TRACK RECORDING BY TRC

1. Track recording is done by RDSO on

IR by track recording cars in
respect of following parameters
under loaded condition.
 Gauge
 Unevenness
 Twist
 Misalignment Track recording car on NewYork
Railways, USA
 Vertical and Lateral Acceleration
peaks are also measured like OMS
and mentioned in Km wise reports.
 Vertical and Lateral Ride Index.
 Speed
Unevenness, twist and alignment
are measured for long and short
chords. Unevenness and alignment
are measured for both left and
Track recording car on Russian
right rails separately. Railways
 PRESCRIBED FREQUENCY OF TRC RECORDING
Route type Frequency of recording by TRC

Speed in excess of 130 KMPH Once in 2 months.

Speed in excess of 110 KMPH and Once in 3 months.

upto 130 KMPH

Other A and B routes Once in 4 months

C, D Spl and D routes Once in 6 months

E routes Once in and year

Recording is seldom done at this frequency as availability of TRC is very poor.

 PURPOSE OF TRC RECORDING
 To find out bad spots and areas needing attention
on planned and urgent basis.
 To find out isolated bad peaks of unevenness,
gauge, twist and misalignment.
 Track maintenance planning in TMS.
 Research regarding track parameters on different
tracks and their relation to riding comfort and
acceleration peaks.
 To assess overall track geometry by way of indices
like TGI, UI, TI, GI, AI.
 TYPES OF TRC
 Earliest TRC in Indian Railways was Amsler
Car imported from M/S Amsler & Co of
Switzerland and replicated by Indian
Railways which was mechanical.
 Microprocessor based TRC are of type 7965,
7966, 7967,7975, 2500, 225, 7968, 7969 and
latest laser based 7972.
 Contactless laser based TRC is also there.
With this type of TRC, recording will be
possible during night and only two TRCs will
be sufficient for entire Indian Railways.
DRAWBACKS OF PRESENT TRC
 Recording at night is not possible or is very
difficult.
 Recording is not done at low speed of less
than 30 kmph.
 If TRC stops for some caution etc at a
station, entire KM is declared NOT RECORDED
or NR in results. Although TGI etc of some
200m blocks in NOT RECORDED KM can be
seen in blockwise result of TRC in TMS.
CATEGORIES OF TRACK DEFECTS IN BG
Parameters Categor Extent of irregularities
y
Unevenness (3.6m chord) A 3-6 mm
B >6 to 10 mm
C >10 to 15 mm
D >15 mm

Twist (3.6m base) A 0-5 mm

B >5 to 7.5 mm
C >7.5 to10 mm
D >10 mm or 2.78 mm/metre

Gauge A Upto ± 3 mm
B > ± 3 to ± 6 mm
C > ± 6 mm

Alignment (7.2 m chord) A Upto 3 mm versine

B More than 3 mm and less than 5 mm
C More than 5mm
 CATEGORY OF TRACK DETERMINED ON CATEGORY OF
DEFECTS
 Note : (i) 10 points exceeding the outer limit of an irregularity under each
category is allowed in 1 Km length of track. If more than 10 peaks in one
Km. cross the outer limits of ‘A’ category the kilometer is classified ‘B’
and so on. Based on the number of peaks and extent of irregularity the
track is classified into ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’ categories separately for each
parameter- gauge, twist, unevenness and alignment.
 (ii) The number of peaks in each kilometer exceeding the outer limit for
the ‘B’ category is indicated as a suffix.
 If there are more than 10 peaks exceeding outer limit of A category in
unevenness in a Km and equal to/less than 10 peaks exceeding outer limit
of B category defects then it goes in B category. If there are 5 peaks
worse than B category in that Km then track category is B5 in unevenness
for that Km.
 Thus track of D15 category of twist in a Km means there are more than 10
peaks exceeding outer limit of C category in that Km and 15 peaks exceed
B category.
 A0 category track in a km in a parameter can have any number of peaks of
A category plus 1-10 peaks of B category in that Km of that parameter and
no peak exceeding B category outer limit although it's best category track.
RELATION OF PARAMETERS IN LOADED AND
FLOATING CONDITIONS

Parameter Floating Loaded

condition condition
Alignment A A+1 mm to
A+1.5 mm
Unevenness U 1.5U
CALCULATION OF INDICES
 Earlier CTR value (composite track record value) was calculated
for every KM based on formula
CTR = 100 – (U+G+T+A) for Rajdhani route where U, G, T and A
are number of peaks exceeding A category defects of unevenness,
gauge, twist and misalignment in that KM. U, G, T and A were
having different weightages for other routes.
 This formula has serious defects as can not relate to ride index
(ride comfort measure), not considers continuous recording value
and is very sensitive to minor defects.
 TGI (Track geometry index) was developed as a substitute in 1997
or so.
 TGI for a KM is calculated by approximating UI, GI, TI and AI which
are unevenness index etc giving 60% weightage to Alignment index
and 20% weightage to unevenness index as follows due to their
greater effect on ride index.

