INTRODUCTION

TO
RAILWAY ENGINEERING



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 is called
Railway Engineering.
2
As per scope of this book, we shall study here
only about construction and maintenance of
railway tracks and not with the design of tracks.
SCOPE OF RAILWAY ENGINEERING
A part from design, construction and
maintenance of tracks, Railway engineering also
includes the study of the following important
topics :-
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Contents
Introduction to railway
Classification of railways (on the basis of
gauge)
Components of railway track (rails, sleeper,
ballast)



Geometric design of railway track (cross
section, gradient, super elevation)
Maximum permissible speed
Railway points and crossings
Stations and yards
Platforms
Contents
Rail transport is where a train runs along a set
of two parallel steel rails, known as a railway
or railroad. The rails are
anchored perpendicular to ties (or sleepers) of
timber, concrete or steel, to maintain a
consistent distance apart, or gauge. The rails
and perpendicular beams are placed on a
foundation made of concrete, or
compressed earth and gravel in a bed of
ballast.
Components of a railway track
(Permanent Way)
Rails
Sleepers
(Ties)
Ballast
What are the advantages of rail
transport?

It facilitate long distance travel and transport
of bulky goods which are not easily
transported through motor vehicles.
It is a quick and more regular form of
transport because it helps in the
transportation of goods with speed and
certainty.
It helps in the industrialization process of a
country by easy transportation of coal and
raw-materials at a cheaper rate.
It encourages mobility of labour ad thereby provides a
great scope for employment.
Railway is the safest form of transport. The chances of
accidents and breakdown of railways are minimum as
compared to other modes of transport.
The carrying capacity of the railways is extremely
large.
It is the largest public undertaking in the country. Their
charges are based on charge what the traffic can bear
principles which helps the poor. In fact, it is a national
necessity.
Disadvantages
The railway requires a large investment of capital.
Another disadvantages of railway transport is its
inflexibility. It routes and timings cannot be
adjusted to individual requirements.
Rail transport cannot provide door to door
service as it is tied to a particular track.
Intermediate loading or unloading involves
greater cost, more wear and tear and wastage of
time. The time cost of terminal operations are a
great disadvantage of rail transport.

Railway transport is unsuitable and
uneconomical for short distances and small
traffic of goods.

.
SYSTEMS OF RAILWAYS
The Railways can be provided on, above the
below the ground surface, suiting to the area.
Further, the Railways below the ground surface
can be constructed just below the ground
surface can be constructed just below the
ground level or at greater depths.
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There are, therefore, the following four systems
of Railways :-
1. Surface railways;
2. Elevated railways;
3. Under ground railways;
4. Tube railways.
1) Surface railways :-The railways provided
over the ground surface are known as surface
railways.
Suitability :-This system is Railways is most
extensively used throughout the world

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because this is the best system for
transporting people and goods. In
surface railways, the various means
like*level crossings,**over-bridge
or***under-bridge are to be provided for
crossing of the railway and road traffic
safely and efficiently.
2) Elevated railways :-The railways
provided at higher or elevated portion,
above the ground surface are called
high level or elevated railways.
In this system of Railways, a
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continuous viaduct supported on piers, columns,
etc. is constructed and the track is carried on its
steel deck. This system is very costly because
buildings like stations, waiting halls, offices are
to be constructed at high levels requiring stair
cases, escalators, etc. but elevated railways
cause little obstruction due to piers, columns
supporting the track.
Suitability :- Elevated railways are suitable in
the heavily congested urban areas where the
under ground railways cannot be

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constructed.
3) Under ground railways :- The railways
provided just below ground level are called
low level or underground railways.
In this system of Railways, tunnels are
constructed for carrying tracks through them
and a over - bridge is necessary at every road
crossing to carry the road traffic over the
railway traffic. Due to ventilation problems in
tunnels, electricity is the only source of
power for traction in under ground railways.
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Advantages :-
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.
Suitability :- Under ground railways are suitable
in the heavily congested urban areas where
the traffic intensity on roads is heavy.

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Tube railways :- The railway provided
underground at a greater depth of about 18
m or more (up to 52 m) are called tube
railways.
This system of railways is so called as
the section of the underground tunnels,
carrying the track, is to avoid the interference
of the tracks with water and gas pipes,
sewerage systems and oil or drainage pipes,
etc
Some important features of the tube
railways are given below :-
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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.
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V. Such a mechanism of 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.
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.
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REQUIREMENTS OF A GOOD TRACK
Gauge should be correct and uniform
Alignment of track should be correct
Transition curves should provided wherever
required
Perfect cross levels between rails
Gradient should be as gentle as possible
Points and crossings (turnouts) should be
designed and maintained properly
List of countries by rail transport network size

