move, naturally the surface is also disturbed and finally results in an uncomfortable riding.
2. Rail-joints are opened out of their limit in some cases and stresses are set up in fish-plates and bolts
due to which the bolts sometimes break. The rails are also battered at ends due to excessive gaps at
joints. While at other places, joints are jammed and prevent required expansion due to temperature
variation.
3. Points and crossings get distorted and it becomes very difficult to keep them to correct gauge and
alignment. The movement of switches is made difficult (i.e., difficult to operate the switches) and
interlocking is thrown out of gear.
4. If any rail is removed from the track for any purpose, it becomes difficult to fix it again at proper
position because by the time gap becomes too short or too long due to creep.
5. Besides these effects, smashing of fish-plates and fish-bolts, bending of bars, kinks at joints of rails and
forging of ballast ahead, are common effects of creep.

MEASUREMENT OF CREEP
“Creep Indicator” is used to measure the creep of rails. A chisel mark is made at the side of
bottom flange of rail and two rail posts are fixed to the formation with their top levels
flushing with top of sleepers.
A fishing string is stretched below the rails on the marks on the top of posts & creep is thus
measured. The distance between chisel mark to the string is the amount of creep.
As per Indian Railways practice, the creep should

be measured frequently at an interval of about 3-
months. A creep in excess of 150 mm (15 cm)
should not be permitted on standard track and at
any location more than 6 consecutive rails should
not be found jammed in a single railway track.
Moreover, no creep should be permitted on
approaches of points and crossings.

PREVENTION OF CREEP
Prevention is always better than cure. If creep is not prevented in time, it will result in derailment. Following
are the common methods adopted to prevent creep.
1. Pulling Back the Rails
 If creep is distinctly visible, the remedy is to pull back the rails to their original position. For doing this, first
inspect the track, note the extent of pulling back distance and determine the point from which to begin.
Now start pulling the rails back to their original positions by means of crow bars and hooks provided
through the fish bolt holes of rail. In pulling back, the positions of joints relative to sleepers must be
maintained, and both the rail joints must be in their relative positions.
 Pulling back the rails is a very slow and tedious process and is only possible when a small length is to be
dealt. It has, moreover, been noticed that rails start creeping immediately after pulling back.

 The creep of the track can be prevented by use of Anchors and sufficient crib ballast. For
creep of 7.5 cm to 15 cm, in a month 4-anchors per rail and for creep of 22.5 cm to 25 cm.
6-anchors per rail are used in the Indian practice.
 Anchors are fastened to the foot of rail and kept in perfect contact with the side of the
sleeper being the side opposite to the direction of creep. If creep occurs in both directions,
anti-creepers are provided on both the sides of sleepers, starting from the center of the rail
and should never be fixed near the joints.
 Anchors are fixed to rails either (i) by wedging action, (ii) by clamping (iii) by a spring grip.
There are several varieties of anchors based on these three types.
ANCHOR PLACED BY WEDGING ACTION ANCHOR PLACED BY A SPRING GRIP

CREEP
SUMMARY
The longitudinal movement of rails with respect to sleepers, called creep of rails, results
in bucking which may lead to derailment of trains and hence serious losses of life and/or
property. There are several theories put forward to explain the reasons of occurrence of
creep, but none of them is able to give the perfect reasoning. Creep does not vary at
uniform rate, nor does it continue in one direction, nor both the rails creep by an equal
amount. The direction and magnitude of creep cannot be predicted. However, creep must
be prevented by pulling back, or provision of anti-creepers, or use of steel trough
sleepers.

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RAILWAY

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

 The permanent way should be sufficiently strong against lateral forces.

 The curves, provided in the track, should be properly designed.

 The tractive resistance of the track should be minimum.

rails so as to prevent unequal settlement of the track.

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

should satisfy the design requirements.

water quickly away from the track

carried out without any difficulty.

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

 Meter Gauge - 1.0m

 Narrow Gauge - 0.76m

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

5. FASTENINGS & FIXTURES

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

called the formation.

(c) It facilitates drainage.

(d) It provides stability to the track.

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

 To drain rain water from the track.

 To prevent the growth of weeds inside the track..

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

 It should be durable enough to resist abrasion and weathering action.

stability to the sleepers.

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Other types of ballast

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

The specification provides grading of ballast from 25 mm to 65 mm,

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

 Several types of sleepers are used in Indian Railways.

are described in this section.

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Holding the rails in their correct gauge and alignment

Giving a firm and even support to the rails

Providing longitudinal and lateral stability to the permanent way

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

(i) Wooden sleepers,

(ii) Cast iron (CI) sleepers,

(iii) Steel sleepers &

(iv) Concrete sleepers.

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

(ii) Wooden sleepers are suitable for all types of ballest.

(iii) Wooden sleepers require less fastening and simple in design.

(vi) These sleepers are best suited for track circuiting.

• It is difficult to maintain guage of the track in case of wooden sleepers.

• Track laid over wooden sleepers is easily disturbed.

• Maintenance cost is more as compared to other sleepers.

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

• the life of these sleepers is more than the wooden sleepers.

• Creep of rails can be checked by using steel sleepers

• Cracks are developed at rail seat of these sleepers.

• Steel sleepers are not suitable for track circuiting.

• These are not suitable for all types of ballast.

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

Varadarajan.S, Asst. Professor, Civil, AITAM

• The maintenance cost of thesesleepers is low.