UNIVERSITY OF GAZİANTEP

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL ENGINEERING

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Submitted by : Ahmad Ganjeena Khoshnaw

Submitted to : Instructor ENVER KILINC

Date : 13/ 12/ 2012

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 1- Railway Construction - Introduction:

The selection of lines of railway is

mainly governed by the same principles
as hold good for roads, but the cost of
the rails renders it of greater importance
to shorten the length of the route than to
make slight savings in embankments
and cuttings. The first step in the survey
is to ascertain the positions of the
watercourse and watershed lines of the
district to be passed through. The general direction having been selected by
the help of an ordnance map, a sketch-map, or a special reconnaissance
survey, the river-crossings are to be examined and decided upon, and the
points determined at which the watersheds are to be crossed and the
approaches to bridges set out. Trial lines should be run between the points
thus fixed, and the country should be carefully examined on each side of
these before the route is finally decided on. Sharp curves and steep
gradients are in themselves evils, involving special cost for maintenance and
for working, although original outlay may be economized by the adoption of
them. A straight and horizontal surface is assumed as the standard of
perfection; and the proper business of the engineer in laying out a railway is
to harmonize the engineering and the financial conditions of the problem so
as to yield the highest practicable return on the money expended, and to
see that, whilst the railway may be neither quite straight nor quite level, it
shall not be unduly costly in construction
from excessive cutting, tunnelling, and
making of embankments, in order to
obviate severe curves and gradients, nor
excessively cheap from following the
surface of the ground too closely and
incurring heavy gradients and severe
curves, and as a consequence heavy
working expenditure.

2- Railway Signals: Signals; Block System;

Interlocking System:

The earliest passenger railways were opened without

any fixed signals. Flags and disks, elevated on posts and
pillars, where first employed, in various forms, and were
worked on various codes. Sir Charles Hutton Gregory,
about the year 1841, designed and erected at form of
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semaphore used for telegraphing over short distances. This was the most
important step ever taken in the development of railway signaling. The
semaphore has been almost universally adopted for fixed signaling on
railways. There are two arms, to the right and to the left, to command trains
arriving in either direction. The arm is turned out horizontally, in a position
perpendicular to the post, to signal danger; diagonally downwards at an
angle of about 45°as a signal of caution; and it is turned home, disappearing
within the post, when the line is right for the approach of a train. At junctions
and other important signal-stations the lodges should be raised some height

above the surface, to give perfect

supervision in every direction and
prevent distraction. At night the place
of semaphores or disks is supplied by
large and powerful lamps with
reflectors, capable of showing lights
of three colours,—a white light, a blue
or green light, and a red light,
signifying respectively safety, caution,
danger; or, as in general practice, two
lights only are shown—red and green.

The positive system has long been in successful operation at all large
and important junctions. In such a situation the use of a stringent code is
manifestly conducive to the greatest degree of safety, as by the unavoidable
intersections of the lines of rails there are many chances of collision. The
positive system has been merged in what is known as the block system of
signaling,—that is to say, the positive system
has been on most railways extended to every
station on the lines in combination with
telegraphic signalling. The best, perhaps the
only, safeguard against error on the part of the
persons in charge of trains is to be found in the
adoption of the absolute block system, and of
means for enabling engine-drivers to observe
signals well in advance. Distant signals are
occasionally fixed at 1500 yards’ distance; but
beyond 800 yards their action is uncertain, and
it is checked by repeater—electric or
mechanical—by which, by way of confirmation,
the signal is returned to the signalman.

As railway junctions were multiplied it became apparent, not only that

distant signals were to be provided for distinct lines, but that concerted
action should be established between signals and switches. They are said to
be connected when they are simply coupled together and are moved
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 simultaneously. They are said to be interlocked when the necessary
movement of the switches is completed before that of the signal to safety is
commenced; and, conversely, the movement of the signal to danger is
completed before the movement of the switches can be commenced. This is
the fundamental principle of the interlocking system of signaling now
generally practiced. By the combination of the absolute block system and
the interlocking system the greatest possible numbers of trains are enabled
to travel over one pair of rails in a given time. At Cannon Street station, at
the busiest time of the day, eighteen trains arrive and eighteen depart within
an hour; 108 operations of shifting switches and signals, by means of sixty-
seven levers or handles, have to be performed in that time. On the North
London Railway, at Liverpool Street station, 250 trains pass over the same
rails in a day of nineteen hours, averaging only four minutes between trains;
frequently only two minutes elapse.