Rank Country
Railway length
(km)
Date of
information
1 United States 226,427 (2007)
2 Russia 128,000 (2006)
3 China 91,000 (2010)
4 India 64,215 (2011)
5 Canada 57,216 (2007)
137 Nepal 59 (2006)
138
United Arab
Emirates
52 (2009)
147 Western Sahara 5 (2008)
148 Laos 4 (2005)
149 Lesotho 3 (1995)
150 Monaco 2 (2002)
151 Vatican City 0.852 (2001)
World 1,370,782 (2006)
COMPONENT PARTS OF A PERMANENT
WAY :-
The following are the component parts of a
permanent way or a railway track :-
Formation or sub grade ;
Ballast ;
Sleepers ;
Rails ;
Fixtures and fastenings.
All these component parts of a permanent way
are illustrated in Fig given below :-
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REQUIREMENTS OF AN IDEAL PERMANENT WAY
The following are the principal requirements of
an ideal permanent way or of a good
railway track :-
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 *superelevation should
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be provided to the outer rail above the inner rail
on curved portion of the track.
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
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uniformly distributed on both the rails so as to
prevent unequal settlement of the track.
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
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fastenings, etc. should satisfy the design
requirements.
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
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level crossings and also in urban areas.
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
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Elements of Railway tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the
permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails,
fasteners, sleepers and ballast (or slab track), plus the
underlying sub grade.
For clarity it is often referred to as railway track or
railroad track.


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Track Formation
Requirements for Choosing a Track System:
Trains running on Track do not cause excessive environmental pollution in the form
of noise and ground vibration.
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
The purpose of track is to transfer train loads to the formation.
Running Rails
Track gauge (Rail gauge)
The distance between
the inner sides of the
heads of the two load
bearing rails that make
up a single railway line.
Various gauges used worldwide
Various gauges used worldwide
Gauge Width (mm) Used in
Standard Gauge 1435 England, USA, Canada,
China, Australia
Broad Gauge (BG) 1676
1670
India, Brazil, Argentina
Spain, Portugal
Broad Gauge (Russian
Gauge)
1524 Russia, Finland
Cape Gauge 1067 Japan, Newzealand
Meter Gauge (MG) 1000
915
India, France
Ireland
Narrow Gauge 672
610
India, Pakistan
S. Africa
TYPES OF GAUGES PREVALENT IN INDIA
The different gauges prevalent in India are of
the following these types :-
1. Broad gauge (1676),
2. Metre gauge (1000),
3. Narrow gauge (762 mm & 610 mm).
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1. Broad Gauge :- When the clear
horizontal distance between the inner
faces of two parallel rails forming a
track is 1676mm the gauge is called
Broad Gauge (B.G)
This gauge is also known as standard
gauge of India and is the broadest
gauge of the world.
The Other countries using the Broad
Gauge are Pakistan, Bangladesh,
SriLanka, Brazil, Argentine,etc.50%
Indias railway tracks have been laid to
this gauge.
Suitability :- Broad gauge is suitable under the
following Conditions :-
(i) When sufficient funds are available for the
railway project.
(ii) When the prospects of revenue are very bright.
This gauge is, therefore, 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.
2. Metre Gauge :- When the clear horizontal
distance between the inner faces of two
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parallel rails forming a track is 1000mm, the gauge is
known as Metre Gauge (M.G)
The other countries using Metre gauge are France,
Switzerland, Argentine, etc. 40% of Indias railway tracks
have been laid to this gauge.
Suitability :- Metre Gauge is suitable under the following
conditions:-
(i) When the funds available for the railway project are
inadequate.
(ii) When the prospects of revenue are not very bright.
This gauge is, therefore, used for tracks in under-
developed areas and in interior areas
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Where traffic intensity is small and prospects for
future development are not very bright.
3.Narrow Gauge :- When the clear horizontal
distance between the inner faces of two parallel
rails forming a track is either 762mm or 610mm,
the gauge is known as Narrow gauge (N.G)
The other countries using narrow gauge are
Britain, South Africa, etc. 10% of Indias railway
tracks have been laid to this gauge.
Suitability :- Narrow gauge is suitable under the
following conditions :-
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( 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.
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Factors Affecting the Adoption of a
Particular Gauge
The following are the factors which affect the
adoption of a particular gauge for the track :-
I. Intensity of Population.
II. Intensity of Traffic.
III. Industrial and Commercial development of the
Locality.
IV. Prospects of future development of the area.
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V. Funds available for th railway project.
VI. Topographical and Geological Features of the
country.
Effects of Breaking the Gauge
One country should have only one gauge
throughout its various parts. But the policy of
India and its Topographical, Geological and
Financial conditions have led to adopt various
gauges in its different parts. The various effects
of breaking or change of gauge are discussed
below :-

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1. 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.
2. Disadvantages of Breaking the Gauge :-
i). It causes much inconvenience to the passengers
while changing the train at station, with change of
gauge.
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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.
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Which gauge is the best?
Historically..
the choice of gauge was partly arbitrary and
partly a response to local conditions