TGI = (2UI+TI+6AI+GI)/10
FORMULA FOR EACH PARAMETER INDEX

 TI (Twist index)
= 100 e--- (SD measured-SD new track standard)/(SD urgent-SD new track)
e is euler’s constant having value 2.78 nearly.
 Thus when track will be as good as newly laid track TI will be 100e0=100,
when it is at the value of urgent maintenance it will be 100/e=100/2.78=36.
 SD stands for standard deviation which is a measure of dispersion of from
average value in a data of recorded values as follows.
for a set of data of four values having differences from arithmetic mean d 1,
d2, d3, d4,
SD = √1/4(d12+ d2+2 +d32 +d42)
 Roughly speaking an SD value of 5.2 mm means that at 67% locations, value
of that parameter is within +/- 5.2 mm from mean value.
 For alignment and unevenness average of left and right rail values is taken in
SD calculation. Data is taken at every 2 m.
 Chord length is 9.6m for unevenness, 3.6m for twist and 7.2m for alignment
in this calculation.
 For alignment data of 7, 2, 3,2, 0, 0, 1, 5, 4, 1, 5, 6, 8, 7, 4, 1, 2, 3, 6, 2, 0,
0, 0, 0, 0, SD will be √ 18.79 = 3.76 req Urgent maintenance
 LENGTH OF LONG AND SHORT CHORD
Parameter Actual Long Long chord Actual short Short chord
chord in TRC chord in TRC
prescribed prescribed

Unevenness 10m/18m 9.6m 3.5m 3.6m

Twist 5m 4.8m 3.5m 3.6m

Misalignment 10m/15m 9.6m 7.5m 7.2m

Note- For high speed track, long chord measurement is important.

SD VALUES ADOPTED FOR NEWLY LAID TRACK AND
TRACK NEEDING URGENT ATTENTION
Parameter SD value for variation of SD value for Urgent
parameter for Newly laid maintenance
track SD value for SD value for
speed <105 KMPH speed >105 KMPH

Long chord Short chord

U 2.50 1.2 7.20 6.20
T 2.5 1.75 4.20 3.80
G 1.00 3.60 3.60
A 2.5 1.5 3.00 3.00
•TGI will be normally vary from 120 ( for very good track) to 20 for
very poorly maintained track. It can even be 140 for exceptionally
well maintained track.
•Limiting value of these individual indices are such that no
maintenance is required for value above 80 and urgent maintenance
required for below 36 for that particular parameter.
•New track SD values correspond to TGI = 100
REVISED SD BASED SERVICE TOLERENCES (PRIORITY –I)
Parameter Chord/ Base Up to 110 > 110 <=130
(M) KMPH (<105) KMPH (>105)
Unevenness 3.6 3.3 (3.6) 3.0 (3.6)
9.6 7.4 (7.2) 6.2 (6.2)
Twist 3.6 4.2 (4.2) 3.8 (3.8)
4.8 5.0 4.5 (4.5)
Alignment 7.2 3.8 (3.0) 3.0 (3.0)
9.6 6.3 4.0 (5.0)
Gauge - 3.6 (3.6) 2.6 (3.6)

• Based on RDSO’s report No.TM-109 circulated vide Railway Boards letter

No.2007/Track-III/TK/7 dated 12-07-2007
• Figures in brackets are SD as per 59th TSC Meeting and followed till july 2007
REVISED SD BASED INDEX TOLERANCES (PRIORITY-II)
Parameter Chord/ Up to 110 KMPH > 110 <=130 KMPH
Base (M) (<105) (>105)

Unevenness 3.6 2.5 (3.0) 2.3 (3.0)

9.6 6.5 (6.5) 5.1 (5.5)
Twist 3.6 3.8 (3.8) 3.4 (3.4)
4.8 4.2 3.8 (3.7)
Alignment 7.2 2.7 (2.8) 2.3 (2.8)
9.6 5.0 3.3 (4.0)
Gauge - 2.5 (2.9) 1.8 (2.9)