3- Railway Construction Project Period Designation:

The team established detailed execution plans, such as a step-by-step

construction plan and the construction period required for the four routes in the
short-term scenario, which demand urgent attention according to our economic
analysis.

Designation of the Standard Project Period:

The project period refers to the total duration of the project, starting from the
point when the project execution plan gains permission, various approvals and
certifications regarding the design
and execution plans for the basic
planning stage, actual construction
to completion. This period can
become a yearly investment plan
period, which determines how the
total cost may be distributed
throughout the project execution
period.
All routes to be built for the railway network construction must be subject to actual
period estimations according to the characteristics of each route’s project plan,
based on which a yearly investment plan must be drafted. However, there are no
detailed preliminary studies regarding the routes, and the route plans are
reviewed based on the topographical charts, the scale or conditions of each
route’s construction do not notably differ, and reviewing individual construction
processes based on an actual and situational condition hypothesis does not yield
any tangible benefit.

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The standard project period as proposed here allows one to obtain a general
picture of a specific route’s overall project period, but as the construction
conditions for each route have not been determined, it may not be viewed as an
executable construction process.
The standard project period for each route is categorized into project preparation,
construction and completion periods. Standard periods for each type of work were
determined based on comparisons of theoretical estimations and the actual
construction periods of other similar projects.

A. Project Preparation Process: The general process for preparing for the
railway construction project goes as follows: after the basic plans are
established, base and actual designs are conducted, followed by the acquisition
of various approvals and certifications and discussions with related agencies
and organizations. Then, the land for facility construction sites is acquired, and
construction begins. The minimum time length for each stage is as shown
below:

B. Construction Period Estimation: In railway construction, estimating the

construction period may be very complicated depending on the selected routes.
Also, the construction periods may vary by construction method, equipment
implementation conditions, and the usage of earthwork materials. Therefore, it is
difficult to formulate a model for estimating the preliminary construction period
for reviewing the railway construction project, and the team presented the
standard construction period for the economic analysis of railway construction.
1) Construction Zone Division by Line
2) Roadbed Construction Period Estimation
a) S-1 Route
b) S-2 Route
c) S-3 Route
d) S-4 Route
e) Estimation of the Roadbed Construction Period by Line

3) Track Construction Period Estimation

4) Construction Work

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Establishing Railway Construction Project Periods for Each Line:
To estimate the construction period for the railway, the team set the
preparation period as 2 years as shown above, and applied the time-limit
determining zones in each line as the standard for estimating the roadbed
construction period. Systems (electric, signal, communication), stations, and
tracks will be built when the roadbed work is about 50% complete. Also,
considering the possibility of building new railways, the construction period for
each line includes a test driving period of about six months

Total Project Period of the Short-Term Railway Network Project:

Also, analysis showed that the S-1 and S-2 routes will take 7.5 years and
the S-3 and S-4 routes 8 years to complete. If construction begins in 2012, the S-
1,S-2 and S-3 routes can initiate operation in 2019 and the construction of the S-4
route should be started in 2025 when operation in 2033.

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3- Step By Step Railway Construction Plan:

Among the lines planned for the national railway network plan, the short-
term routes of S-1 and S-3 which are connected to the existing narrow gauge
tracks, could be applied in the types of standard gauge and narrow gauge, and
the means of railway operation will be changed based on the gauge type.