Narrow-gauges - cheaper to build and can
negotiate sharper curves

Broad-gauges - give greater stability and
permit higher speeds.
Coning of Wheels

Coning of wheels is a method of beveling the wheels to avoid depreciation to the
wheels and rims. Normally the wheels are conned by a cone of semi-angle. It is
based on the theorem of coning.
Introduction
Railway wheels are usually beveled by means of a cone semi-angle of the
arrangement of 1/20 (rad.). The rails are also fixed at this identical angle to the
perpendicular. The width of the wheel is generally 140 mm and the rail top is
approximately 80 mm. The proportions of the region of liaison between an
encumbered wheel and rail reckon on the exact shapes of the wheel pace and
rail head. It also depends on the extent of the load occupied.
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Coning of Wheels

The space between the inner borders of wheel rims is by and large kept less than
the measurement of the track. This results in a gap between the wheel rims and
running ends of the rails which is approximately equal to 1 cm, (3/8) on both
side. More often than not, the tread of wheels is perfectly the dead centre of the
beginning of the rail, since the wheel is chamfered to keep it in this middle
position involuntarily. Thus the wheels are beveled at an inclination of 1 in 20.

Advantages of coning the wheels
(i) Coning the wheels reduces the depreciation of the wheel rims and rails.
Depreciation is caused because of the friction action of rims with inner faces of
the rail top.
(ii) Coning also gives an option of lateral drift of the hinge with is wheels.
(iii) Coning also prevents, to some extent, the slipping of the wheels.

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Theory of Coning

On a railway level track, the moment the hinge loco motes towards one rail, the
wheel tread width above the rail steps-up but reduces over the other rail. This
forbids the auxiliary movement and hinge pulls back to its original position. This
is possible only if the diameters on both rails are equal and the pressure on both
the rails is also equal.
On a coiled path, because of rigidity of the wheel bottom either of the wheels
has to slip by a measure equal to the differentiation of length or else the axle has
to move outward a bit so that a tread with longer diameter is formed over the
outer rail whereas a slighter diameter tread is formed over the inner rail.


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FISH PLATE AND FISH BOLTS
BEARING PLATE (BENEATH THE
SLEEPER)
HIGH SPEED RAILS
Passenger rail transport that operates
significantly faster than the normal speed of
rail traffic.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's
reasonably expected to reach sustained
speeds of more than 125 mph (201 km/h)
WORLD RECORD
The world record for conventional high-speed
rail is held by the V150 of France, a specially
configured and heavily modified train which
clocked 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph) on a test run.
Aerodynamic designs (to reduce drag, lift, and
noise), air brakes, regenerative braking,
stronger engines, dynamic weight shifting, etc
High Speed train in France (> 574 Kmph)
RAILWAY POINTS AND CROSSINGS
POINTS AND CROSSINGS
To divert trains from one track to another, a
special arrangement is made.so that

the inside flange of the wheel can move on
the diverted track.

Such arrangement is called POINTS AND
CROSSINGS
A Right Hand Diversion
Points + crossings =

TURNOUT

POINTS AND SWITCHES
A railroad switch or points is a mechanical
installation enabling railway trains to be
guided from one track to another at a railway
junction.


POINTS AND SWITCHES
Electric, Hydraulic
or Manual
CROSSINGS
It is a special form of construction to provide
flange way clearance between two rails to be
crossed.
To achieve this, a gap is provided from throat
to nose of crossing over which the wheel
jumps.

Components of CROSSING of a Right Hand Turnout

Throat
To ensure that the wheel negotiates the gap
properly and doesnt strike the nose, the
outer rail is guided with the help of CHECK
RAILS.

CROSSINGS
Characteristics of a good crossing:
Should be rigid
Frog and wing rails should be protected
against damage so that the wheels do not
bump into the gap.
Frog should be of sufficient thickness.
Types of crossings
Acute angle (V-Crossing)
Obtuse angle crossing
Square Crossing




CAPACITY OF RAILWAY TRACK
Maximum number of trains that can run safely
on any length of track per hour.


Maximum number of trains that can be
handled in a yard TERMINAL CAPACITY.
Specification of Indian Railways
1. Sleeper density = no. of sleepers per rail
length.
Generally, 1 sleeper in every meter length.
Depends on: axle load, speed, strength of
sleeper, depth of ballast.
Sleeper density = n+ x (x = 7 usually)
n = length of each rail
2. Rails: 13 m long (for BG track)



Example: If sleeper density is n + 6 for a BG
track, calculate the number of sleepers in 960
m length of railway.

Length of each rail = 13 m
Total no. of rails in 960 m = 960/13 = 74
No. of sleeper in each rail = 13 + 6 = 19
So, no. of sleeper in 74 rails = 74 x 19 = 1406

3. Materials required per KM length of track

1. No. of rails per km = (1000/13) x 2 = 154
2. Weight of rail per km = (154 x 13) x 60 = 120,120 kg
(@ 60 kg/m)
3. No. of sleepers per km = (154/2) x (13 + 7) = 1540
4. No. of fish plates per km = 77 x 2 = 154
5. No. of bolts per km = 154 x 4 = 606
6. No. of bearing plates per km = 1540 x 2 = 3080
7. No. of fasteners = (1540 x 12)
8. Quantity of ballast per km = (0.2 x 3.35 x 1000)
cubic meter