Railway Engineering

Eng. Pantheer Majak

BSC. Of Civil engineering
MENG. Of industrial engineering
S.E.A ,Department of Civil Engineering
 What is Railway Engineering?
• The branch of Civil Engineering which deals with the design, construction
and maintenance of the railway tracks for safe and efficient movements of
trains.
• Railway:-A track formed of rails of iron or steel along which trains are driven.
• Rolling stock:- The locomotives, passenger coaches and goods wagons which
roll or run on railway tracks.
• Locomotive:- The mechanical device which transfers chemical energy of fuel
into mechanical energy in the form of motion.
• Wagons :- The goods compartments
• Coaches or vehicles :- The passenger compartments
• Coaching stock :- All types of vehicles that run in passenger trains
• Goods stock :- Wagons used for movement of goods, heavy and bulky
commodities
 Flow of operations
Rolling Stock

Coaching
Locomotives Goods Stock
Stock

Steam Passenger Covered Open Top

Vans
Locomotives Vans Coaches Wagons Stock

Diesel High wall

Mail Vans
Locomotives Wagons

Electric Small
Luggage Vans
Locomotives Wagons

Without wall
Parcel Vans
Wagons

Brake Vans Others

Others
 Purposes
• Railways means of transporting men and materials for large distance
in the country.
• transporting the finished products to the marketing centers.
• Railways helped in developing cultural and social ties among the
people.
• Most countries depend on railways for their development.
purposes and advantages of Railways

• Railways provide convenient and safe means of transporting people

and goods.
• Railways help in uniting the people of different religious, customs and
traditions living in different parts of a country and strengthen national
unity.
• Railways help in developing cultural and social ties among the people
living in different parts of a country.
• Railways act as a special pilgrims and travelers who wish to visit far
places of their interest with safety, comfort and economical.
purposes and advantages of Railways
• Railway facility cheap and convenient communication of bulks of
letters, parcels and heavy goods like raw materials, coal, ores, etc.
from mines and manufacturing concerns within a country.
• Railways grow the trade and industrial development in a country.
• Railways increase the value of land due to industrial development.
• Railways help in providing efficient distribution of natural resources
and agricultural products .
• Railways help in price stabilization of commodities due to mobility of
products in all parts of a country.
• Railways provide employment opportunities to people on a large
scale and thus help in reducing unemployment problem of the
 SYSTEMS OF RAILWAYS
1. Surface railways; provided over the ground surface , most
extensively used throughout the world.
2. Elevated railways; is constructed and the track is carried on its
steel deck. cause little obstruction due to piers, columns
supporting the track.
Elevated railways are suitable in the heavily congested urban areas
where the under ground railways cannot be constructed.
3. Under ground railways; The railways provided just below ground
level . tunnels are constructed for carrying tracks through them and
a over .
Due to ventilation problems in tunnels, electricity is the only source of
power for traction in under ground railways
 Advantages of Underground railway
i. This system provides rapid and unobstructed
transportation.
ii. This system helps in reducing traffic congestion problems.
iii. This system provides safety during aerial attack in war.
• Under ground railways are suitable in the heavily
congested urban areas where the traffic intensity on roads
is heavy.
 4.Tube railways
• The railway provided underground at a greater depth of about 18 m or more (up
to 52 m)
• to avoid the interference of the tracks with water and gas pipes, sewerage
systems and oil or drainage pipes,
i. The railways stations have to be of cylindrical form.
ii. Escalators or moving stair cases are to be constructed to reach the tube
railways.
iii. Only electric traction to be used to avoid the smoke and ventilation problems.
iv. Automatic signaling system is to be used.
v. the train is to be used that it cannot start until all the doors are closed, and it
automatically stops, if the signal is at ‘STOP’ position.
vi. This system of railways is used by the London Post Office in transporting mails
through a small diameter tunnel with automatic control without any driver.
PERMANENT WAY
Components of a permanent way

