SAQ 26:

Identify and describe innovations in railway track repair and maintenance shown in the videos.

New innovations in railway track repair and maintenance:

 Railway track laying – Track Laying Machines prepare the rails, sleepers, and fastenings for use.
Railway construction is also known as track laying and ballasting. It is the process of laying
railway sleepers and tracks on the track bed. The new rails required for this laying technique are
carried on suitable wagons and transported ahead of the laying unit using a rail conveying unit.

 Railway rail grinding – Rail grinding is the most efficient way to keep steel rail in good condition.
The railway track working principle is well known, and railway actually provides a continuous
and elastic foundation for train operation. Steel rail, as the main component of the railway track
system, directly attaches wheels that bear a significant amount of load from the train. A portion
of the load is absorbed by the steel rail, while the remainder causes rail wears such as surface
fatigue, crack, scratch, deformation, and so on. Rail wear can reduce steel rail service life,
increase maintenance work, increase maintenance costs, and negatively impact railway
operation. As a result, rail grinding has become an essential process for the railway track.

 Railway ballast cleaning – Ballast cleaning involves removing the worn ballast, screening it, and
replacing the "dirty" worn ballast with new ballast. The benefit of ballast cleaning is that it can
be performed by an on-track machine without removing the rail and sleepers, making it less
expensive than a total excavation.

 Railway track deep screening – The Indian railways use deep screening to renovate or replace
damaged sleepers with new sleepers. This is known as deep screening of railway tracks. For this
work, Indian railways employ a variety of methods.