 Edea~Lolabe: (S-1) Line Construction

A. First Switching Point Construction Plan
B. Station Construction Plan

 Mbalam~Lolabe: (S-2) Line Construction

A. Selecting the Optimum Transport Path
B. Roadbed and Station Construction Plan

 Douala~Limbe: (S-3) Line Construction

A. Station Construction Plan

 The New Ngaoundere~Douala: (S-4) Line

 Step-by-Step Depot Construction Plan

Yearly Investment Plan:

The yearly investment plan for each project must reflect the project cost
expenses depending on the project period. Therefore, various factors such as the
consignment method and zone division based on the construction plan and
detailed designs must be taken into consideration, but it is difficult to estimate the
precise construction period and investment cost in this stage, due to the
characteristics of this study. Also, as the investment plans for each project does
not take into consideration the available finances that may be invested in the
railway project, the yearly investment plan for the overall project must be adjusted
in accordance with the priorities of each project.

4- Railway Construction Materials:

Modern building and structure designs combine aesthetic appearance and a

requirement for an extended life. As a result stainless steel, once the preserve of
prestige projects is becoming an everyday material due to its strength, corrosion
resistance and appearance. In particular the development of high strength duplex
steels allows most building requirements to be reached with the added corrosion
resistance that helps to increase the structure lifespan. Nowhere is this more
apparent than in reinforcement bar where longer bridge and harbour design life
requires the better protection from chloride ingress that stainless steel can
provide. Other structural steels such as steel beams and structural profiles are
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also available in standard grades and duplex. Architectural applications often
require a variety of high quality and customized finishes

Railway construction equipment and materials are used in the development

and maintenance of railway tracks and other amenities. In railway track
construction, products such as rail base plates are widely used. These plates are
made up of high quality material that provides it with great stiffness and makes it
highly durable. Rail base plates have high electric
insulation and are resilient in high vibration situations.
Machines like torque wrenches and tube-moulders play a
critical role in the construction of railways. These machines
need stringent inspections and pre-tests before they are
subjected to daily usage.

Similarly, in the case of railway maintenance, railway lines often need to be

pulled out for welding, managing tension, and other activities. All this can be done
with a rail tensor; a rail tensor is a very sophisticated device for this purpose.
Similarly, many other tools and equipment are required for properly servicing the
railway lines.

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For embankments aconventional fill materials are liable to excessive settlement
on railway embankments. The high strength-to-weight ratio of Fillmaster provides
a cost-effective solution to withstand the mechanical loads encountered in railway
construction.

5- Railway Plat Form:

A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a railway

station at which passengers may board
or alight from trains or trams. Almost all
stations used for rail transport have
some form of platform, with larger
stations having multiple platforms. Most
stations have their platforms numbered
consecutively from 1, 0 or use letters as
platform names. In the case of Waterloo
East this is to distinguish the platforms
from those that are numerically
numbered at the adjoining Waterloo
station.

Plat form characteristics: The most basic form of platform consists of an area at
the same level as the track, usually resulting in a fairly large height difference
between the 'platform' and the train floor. This would
often not be considered a true platform. The more
traditional platform is situated at an elevated level
relative to the track, but often lower than the train floor,
although ideally the platform should be at the same level
as the train floor. Occasionally the platform is at a higher
level than the train floor. This may be the case when a
train with a low floor level serves a station built for trains
with a higher floor level, for example at the Dutchstations
of the DB Regionalbahn Westfalen (see Enschede).
Likewise, on the London Underground some stations are
served by both District Line and Piccadilly Line trains,
and the Piccadilly trains have lower floors.

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 A tram stop is often in the middle of the street; usually it has as a platform a
refuge area of a similar height to that of the sidewalk (e.g. 10 cm), and sometimes
has no platform at all. The latter requires extra care for the boarding and
unboarding passengers and for the other traffic to avoid accidents.

Plat form facilities: Part of the station facilities are usually on the platforms.
Where the platforms are not situated within a station building, often some form of
shelter or waiting room is provided. The protection offered by such varies greatly –
some being little more than a roof with open sides, others being a closed room
with heating or air-conditioning.
Also there may be benches, lighting,garbage boxes and static timetables or
dynamic displays with information about the next train. There are
often loudspeakers as part of a public addresssystem. The PA system is often
found where dynamic timetables or electronic displays are not present. A variety
of information is presented, usually pertaining to departures, but often arrivals
also. This concerns destinations and, delays, cancellations, platform changes,
changes in routes and destinations, and supplemental fee or reservation
requirements.
Markings: Platforms usually have some form of warnings or measures to keep
passengers away from the tracks and moving trains. The simplest measure is
markings near the edge of the platform to demarcate the distance back from the
platform edge that passengers should remain. Often a special tiled surface is used
as well as a painted line, to help blind people using a walking aid, and aid in
preventing wheelchairs from accidentally rolling too near the platform edge.