Formation or subgrade
Ballast ;
Sleepers ;
Rails ;
Fixtures and fastenings
 components of a permanent way

principal requirements of an
ideal permanent way

i. The gauge of the permanent way

should be uniform, correct and it
should not get altered.

ii. Both the rails should be at the same

level on tangent (straight) portion of
the track.

iii. Proper amount of super elevation

should be provided to the outer rail
above the inner rail on curved
portion of the track.
Design of Permanent way
iv. The permanent way should be sufficiently strong against lateral
forces.
v. The curves, provided in the track, should be properly designed.
vi. An even and uniform gradient should be provided through out the
length of the track.
vii. The tractive resistance of the track should be minimum.
viii. 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.
 Design of Permanent way

ix. It Should provide adequate elasticity in order to

prevent the harshness of impacts between the rails
and the moving wheel loads of a train.

x. It should be free from excessive rail joints and all the

joining should be properly designed and
constructed.

xi. All the components parts such as rails, sleepers,

ballast, fixtures and fastenings, etc. should satisfy
the design requirements.
 Design of Permanent way

xii. All the fixtures and fastenings such as

chairs, bearing plates, fish plates, fish
bolts, spikes etc. should be strong
enough to withstand the stresses
occurring in the track.
xiii. All the points and crossings, laid in the
permanent way, should be properly
designed and carefully constructed.
xiv. It should be provided with fence near
level crossings and also in urban areas.
Design of Permanent way

xv. It should be provided with proper drainage

facilities so as to drain off the rain water
quickly away from the track.
xvi. It should be provided with safe and strong
bridges coming in the alignment of the
track.
xvii. It should be provided with safe and strong
bridges coming in the alignment of the
track.
xviii.It should be so constructed that
 Track Formation

track transfer train loads to the formation.

Trains running on Track do not cause excessive

environmental pollution in the form of noise
and ground vibration.
Requirements for Choosing a Track System:
1.Costs of the total service life of the track must
be as low as possible.
2.Maintenance should be low and as
inexpensive as possible
 Load Bearing Function of the Track
The load transfer works on the principle of stress
reduction - layer by layer.

1. The greatest stress occurs between

wheel and rail and is in the order of 30
kN/cm2 (= 300 MPa).
2. Between rail and sleeper the stress is
two orders smaller and diminishes
between sleeper and ballast bed down
to about 30 N/cm2.
3. Finally the stress on the formation is
only about 5 N/cm2.
GAUGE
What is Gauge?
• The clear horizontal distance between the inner (running) faces of the
two rails forming a track

gauge
Design Expriment
• First, the wheels of the railway vehicles were provided with flanges on
outside and the distance between the outer faces of rails of a track was
considered as gauge.
• The first track was laid in England with an outside gauge of 1.524m. After
sometime it was found advantageous to provide flanges on inner side of
the wheels for easy turning of trains from one track to another.
• The change was made without interfering with rails.
• This converted the gauge from 1524 mm (5’) to 1435 mm (4’-8½’’) due to
reduction of two rail head widths, each 44.45 mm (1¾”).
• This gauge of 1435 mm has been universally used in Great Britain, France,
Germany, U.S.A., Canada and most other countries of Europe and is thus
known as the world standard gauge.
TYPES OF GAUGES
1. Broad gauge (1676), When the clear horizontal distance between
the inner faces of two parallel rails forming a track is 1676mm that
is gauge . standard gauge of India and is the broadest gauge of the
world.
2. Metre gauge (1000), When the clear horizontal distance between
the inner faces of two parallel rails forming a track is 1000mm,
Metre Gauge (M.G) countries using Metre gauge are France,
Switzerland, Argentine, etc.
3. Narrow gauge (762 mm & 610 mm). When the clear horizontal
distance between the inner faces of two parallel rails forming a
track is either 762mm or 610mm
Broad gauge suitability
• (I) When sufficient funds are available for the railway project.

(ii) When the prospects of revenue are very bright.