• Figures in brackets are SD as per 59th TSC Meeting and followed till july 2007
REVISED SD BASED TRACK STANDARDS
Parameter Chord/ Up to 110 KMPH > 110 <=130 KMPH
Base (M) (<105 kmph) (>105 kmph)
Priority II Priority I Priority II Priority I

Unevenness 3.6 2.5 (3.0) 3.3 (3.6) 2.3 (3.0) 3.0 (3.6)
9.6 6.5 (6.5) 7.4 (7.2) 5.1 (5.5) 6.2 (6.2)
Twist 3.6 3.8 (3.8) 4.2 (4.2) 3.4 (3.4) 3.8 (3.8)
4.8 4.2 5.0 3.8 (3.7) 4.5 (4.5)
Alignment 7.2 2.7 (2.8) 3.8 (3.0) 2.3 (2.8) 3.0 (3.0)
9.6 5.0 6.3 3.3 (4.0) 4.0 (5.0)
Gauge - 2.5 (2.9) 3.6 (3.6) 1.8 (2.9) 2.6 (3.6)
• Based on RDSO’s report No.TM-109 circulated vide Railway Boards letter
No.2007/Track-III/TK/7 dated 12-07-2007
• Figures in brackets are SD as per 59th TSC Meeting and followed till july 2007
• For spot exceedences based limits those given in Para 607 of IRPWM to be continued
• Priority I; Urgent maintenance and Priority II is planned maintenance
INTERPRETATION OF TGI VALUES (NEW AND OLD)
TGI Value Category of track TGI Value Category of track
before Dec 2015 after Dec 2015
amendment amendment
Below 36 Below Average Below 80 Average
36 to 49 Good 80 to109 Good
50 to 69 Very Good 110 to 119 Very Good
80 and above Outstanding 120 and Excellent
above
•TGI will be normally vary from 120 ( for very good track) to 20 for very
poorly maintained track. It can even be 140 for exceptionally well
maintained track.
•Limiting value of these individual indices (AI, GI, UI and TI) are such that no
maintenance is required for value above 80 and urgent maintenance
required for below 36 for that particular parameter.
•New track SD values correspond to TGI = 100
•Tamping or through packing can be planned for TGI below 80 for routes with
speed less than 110 KMPH.
•For routes with speed equal to or above 110 KMPH tamping can be planned
for TGI below 90.
SERVICE TOLERANCES FOR THROUGH
PACKING DECISIONS (TM 115)

S.No. Indices: 60% CFD before tamping (to decide to give TGI Value
machine for through tamping)
1. Speeds >than or equal to 110 Kmph <=90

2. Speeds less than 110 Kmph <=80

This criteria is no more in force after letter issued by Railway board in 2014
RATIONALISATION OF TAMPING REQUIREMENTS
(THESE RULES ARE NO MORE IN FORCE AFTER 2014)

S.No. INDICES (Speeds >than or equal to 110 Kmph < 130 Kmph) TGI Value

1. 60% CFD before tamping <=90

2. 60% CFD after tamping (i.e. minimum 40% of track >=115

length after tamping should have TGI)

3. 10% CFD after tamping (i.e. minimum 90% of track >=75

length after tamping should have TGI)

S.No. INDICES (Speeds less than 110 Kmph) TGI Value

1. 60% CFD before tamping <=80
2. 60% CFD after tamping (i.e. minimum 40% of track >=115
length after tamping should have TGI)
3. 10% CFD after tamping (i.e. minimum 90% of track >=75
length after tamping should have TGI)

• Based on RDSO’s report No.TM-115 circulated vide Railway Boards letter

No.2007/Track-III/TK/7 dated 16-01-2008
TAMPING FREQUENCY (LATEST INSTRUCTIONS)
TAMPING FREQUENCY (LATEST INSTRUCTIONS)
SERVICE TOLERANCE (SD
FORM)
 Item 785 of 59th TSC
F or Speed F or Speed
P a r a m e te r
> 1 0 5 K m /h u p to 1 0 5 K m /h
U N ( 3 .6 m ) 3 .6 3 .6
U N ( 9 .6 m ) 6 .2 7 .2
T W ( 3 .6 m ) 3 .8 4 .2
G auge 3 .6 3 .6
A L ( 7 .2 m ) 3 .0 3 .0