6- General Equipment Requirements:

Design Life: All fare collection equipment shall be designed for a minimum
service life of 15 years. All equipment shall operate seven days per week and 24
hours per day.
Codes and Standards: The fare collection equipment shall be designed to meet
the latest revision of applicable codes such as the National Electrical Code (NEC),
National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), and Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc. (UL),
and the local codes of authorities having jurisdiction.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements: The fare collection
equipment shall comply with applicable requirements of the ADA. Fare equipment
shall meet the rules in Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 37 resulting
from the Americans with Disabilities Act. In particular, rules related to Automated
Teller Machines and appended guidelines for Controls and Operating
Mechanisms must be addressed in the fare collection equipment design. In
addition, the TVM shall provide digitally recorded voice messages that ―read‖ the
contents of the patron display to assist visually impaired and illiterate patrons
through the transaction process.
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Climate and Environment: The fare collection equipment shall be installed in
locations to avoid the affects of direct sunlight and offer passenger protection from
rain, direct sun, and other harsh environmental elements.
Electrical Design Requirements: All electrical designs shall comply with UL
Standard 751, ―Vending Machines,‖ NFPA 70, ―National Electric Code,‖ and
applicable guidelines, codes, or standards of the authority having jurisdiction.
Transaction Speeds: TVMs shall have an average transaction time of thirty
seconds, including all passenger interactions; measured from the time a
passenger approaches the machine to completing the
transaction. Magnetic Ticket Processors shall average six seconds or less per
transaction, including time for the patron to orient and insert the ticket for
processing.
Modularity and Maintainability: All parts, components, modules, assemblies,
and removable devices shall be interchangeable among machines without the
need to make adjustment for proper compatibility. All replaceable devices shall
combine mounting designed for simple removal/exchange and easy access to
facilitate maintenance. All maintenance and service access to TVM components
shall be through the front door of the TVM.
Reliability: TVMs and Magnetic Ticket Processors shall be of service-proven
designs with acceptable performance in revenue service of at least three years.
The equipment shall have a design life of a minimum of 15 years.
Safety: The Fare Collection System shall be free from hazards. The exterior
surfaces of fare collection equipment, including all controls and appurtenances,
shall have no sharp edges. The cabinet shall have no protrusions extending
beyond its vertical surfaces that could be bumped by persons with a visual
impairment or by a person passing by or using the TVM or MTP. All interior
surfaces and components with which patrons and/or maintenance personnel could
come in contact shall be free of sharp edges or other hazards.
Security: The design and installation of the fare collection equipment shall
discourage and minimize the effects of vandalism and theft, prevent unauthorized
access to the interior of the equipment, and prevent unauthorized removal of the
equipment from its installed location.
Access to the TVM for maintenance functions shall not provide access to the
money vaults. All exterior doors shall be locked with at least a three-point latching
device with a bascule bolt and a hook locking bar, or approved equivalent.

Handheld Verifier: Operational Requirements:

The AFCS design shall include Handheld Verifiers (HHV) to allow fare
inspectors to interrogate and verify validity of fare media, including magnetic fare
and smart cards. The HHV shall be a portable unit, similar in size and form factor
to a PDA class device. It shall be powered by a rechargeable battery system.
Ticket data and inspection transactions shall be capable of being stored, batched,
and forwarded, via docking the unit in a compatible cradle, to a PC based data
collection system.

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Resources:

1- http://www.rff.fr/en/the-network/europe-on-rails/building-a-
europe-on-rails// railway construction steps.
2- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_signal.
3- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_platform.
4- http://www.valleymetro.org/images/uploads/lightrail_publicati
ons/Design_Criteria_Manual_FINAL_030207.pdf.

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