This gauge is used for tracks in plain areas which are densely populated
i.e. for routes of maximum traffic, intensities and at places which are
centers of industry and commerce.
Metre Gauge suitability
• ) When the funds available for the railway project are inadequate.

(ii) When the prospects of revenue are not very bright.

This gauge is used for tracks in under-developed areas and in interior

areas Where traffic intensity is small and prospects for future
development are not very bright.
Narrow gauge suitability
• Narrow gauge (N.G)
The countries using narrow gauge are Britain, South Africa, etc.
• ( i) When the construction of a track with wider gauge is prohibited
due to the provision of sharp curves, steep gradients, narrow bridges
and tunnels etc.
(ii) When the prospects of revenue are not very bright.
This gauge is, therefore, used in hilly and very thinly populated areas.
The feeder gauge is commonly used for feeding raw materials to big
government manufacturing concerns as well as to private factories
such as steel plants, oil refineries, sugar factories, etc.
Factors Affecting the Adoption of a
Particular Gauge
I. Intensity of Population.
II. Intensity of Traffic.
III. Industrial and Commercial development of the Locality.
IV. Prospects of future development of the area.
V. Funds available for th railway project.
VI.Topographical and Geological Features of the country.
Effects of Breaking the Gauge
• Topographical, Geological and Financial conditions could led to adopt
various gauges in different parts of a country.
• Advantages of Breaking the Gauge
I). The most effective advantage of breaking the gauge is to render the
railway an economical and profitable concern.
ii). It facilitates the provision of a steeper gradient, sharp curves and
narrow tunnels by adopting a less wide gauge in hilly and rocky
areas.
Disadvantages of Breaking the Gauge
• It causes much inconvenience to the passengers while changing the
train at station, with change of gauge.
• ii). It causes delay in movement of people and goods.
iii). It results in wastage of time.
iv). It involves extra labour for unloading and reloading the goods.
The goods are also likely to be damaged or dislocated at the junction
station, having change of gauge.
v). It requires the provision of extra and costly transshipment yards,
godowns, sheds, etc. at every junction station having change of
gauge.
vi). It causes extreme difficulty in quick movement of military and
ammunition during war days.
Ballast (Road Bed Embankment)
• It is a layer of broken stones, gravel or any other such gritty material
laid and packed below and around sleepers.
• A good ballast should be strong, hard-wearing, stable, drainable, easy to
clean, workable, resistant to deformation, easily available, and reasonably
cheap to purchase.
• Early railway engineers did not understand the importance of quality track
ballast; they would use cheap and easily-available materials such as ashes,
chalk, clay, earth, and even cinders from locomotive fireboxes.
• It was soon clear that good-quality ballast made of rock was necessary if
there was to be a good foundation and adequate drainage.
• It should retain its position and should not be distributed.
 Functions of ballast
1.To distribute the loads uniformly over
the subgrade.
2.To provide good drainage for the track
structure.
3.To provide elasticity and resilience to
track for getting proper riding comfort.
4.To held the track structure to line and
grade.
5.To reduce dust.
6.To prevent growth of brush and weeds
Requirements of Good Ballast

1.It should be tough and should not

crumble under heavy loads.
2.It should not make the track dusty or
muddy.
3.It should offer resistance to abrasion and
weathering.
4.It should not produce any chemical
reaction with rails and sleepers.
5.The materials should be easily workable.
Rails

