MIRPUR UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MUST), MIRPUR

DEPARMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND ENGINEERING
CE-361

Lecture No. 21: Track Maintenance

Engr. Junaid Tariq Jarral

Lecturer

Date:
 Approach to Railway
Track Maintenance
Two approaches are basically used for Railway maintenance

Conventional RT maintenance
Done manually “Labour –based”,
simple tools are used Fully mechanized

Machine-based RT maintenance
(mechanical appliances are used)
Mixed process
What is the right time for maintenance ?
(Labour + machines)
 Daily (minor defects, manually)
 Periodically (every 2-3 years)
 When RT Maintenance
Become Necessary?
1. Reduction in strength of track Heavy axle loads
structure due to
High loading
Consequences are:
Frequency
 Changes to alignment. (repetition)
 Changes to gauge.
 Changes to surface level of rails. Movement of
high speed trains
2. Deterioration of track structure due to environmental effects,
such as: rain water, wind and sun actions. No maintenance!
Consequences:  Faster wear
 Wear and tear of rails & wear to rolling stock.  Rough riding quality
 Derailment leading
3. Rail track exhibits other forms of defects such to life loss
as on curves, crossing, and bridge approaches.
 What Are The Advantages
of Proper RT Maintenance?
1. Increases the life of both track and rolling stock.

Probably this is true for each and every engineered structure.

2. Provides smooth riding quality which brings comfort and

safety to passengers and goods.
3.Safer and more comfortable transport mode encourages
more people and goods to use the rail transports leading to
better earning, less damage to environment, additional
economical value to goods…etc.
4. Allow savings in operation costs (e.g. reduction in fuel
consumption due to reduced friction between rails & wheels).
Items Checked for Maintenance
1. Surface of Rails

2.Track Alignment
8.Bridges & Tunnels

Periodic
3. Gauge Maintenance 7. Rolling Stock

4. Drainage 6. Points & Crossings

5. Track Components
1. Surface of Rails Maintenance
At straight sections of RT, the top surface of two rails should
be kept in level (same plane). On curved sections of the RT,
the outer rail should be kept at correct elevation above the
inner rail. This is to maintain the required super-elevation.
Entails the following operations:
Packing
 Is the method of forcing the ballast bellow the sleepers.
Deterioration mechanism: Due to heavy loads and vibration caused by
running train, ballast under sleepers get loose and depressions are formed
in plane of rails. Non-uniformity of subgrade would worsen the situation
(remember the importance of consolidation while constructing formation)

Surfacing the Track / Leveling the Track

Surfacing the track : The whole of the track is brought to a condition of
vertical evenness. Rails and track are kept in uniform level. Equal elevation
in the transverse direction is called leveling.
 Cont. Surface of
Rails Maintenance
Boxing and Dressing the Track
This is the process of filling the ballast between sleepers and beyond
ends of sleepers to required shape.

