Current rail track

Continuos Welded Track (CWR)

Continuous welded railway also sometimes referred as ribbon rails. The rails will be welded together by utilizing flash butt welding. One continuous rail track will be formed. If there is less friction on continuous welded train, then the train can travel at a higher speed. Besides that, the track is very strong and it provides a smoother ride for the train. There is less maintenance required for this type of track.

Rails will expanded during hot weather and shrink during cold weather if it is not restrained. Concrete sleepers are fixed to the rails by using clips that help to prevent the sleepers from moving. Thus, there is no specific period of time on how long the welded rail can last. The track can be distorted during hot weather and cause derailment if the longitudinal and lateral restraint is insufficient.

If the temperature of the rail during laying is cooler than what is expected, then the rails can be artificially stressed after new segments of rail are laid. The stressing process involves either heating the rails which can cause them to expand or stretching the rail with hydraulic equipment. Then, they are clipped to the sleepers in their expanded form. This process will ensure the rail does not expand much during summer season and contract much during winter season.

CWR rail is usually laid which includes fastening process at a highest point of temperature at that location with the middle point of temperature. It is also known as “neutral the temperature of rail”. These installation procedures are to prevent tracks from buckling during summer season or pulling apart during winter season.

Ballastless track

Ballastless track consist of a continuous slab of concrete (like a highway structure) with the rails supported directly on its upper surface (using a resilient pad). On the other hand, ballastless track need a high cost during the initial construction as compared to traditional railway track. Ballastless track can provide a high cost of reduction for the maintenance cost especially for a long period of time.

This ballastless track contains a constant concrete slab at which the rails are supported on the surface. Concrete also can be used as the base. Ballastless track provide high service performance in the train operation, high stability during the passage of train and absence of deformation. Moreover, ballastless track have longer service life (more than 60 years), low maintenance cost compared to ballast track, shallow construction depth. Cases about damage or injury cause by flying ballast in high speed also can be avoided with the ballastless track (Britpave, 2015).

Double track

A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction. In other words, one train will run in each direction in double track line. It also could avoid accident head to head (head on) as well as to increase capacity and the accessibility. of the disturbances of one lane and can use two line. Other benefits are the schedule could be reliable and reduce cost of operation. With double track, the travel time on the track can be reduced thereby saving fuel and also benefited over time efficiency. Further, double track also make easy for signalling system to arrange train with smooth traffic.

Double track with bidirectional will allow the train to keep move on the right or left track. The train is permit to run in either direction on the track and this simplifies the signaling system. The benefit of use the bi-direction running is enable the trains to use one track when the other track is out of function and under maintenance.

Bi-directional track or tracks will usually be signaled in both directions and so indicated and it helps the train to change the track if any obstacles happen in the middle of journey or the other line cannot be used. The train may change route to avoid any circumstance of dangerous.

Concrete sleeper

Pre-stressed or reinforced concrete sleepers have been adopted in modern railway tracks over the past decades because of their durability and long service life. Pre-stressed concrete sleepers is found can support more load and provide a smooth ride to the train (Railway Sleepers, 2015).

The reason for using the concrete sleepers is to uniformly transfer and distribute loads from the rail foot to the underlying ballast bed. It also to provide an anchorage for the fastening system that holds the rails at their correct gauge and preserves inclination and to support the rail and restrain longitudinal, lateral and vertical movement by embedding itself onto the substructures.

Concrete sleepers are also able to carry more weights and stand at higher speeds compared to other types of sleepers. Concrete sleepers have a longer service life of service and require less maintenance compared to wooden sleepers. It also can remain in the same position for a longer period of time due to its heavyweight which helps the track be more stable. Temperature changes can influence the stability of the track, but concrete sleepers can withstand those changes much longer than timber sleepers. The same goes for the hazard of fire at which concrete cannot be burned with fire, unlike the wooden sleepers.

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