RAILWAY

DEFINITION
Rel digunakan pada jalur kereta api. Rel mengarahkan/memandu kereta apitanpa

memerlukan pengendalian. (Rail transport is a means of convayance of passengers

and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road
transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also
directionally guided by the tracks on which they run)
Rel sebagai jalan untuk lewat kereta api yang terdiri atas sepasang batang rel berbahan

besi baja yang disusun secara paralel dengan jarak yang konstan (tetap) antara kedua
sisinya. Batang rel tersebut ditambat (dikatikan) pada bantalan yang disusun secara
melintang terhadap batang rel dengan jarak yang rapat, untuk menjaga agar rel tidak
bergeser atau renggang. (Track usually consists of steel rails installed on sleepers/ties
and balast, on which the rolling stock, usually fitted with metal wheels, moves.
However, other variations are also possible, such as slab track where the rails are
fastened to a concrete foundation resting on a prepared subsurface).

ADVANTAGES
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 helps in the quick movement of goods from one place to
another at the time of emergencies like famines and
scarcity.

ADVANTAGES CONT
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. Moreover, the traffic can be protected from the exposure to
sun, rain snow etc.
The carrying capacity of the railways is extremely large. Moreover, its
capacity is elastic which can easily be increased by adding more
wagons.
It is the largest public undertaking in the country. Railways perform
many public utility services. 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. The cost of

construction, maintenance and overhead expenses are very high as

compared to other modes of transport. Moreover, the investments are
specific and immobile. In case the traffic is not sufficient, the
investments may mean wastage of huge resources.
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.

DISADVANTAGES CONT
As railways require huge capital outlay, they may give rise to

monopolies and work against public interest at large. Even if controlled

and managed by the government, lack of competition may breed in
inefficiency and high costs.
Railway transport is unsuitable and uneconomical for short distances
and small traffic of goods.
It involves much time and labour in booking and taking delivery of
goods through railways as compared to motor transport.
Because of huge capital requirements and traffic, railways cannot be
operated economically in rural areas. Thus, large rural areas have no
railway even today. This causes much inconvenience to the people
living in rural areas.

RAILWAY STRUCTURE COMPONENTS

Subballast consists of gravel, sand, or cinders, and it is

inferior to ballast. Spread on the surface of the cut or fill,
subballast provides a level surface for the ballast and other
track components. It is spread about half the depth of the
total ballast section and should never be less than 6 inches
deep. Using subballast does the following:
Saves higher quality stone for the ballast.
Seals off contact between the ballast and the subgrade,
which allows better drainage.
Prevents indentation in the subgrade caused by ties under
the weight of the train.

Ballast is gravel or broken stone laid on the ground to provide support for
the track. Materials most commonly used as ballast are trap rock, granite,
blast furnace slag, limestone, and graded gravel. For heavy tonnage
and/or high speed traffic, broken or crushed stone is the most desired
ballast. Ballast is usually locally available materials.

In order to perform its function, ballast must be resistant to water and weather,
coarse for rapid drainage, fine enough to facilitate handling, and angular to
resist movement. Using ballast does the following:
Distributes the weight of the trains on the track.
Keeps the track from moving under the weight of the trains.
Provides adequate drainage for the track.
Maintains proper track leveling and alignment.
Retards growth of vegetation.
Reduces dust.
Distributes the load of the track and train to prevent overstressing the
subgrade.
Restrains the track laterally, longitudinally, and vertically under dynamic
loads imposed by trains and thermal stress induced in the rails by changing
temperatures.

Tie plates and rail anchors are laid on the crossties /

sleepers. Wooden, concrete, or steel crossties are laid
across the ballast to support the rail.

Crossties / sleepers are currently used mainly on conventional track. Regardless of their
shape, dimensions, or composition, crossties perform many functions necessary for an
operational railroad track.
The timber crosstie is used most often. The tie is cut from mixed softwoods and hardwoods
and is treated with creosote, creosote-coal tar, or creosote petroleum solutions to prevent or
retard fungi, bacteria, insects, borers, and decay. The treated timber tie varies in dimensions:
5" x 5" to 7" x 10" in cross sections, 8 feet to 9 feet in lengths for standard crossties, and 9 feet
to 23 feet for switch ties and crossover ties. The standard US mainline crosstie (7" x 9" x 8'6")
weights approximately 250 pounds.
The concrete crosstie has the same general dimensions as the timber crosstie, but is almost
twice as heavy. Most concrete crossties have direct fixation fastenings with a cushioning pad
between the tie and the rail base. These fastenings can be either a threaded type or a
threadless type. In any of its forms, fastening is the weakest part of the concrete crosstie
system.
Steel crossties are tough, flexible, and resistant to mechanical deterioration. They are
manufactured in a variety of shapes and include special features such as an integral fastening
system. They are not normally found in trackage that has an electric current as part of a signal
system or in an electrically powered railway system.

CROSSTIES
Wooden crossties
Concrete crossties
Steel crossties
Slab crossties

Wooden Crossties
The oldest crossties material
Advantages

High elasticity
High comfort, only few vibration on
train
Disadvantages
low durability.
Material availaibily to replace the old
crossties

Concrete Crossties
Made

from concrete and pre-stress

concrete and supported by anchorage
ties

Advantages

High durability to load and climate

compare to wooden crossties
Low cost due to the long age of
structure up to 20 years

Disadvantages

High cost in early project investment

Needs high accuracy
Rigid materials, causing high vibration

Steel Crossties
Often placed in the curve site
Advantages

High durability in resisting

the high load
Disadvantages
More
expensive
than
concrete materials
Potential displacement on
sand subgrade

Slab Crossties
Integrated

to the rod

structures.
Advantages

High quality
More comfort
Easy maintenance

Diadvantages

Need special labour

installing the structures
High cost project

in

RAILWAY TYPES

Single Track Railway

A single-track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track.

Single track is normally used on lesser-used rail lines, often branch lines, where
the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double
track.

 A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction,

compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same
track.

Monorel
A

monorail is a rail-based
transportation system based on a
single rail, which acts as its sole
support and its guideway. The
term is also used variously to
describe the beam of the system,
or the vehicles traveling on such a
beam or track. Often design in
city town