the members of the track laid in

two parallel lines to provide an
unchanging, continuous, and
level surface for the movement of
trains.
 Types of Rails
Double Head is made of an I or dumb-
bell section. The idea was that once the
head wore out during service, the rail
could
be inverted and reused.
Function of Rails
• (a) Rails provide a continuous and level surface for the movement of trains.
• (b) Rails 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 metaled road.
• (c) Rails serve as a lateral guide for the wheels.
• (d) Rails 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.
• (e) Rails carry out the function of transmitting the load to a large area of
the
• formation through sleepers and the ballast.
Requirements of an Ideal Rail Section
• (a) The rail should have the most economical section consistent with
strength, stiffness, and durability.
• (b) The centre of gravity of the rail section should be very close to the
mid-height of the rail so that the maximum tensile and compressive
stresses are equal.
• (c) A rail primarily consists of a head, a web, and a foot, and there
should be an economical and balanced distribution of metal in its
various components so that each of them can fulfil its requirements
properly.
Design of rail components
• Head: should have adequate depth to allow for vertical wear. The rail head must
be sufficiently wide so that not only is a wider running surface available, but the
rail has the desired lateral stiffness.
• Web: The web is sufficiently thick to withstand the stresses arising due to the
loads bone by it, after allowing for normal corrosion.
• Foot: The foot should sufficiently thick to withstand vertical and horizontal forces
due to corrosion. The foot should be wide enough for stability against overturning.
The design of the foot should be economically and efficiently rolled.
• Fishing angles: Fishing angles ensure proper transmission of loads from the rails
to the fish plates. The fishing angles tightening of the plate does not produce any
excessive stress on the web of the rail.
• Height of the rail: it should be adequate so the rail have sufficient vertical
stiffness and strength as a beam.
Standard Rail Section
• The rail is designated by its weight per unit length
• A 52 kg/m rail denotes that it has a weight of 52 kg per metre.
• The weight of a rail and its section is decided
• (a) Heaviest axle load
• (b) Maximum permissible speed
• (c) Depth of ballast cushion
• (d) Type and spacing of sleepers
• (e) Other miscellaneous factors
• Every rail rolled has a brand on its web, which is repeated at intervals
Standard rail sections
Gauge Rail section Type of section Rail length
Broad gauge 60 kg/m UIC 13 m (42 ft as per old
52 kg/m IRS standards)
90 lb/yd RBS
Metre gauge 90 lb/yd RBS 12 m (39 ft as per old
75 lb/yd RBS RBS standards), except
60 lb/yd RBS 90-lb rails,
which are of 13 m length

Narrow gauge 50 lb/yd RBS 12 m (39 ft as per old

standards)

UIC—International Union of Railways, IRS—Indian Railway Standard, RBS—Revised British

Standard.
Rail Joints

the normal rail joints consist of fishplates that are bolted at the
rail ends through a number of bolt holes (either two or three or
more) that have been drilled near the neutral axis in the rail
web.
Insulated Rail Joints

1.Bonded insulated joints in rails separate

Electric circuits in tracks and turnouts.