Service Tolerance= Urgent Maintenance tolerance

 RIDE INDEX BASED LIMITS
 Index tolerances & service tolerances were fixed for
following values of Ride Index for different rolling stock.
 Limiting RI values: items 785 of 59th TSC.
Rolling stock Service Limit Urgent
maintenance Limit
Loco 4 4.25
Wagon 4.5 4.75
COAC 3.5 3.75

Ride Index Values

Dangerous
Excellent Good Average Tolerable
(for health)
1 2 3 4 5

Ride index depends on speed and vertical & lateral

accelerations during ride. So Speed should be high (50, 65, 75
KMPH) in considering Ride index data for assessing track.
Correlation Analysis of acceleration peaks with track parameters.
From this analysis it can be seen that an unevenness of
10mm can cause a vertical peak of 0.12g to 0.25g.
TRANSMARK TOLERANCES

 Railway Board appointed consultants for

suggesting track tolerances for various speed
bands (Planned, urgent and Maximum.)
 Did a lot of trials along with RDSO and
submitted final recommendations in 1998
 The recommendations have not been
accepted by Railway Board.
 Transmark Tolerances
Speed km/h Unevenness Alignment Twist
9.6 m Chord 7.2 m Chord 3.6 m base
From To Plann Urgent Max Plann Urgent Max Plann Urgent Max
ed ed ed
0 60 5.3 7.2 9.7 3.3 4.2 5.5 3.0 3.7 4.5

60 70 5.2 7 9.4 3.2 4.2 5.4 3.0 3.6 4.4

70 80 5 6.8 9.1 3.1 4.0 5.2 2.9 3.5 4.3

80 90 4.9 6.6 8.8 3.0 3.9 5.1 2.9 3.4 4.2

90 100 4.7 6.4 8.6 2.9 3.8 4.9 2.8 3.4 4.1

100 110 4.6 6.2 8.3 2.9 3.7 4.8 2.8 3.3 4.0

110 120 4.5 6.1 8.1 2.8 3.7 4.7 2.7 3.3 3.9

120 130 4.4 5.9 7.9 2.7 3.6 4.6 2.7 3.2 3.9

130 140 3.8 5.1 6.8 2.5 3.2 4.0 2.5 2.9 3.5

140 150 3.3 4.4 5.9 2.3 2.8 3.6 2.3 2.7 3.2

150 160 2.9 3.0 5.2 2.0 2.6 3.3 2.2 2.5 3.0
 BASIS OF FIXING URGENT AND PLANNED
MAINTENANCE TOLERANCES
These tolerances for SD values are based
on following -
1. Riding comfort
2. Economy /cost effectiveness of
maintenance
3. Safety
Safety against derailment is not
jeopardized by exceeding these tolerances
of urgent or planned maintenance as riding
comfort is main criteria for fixing such
tolerances.
 UIC MAINT. TOLERANCES PRESCRIBED BY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF RAILWAYS
Ref. UIC/CEN/TC 256/SC/WG