Lifting of the track

 Lifting the depressed track to required height
 If lifting is done under traffic, then it should be done in the direction
opposite to traffic .
 If both rails needs lifting, then they should be lifted simultaneously.
Spot Packing and Track lifting
Consists of correcting the defects at a particular point and involves
lifting of 5 to 7 sleepers.
 This task is one of the essentials of daily maintenance.
 Required when defect extends over considerable length.
 Cont. Surface of
Rails Maintenance
Surface Defects and Remedies
Defects manifest due to lack of maintenance. RT defects may include:
High joint or riding joint: Top level of the joint is higher than rail level
why occurs? Due to over-packing of sleepers at joints OR sinking of
sleepers between joints.
Blowing Joints: A blow joint is caused when joint is rested on loose and
dusty ballast.
Mechanism? When wheel load passes over the sleepers resting on dusty
ballast, the sleeper sinks and when the wheel loads are relieved, the
sleeper rises with sucking up dust.
Causes? Thin layer of ballast, week sleepers, dusty ballast, worn out rail
ends, and wide expansion gap.
Remedial action? (1) Clean dirty ballast and repack joints with ballast.
(2) Improvement rail ends (dehogging of rails).
(3) Reduction of expansion gap.
 Cont. Surface of
Rails Maintenance
Surface Defects and Remedies
Pumping joints: In rainy weather, blowing joint is affected by water and
gets converted into what is termed as “pumping joint”. The joint splashes
water as loads move on.
Causes? Same causes for blowing joints + bad drainage (dirt ballast does
not allow good and quick drainage.
Remedial action? (1) Cleansing of ballast.
(2) Provision of proper drainage.
(3) Remedies listed for blowing joints.
Hogged rails: Due to worn out of rail ends due to load repetition, the rail
gets bent down at its ends, creating what is termed as “hogged rails”.
Consequence ? Rough riding, more vibration leading to more defects.
Causes? loose packing under joints and loose fish plate.
Remedial action? (1) Replace joint, (2) Welding joint, (3) Dehogging,
(4) Cropping {Refer to handout}
 Cont. Surface of
Rails Maintenance
Surface Defects and Remedies
Buckling of Track: The track, especially in hot weather, goes out of
alignment on both tangents and curves.
Causes? Insufficient gaps at joints, tightened fish plate, welded track with
insufficient strength.
Consequences? Derailment which can lead to fatalities or damage to goods
Remedial action? (1) Tighten & lubricate fish plate to proper joint function.
(2) Use of steel sleepers.
(3) Proper anchoring for welded rails.
Centre bound Track: Under rolling load, settlement of ballast under rail
seat is more than under the centre of sleepers (sleepers deflects more at
the ends), This deflection is named as “centre bound track”.
Remedial action? (1) Loosen ballast under the centre of sleepers and pack
under the ends.
(2) Open a drain under the centre of sleepers.
 Cont. Surface of
Rails Maintenance
Surface Defects and Remedies
Corrugated or Roaring rails: The heads of rails corrugate (fine depressions
on the surface of rails). Causes roaring sounds when wheels pass over it.
Causes? Found at places where trains brakes or starts its journey, other
reasons such as: composition of steel used to manufacture rails.
Consequences? (1) Unpleasant roaring sound which cause discomfort to
passengers and residents along side the rail track
(2) Vibration causes further deterioration to other track
elements.
Remedial action? (1) Replace rail if corrugation is severe and the defect is
limited to small number of rails
(2) Grind top surface of rail, a grinding train moving at
3 km per hour can be used (as in Germany).
 2. Track Alignment
Maintenance
What makes the track to go out of alignment?
Increase hammering action of Why hammering differs ?
wheels on one of the pair rails while  Variation in cross levels.
less or no hammering on the other.  Inadequate super-elevation.
 Non-uniformity of gauge.
 Improver packing of ballast.
Formation of kinks.  Poor subgrade.
Kink in Rails: Adjoining rails slightly move out of position.
Causes? Loose packing at joints, Defects in gauge and alignment,
Defects in cross levels at joints, closing of rail joints, and Uneven wear
for rail heads.
Consequences? Unpleasant jerk for train, further kink at places other
than joints will form, risk in turning operation for kinks formed at curves.
Remedial action? (1) Periodic maintenance for cross level, gauge..etc.
(2) Correcting alignment at joints and curved sections.
 3. Gauge Maintenance
Uniformity of the gauge should be properly maintained all-over
the track. Failure to achieve gauge uniformity will negatively
influence the riding quality.

What causes gauge variation?

Loosening of track & sleeper fittings

Tight gauge and slack (relaxed) gauge: tight gauge is

always better since it prevents lateral play of wheels.
 4. Restoration of Proper
Drainage riding quality and longer track life.
Proper drainage ensures smooth

Tasks involved in
restoring drainage

cleaning of ballast cleaning of cess surface drainage Subsurface drain

dust and weeds clean and slope-  Under ground
allows water to maintained side drain.
stay for long time drain (ditches) to Inverted filter
in ballast and may To prevent provide good blanket
percolate to collection of surface drainage
formation causing water. Cess to
defects to track. clean from
grass and be
sloped outward.
 5. Track Components
Maintenance
Maintenance and Renewal of Rails
Worn out rails: When replacing worn out rail, one has to take
care of the final table. The new rail become higher than other
adjoining rails, resulting in damage to rail ends. If it is done as
part of daily maintenance, then used rail has to be fitted.
Broken or cracked rails: A sleeper is to be placed under the
fractured rail until rail is replaced.

Corrosion of rails: If inner rail on curve is

corroded then it has to be replaced immediately.
Cont. Track Components
Maintenance

Maintenance and Renewal of Sleepers

Spot Renewal Through Renewal

The defective sleeper and the
fitting of sleeper are renewed
 Remove ballast below old sleeper.
 Take broken sleeper out.
 New sleeper is fitted and packed.
Rails are removed and sleeper are
taken out and replaced and rails
are put back.
 Cont. Track Components
Maintenance
Maintenance and Renewal of Fittings
Fish-plate and fish bolt are the most important fittings for jointed rails

Graphiting of Fish Plate

Apply lubricant containing graphite.
 To protect fish-plate against corrosion
 To allow free expansion.
 To increase the life of fish plate and bolts.

Track imprest A stock of all usual materials, such as rails, sleepers,

fish-plate, bolts and other fittings, is permanently maintained at selected
place for immediate replacement. These materials are known as track-
imprest. They are to be used only in emergency. Items must be replaced
as soon as possible.
 6. Points and Crossing
Maintenance
Switches are regarded to be the weakest points of the track
and receives most of derailments incidents. Thus it should be
watched constantly.
Inspection of switches should be done under moving train
loads. Because some of their defects can be picked up only
when train load moves on.
Causes for switch defects
 Wear of fittings and pins.
 Creep of track.
 Poor maintenance.
 Signalling During
Maintenance Work
It is necessary to warn the train drivers
when maintenance work is in progress.

Short duration maintenance

work ( less than three days).
Then temporary flags would
be satisfactory
Long duration maintenance
work ( more than three days).
Then temporary fixed signals are
required (discuss next sessions)
THANKS