2.To provide track segment isolation for the

track circuitry passed through the rail; this
circuitry is used to identify train locations and to
control signalling.
Railroad switch
-A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical
installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track
to another, such as at a railway junction or where a spur or
siding branches off.
-A switch generally has a straight "through" track (such as the
main-line) and a diverging route. The handedness of the
installation is described by the side that the diverging track
leaves. Right-hand switches have a diverging path to the right
of the straight track, when coming from the narrow end and a
left-handed switch has the diverging track leaving to the
opposite side.
-A straight track is not always present; for example, both tracks
may curve, one to the left and one to the right (such as for a
wye switch) or both tracks may curve, with differing radii, in the
same direction.
Single Track and Double Track
• A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each
direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both
directions share the same track.
Causes of Rail Failures
• Inherent defects in the rail Manufacturing defects in the rail, such as faulty
chemical composition, harmful segregation, piping, seams, laps, and guide
marks.
• Defects due to fault of the rolling stock and abnormal traffic effects. Flat
spots in tyres, engine burns, skidding of wheels, severe braking, etc.
• Excessive corrosion of rails-due to weather conditions, the presence of
corrosive salts, leads to the development of cracks in regions with a high
concentration of stresses.
• Defects in welding of joints-due to defective welding technique.
• Improper maintenance of track -Ineffective or careless maintenance of the
track or delayed renewal of the track.
• Derailments Damages caused to the rails during derailment
Questions
• 1. What are the functions of rails? Name the various types of rails in
use. Which one is widely used now? How is the weight of a rail
section usually determined?
Sleepers
• are the transverse ties that are laid to support the rails
• they transmit the wheel load from the rails to the ballast.
Functions and Requirements of Sleepers
• (a) Holding the rails in their correct gauge and alignment
• (b) Giving a firm and even support to the rails
• (c) Transferring the load evenly from the rails to a wider area of the
ballast
• (d) Acting as an elastic medium between the rails and the ballast to
absorb the
• blows and vibrations caused by moving loads
• (e) Providing longitudinal and lateral stability to the permanent way
• (f) Providing the means to rectify the track geometry during their
service life.
Requirements of Sleepers
• (a) The initial as well as maintenance cost should be minimum.
• (b) The weight of the sleeper should be moderate so that it is convenient to handle.
• (c) The designs of the sleeper and the fastenings should be such that it is possible to fix and remove
the rails easily.
• (d) The sleeper should have sufficient bearing area so that the ballast under it is not crushed.
• (e) The sleeper should be such that it is possible to maintain and adjust the gauge properly.
• (f) The material of the sleeper and its design should be such that it does not break or get damaged
during packing.
• (g) The design of the sleeper should be such that it is possible to have track circuiting.
• (h) The sleeper should be capable of resisting vibrations and shocks caused by the passage of fast
moving trains.
• (i) The sleeper should have anti-sabotage and anti-theft features.
Sleeper Density and Spacing of Sleepers
• Sleeper density is the number of sleepers per rail length.
• specified as M + x or N + x, where M or N is the length of the rail in metres
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 ballast cushion, and
• (e) nature of formation.
• If the sleeper density is M + 7 on a broad gauge route and the length of the
rail is 13 m, it means that 13 + 7 = 20 sleepers will be used per rail on that
route
 Types of Sleepers

•Steel Sleepers
•Wooden Sleepers
•Concrete Sleepers

A concrete sleeper is a
railroad tie made out of steel
reinforced concrete.
Fastenings

The fastening of rails is usually taken

care of by the fasteners imbedded into
the concrete.
Switches & Crossings
Timber Sleepers
• The timber sleepers nearly fulfilled all the requirements of ideal
sleepers and hence they are universally used. The wood used may be
like teak, sal etc or it may be coniferous like pine,
Advantages of Timber Sleepers

• They are much useful for heavy loads and high speeds
• They have long life of 10-12 years depending upon the climate,
condition, rain, intensity, nature of traffic, quality of wood etc
• Good insulators and hence good for track circuited railway tracks
• They are able to accommodate any gauge
• Suitable for salty regions and coastal areas
• Can be used with any section of rail
• Can be handled and placed easily
• They are not badly damaged in case of derailment
• They are not corroded
• Cheaper than any other types of sleepers
Disadvantages of Timber Sleepers
• Liable to be attacked by vermin so, they must be properly treated
before use
• Liable to catch fire
• They do not resist creep
• They are affected by dry and wet rot
• Become expensive day by day
• Life is shorter compare to other
Disadvantages of Timber Sleepers
• Liable to be attacked by vermin so, they must be properly treated
before use
• Liable to catch fire
• They do not resist creep
• They are affected by dry and wet rot
• Become expensive day by day
• Life is shorter compare to others
Steel sleepers
• They are in the form of steel trough inverted on which rails are fixed
directly by keys or nuts and bolts and used along sufficient length of
tracks.
advantages of Steel sleepers

• Have a useful life of 20-25 years.