Type Class  IV III II I 0 IR

Speed Range Km/h  >250 >200 >120 >80 <80

Acceptance Parameter to to to to
300 250 200 120
+2 Gauge (mm) +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +2
Cant (mm) +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 -
Top (mm) Chord 10m 2 3 3 4 5 -
Chord 20m 3 4 5 - - -
Alignment (mm) Chord 10m 2 3 3 4 5 +2
Chord 20m 3 4 5 - - +5
Twist (0/00) 1 1 1 1.5 1.5 3
 TRC RESULTS IN TMS
 Two or three kinds of files .run, .prc and .mdb
are produced by TRC machines for direct
uploading in TMS by trcadmin login of division.
 17 kinds of TRC reports are available in TRC
reports in TMS and a Track Maintenance Planning
data with projection of track degradation.
 Track maintenance planning shows present state
and track degradation model showing projection
of deterioration of track and its various
parameters based on last three recordings done
and uploaded in TMS. Its useful for deploying
track machines and analyzing their input results.
 SD VALUE BLOCK WISE REPORT IN TMS
THIS REPORT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND LOOKS LIKE THIS.
IT SHOWS 200M BLOCKS REQUIRING URGENT PLANNED AND NO
MAINTENANCE OF PARAMETERS.
 KM WISE REPORT IN TMS
IT SHOWS PEAKS OF PARAMETERS AND ACCELERATION WITH SD VALUES 200M BLOCK WISE .
PARAMETER WISE INDICES REPORT IN TMS
CFD(CUMULATIVE FREQUENCY DIAGRAM)
OF TGI REPORT IN TMS
1. 60% CFD AFTER TAMPING (TO ENSURE QUALITY OF THROUGH TAMPING) (I.E. MINIMUM
40% OF TRACK LENGTH AFTER TAMPING) SHOULD HAVE TGI >=115
2. 10% CFD AFTER TAMPING (I.E. MINIMUM 90% OF TRACK LENGTH AFTER TAMPING SHOULD
HAVE TGI>=75. THIS IS MAINTENANCE TOLERANCE.
AVERAGE TGI GRAPH REPORT IN TMS
EXCEPTION REPORT OF PEAKS IN TMS
BLOCKWISE COMPARISON OF CURRENT
AND PREVIOUS RUN REPORT IN TMS
(TGI OF PART OF NON RECORDED KM CAN BE SEEN IN THIS REPORT)
COMPARISON OF AVERAGE TGI AND CFD OF
TGI OF DIFFERENT RUNS REPORT IN TMS
PARAMETERWISE SD BASED COMPARISON REPORT IN TMS
 EXCEPTION REPORT OF 200 METRE BLOCKS
REQUIRING URGENT OR PLANNED MENTENANCE
PEAK ANALYSIS AS PER PARA 607(2) OF IRPWM REPORT IN TMS
CATEGORY OF TRACK REPORT IN TERMS OF VARIOUS
PARAMETERS IN TMS
TGI COMPARISON TWO RUNS REPORT IN TMS
TGI COMPARISON 6 RUNS REPORT IN TMS
TRACK MAINTENANCE PLANNING IN TMS BASED ON TRC
SHORT TERM MEASURES FOR
IMPROVING TRC/OMS RESULTS
 1.Attend slack spots, points
and crossings, high joints, high
level crossings, transition
lengths, station yard lines,
loose glued joints, loose SEJs,
low joints, girder bridge and
approaches particularly for
alignment and unevenness.
LONG TERM MEASURES FOR
IMPROVING TRC/OMS RESULTS
 Make proper cross drains in track in yards for
proper drainage.
 Deep, screening and tamping of track overdue for
these.
 Lowering high level crossings.
 Rehabilitate weak formations.
 Ensure adequacy of ballast on shoulders and
cribs.
 Broken sleepers specially at joints should be
replaced.
 Battered /hogged rail joints to be
endcropped/replaced/corrected.
TRACK QUALITY INDEX (TQI)
 As unevenness and alignment play big role in
determining ride quality and ride index, TQI is
prescribed based on only these two parameters.
 Gauge and twist are not considered in this index
as these have little effect on ride index which is
a measure of riding comfort.
 Advanced Railways of the world calculate track
quality index based on alignment and
unevenness only.
 Formula for it is finalised or being finalised in
Indian Railways after instructions issued by the
railway board in 2014.
 OMS-2000 OR PORTABLE
ACCELEROMETER
 Its portable microprocessor based system weighing 18 Kg only. Recently
GPS is also integrated in it.
 Only Vertical and lateral accelerations/jerks and speed & distance are
recorded in it. Ride index for vertical and lateral rides is also displayed in
reports.
 Gauge, cross levels, unevenness, twist and misalignment are not recorded
by these machines.
 It frequency of recording in 1 to 3 months in various routes.

Route Frequency of OMS Rec in BG

A, B, C, routes One month

D, D SPL routes Two months

E routes with Mail/Exp trains Three months

Other routes 6 months

INTERPRETATION OF OMS RESULTS
 Limiting value of peak is 0.15g for A,B and
>110KMPH routes and 0.20g for other routes in
BG where g is acceleration due to gravity =
9.8m/sec/sec
 PPKM (peaks per KM analysis) is as follows –
Outstanding Very good Good Below
Average
Upto 0.25 >0.25-1.0 >1-2 >2

 If peaks exceeding 0.3g comes to 0.25 per km or

more in a km, the track should be attended.
 Any peak above 0.35g should be immediately
attended.
 OCILLOGRAPH CAR
 It records the following for research purpose.
1. Vertical and lateral acceleration of vehicle.
2. Instantaneous wheel loads at spring level.
3. Lateral force at axle box level.
4. Bogie rotation.
5. Bolster swing.
6. Acceleration in longitudinal direction i. e . in
direction of movement of train is also recorded
in it. This has very little effect in ride quality.
 Frequency of Oscillograph car is 6 months for
all A routes of BG.
 This presentation is prepared in LKO division.
 MI and TQI are not explained in it for lack of
information.

THE END