• Free from decay and are not attacked by vermins
• Connection between rail and sleeper is stronger
• Connection between rail and sleeper is simple
• More attention is not required after laying
• Having better lateral rigidity
• Good scrap value
• Suitable for high speeds and load
• Easy to handle
• Good resistance against creep
Disadvantages of Steel sleepers
• Liable to corrosion by moisture and should not because in salty regions
• Good insulators and hence cannot be used in track circuited regions
• Cannot be used for all sections of rails and gauges
• Should not be laid with any other types of ballast except store
• Very costly
• Can badly damaged under derailments
• Way gauge is obtained if the keys are over driven
• The rail seat is weaker
• Having good shock absorber as there is not cushion between rail foot and
ballast.
Cast Iron Sleepers
• They consist of two pots or plates with rib and connected by wrought
iron tie bar of section of about 2" ½ " each pot or plate is placed
below each rail. The pot is oval in shape with larger diameter 2'-0"
and smaller diameter 1'-8" is preferred.
• Plate sleepers consist of rectangular plates of size about 2' – 10' x 1' –
0".
• The relative advantages and disadvantages are given below.
Advantages of Cast Iron Sleepers
• Long life upto 50-60 years- High scrape value as they can be
remolded
• Can be manufactured locally - Provided sufficient bearing area
• Much stronger at the rail seat - Prevent and check creep of rail
• They are not attacked by vermin
Disadvantages Cast Iron Sleepers
• They are prone to corrosion and cannot be used in salty formations
and coastal areas - Not suitable for track circuited portions of
railways
• Can badly damage under derailment
• Difficult to maintain the gauge as the two pots are independent
• Require a large number of fastening materials - Difficult to handle
and may be easily damaged - Lack of good shock absorber - They are
expensive.
Concrete sleepers
• R.C.C and pre-stressed concrete sleepers are now replacing all other
types of sleepers except to some special circumstances such as
crossing bridges etc here timber sleepers are used.
• They were first of all used in France round about in 1914 but are
common since 1950. They may be a twin block sleepers joined by an
angle iron. It may be a single block pre-stressed type.
Advantages Concrete Sleepers
• Durable with life range from 40-50 years
• They can be produced on large quantities locally by installing a plant
• Heavier than all other types thus giving better lateral stability to the track
• Good insulators and thus suitable for use in track circuited lines
• Efficient in controlling creep - They are not attacked by corrosion
• Free from attacks of vermin and decay, suitable for all types of soils
• Most suitable for welded tracks- Prevent buckling more efficiently
• Initial cost is high but proves to be economical in long run
• Effectively and strongly hold the track to gauge
• Inflammable and fire resistant
Disadvantages Concrete Sleepers
• Difficult to be handled
• Difficult to be manufactured in different sizes thus cannot be used in bridges and crossing
• Can be damaged easily while loading and unloading

SLEEPER
Level Crossing
Points & Crossings
Refresh your memory
• 1. What are the requirements of sleepers used in a railway track? Give
a neat sketch of a typical BG mono-block prestressed sleeper. What
are its advantages and drawbacks?
• 2. List the various types of sleepers used in the world Railways. Which
one would you consider to be the best for modern tracks and why?
• 3 Discuss the factors on which sleeper density depends. How is
sleeper density expressed? Determine the number of sleepers
required for the construction of a 640-m-long BG railway track,
ensuring a sleeper density of (N + 7).
Curves and Superelevation
• Superelevation is when the level of the outer rail is raised above the
level of the inner rail.
• Curves are introduced on a railway track to bypass obstacles
• to pass a railway line through obligatory or desirable locations.
Circular Curves
• the defining parameters, elements, and methods of setting
• A curve is defined either by its radius or by its degree
• The degree of a curve (D) is the angle subtended at its centre by a
30.5-m or 100-ft chord.
• Circumference of a circle = 2∏ R
• Angle subtended at the centre by a circle with this circumference =
360°
• Angle subtended at the centre by a 30.5-m chord, or degree of curve
360
× 30.5 = 1750/𝑅(𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑅 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠)
2𝜋𝑅
degree of the curve
• D = 1750/R (when R is in metres)
• D = 5730/R (when R is in feet)
• A 2°curve, therefore, has a radius of 1750/2 = 875 m.