Railway Gauges

Presented by :-
Khushbu Bhatt
Parul University
Vadodara
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 GAUGE
The clear horizontal
distance between the inner
(running) faces of the two rails
forming a track is known as
Gauge.

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Originally, the wheels of the railway vehicles
were provided with flanges on outside. So,
the distance between the outer faces of rails of
an track was considered as gauge. The first
track was laid in England with an outside
gauge of 1.524m. Later, it was found
advantageous to provide flanges on inner
side of the wheels for easy turning of trains
from one track to another. This change was
made without interfering with rails

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and thus the distance between the
inner faces of rail of a track was
termed as the gauge. This
converted the gauge from 1524
mm (5’) to 1435 mm (4’-8½’’) due
to reduction of two rail head 5
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),
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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%
India’s railway tracks have been laid to
this gauge. 7
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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(M.G)
The other countries using Metre gauge
are France, Switzerland, Argentine, etc.
40% of India’s 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 9
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
India’s railway tracks have been laid to
this gauge.
Suitability :- Narrow gauge is suitable
under the following conditions :-
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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.
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V. Funds available for th railway
project.
VI.Topographical and Geological
Features of the country.
Effects of Breaking the Gauge 13
 1. Advantages of Breaking the
Gauge :-
i). The most effective advantage
of breaking the gauge is to
render the railway an
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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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RAILWAY ENGINEERING

The branch of Civil

Engineering which deals with
the design, construction and
maintenance of the railway
tracks for safe and efficient 16
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
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 Materials required in the
construction of railway tracks.
Track geometrics.
Points and crossings.
Railways stations and yards. 18
 Important Technical Terms

There are many important

technical terms concerning to
Railways, but a few terms which
are of immediate concern are only
discussed bellow:-
1Railway:-A track formed of rails 19
 worked over for the purpose of or in
connection with a railway.
As per section 3 of the Indian Railway
Act 1890, railway means a railway, or any
portion of the public carriage of
passengers, animals or goods.
General Rule 5(10) in Part III (Red
Tariff) defines, railway means a railway,
or any portion of the public carriage of
passengers, animals or goods and
includes all lines of rails, sidings or
branches worked over for the purpose of
or in connection with railway.
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 2. Rolling stock:- The
locomotives, passenger
coaches and goods wagons
which roll or run on railway
tracks constitute rolling stock.
The different types of 21
 4. Wagons :- The goods
compartments are called
wagons. This term applies
only to good stock.
5. Coaches or vehicles :- The
passenger
compartments are called 22
 Rolling Stock

Coaching
Locomotives Goods Stock
Stock

Steam Passenger Covered Open Top

Vans
Locomotives Vans Coaches Wagons Stock

Diesel High wall

Mail Vans
Locomotives Wagons

Electric Small
Luggage Vans
Locomotives Wagons

Without wall
Parcel Vans
Wagons

Brake Vans Others

Others
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 ↑↑TYPES OF ROLLING STOCK↑↑

NECESSITY OF RAILWAYS
Railways are significant and potential means
of transporting men and material over large
distance in a country. This system of
conveyance helps in manufacturing goods by
transporting raw materials from far off places
to the factories and also in transporting the
finished products to the marketing centers. The
introduction of Railways has converted
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have also helped in developing cultural
and social ties among the people by
transporting them from one corner to the
other corner of the country. Thus, we see
that progress made by any country and
well being of a nation depends much on
Railways.
The necessity or utility of Railways
can be well realized from the following
purpose and advantages of Railways :-
I. Railways provide convenient and
safe means of transporting people and
goods over large distance in a
country. 25
II. Railways help in uniting the
people of different religious,
customs and traditions living
in different parts of a country
and thus strengthen national
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V. Railway facility cheap and
convenient communication of
bulks of letters, parcels and
heavy goods like raw
materials, coal, ores, etc. from
mines and manufacturing 27
 agricultural products all over
the country.
IX. Railways help in price
stabilization of commodities
due to mobility of products in
all parts of a country.
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 country.
 Railways help in maintaining
better law and order in a
country.
 Railways play its vital role in
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The development, civilization and efficiency
of a nation can be easily judged by the
extent of its Railways.

MARITS OF RAILWAYS
WITH RESPECT TO
ROADWAYS,
WATERWAYS AND
AIRWAYS 30
 safe means of communication within the
reach of a common man.
(ii) Transport of bulk of letters, parcels
and heavy goods like raw materials, coal,
ores, etc. from the mines and
manufacturing concerns for long distance
is cheap and convenient only by
Railways.
(iii) Railways transport requires the least
amount of power as compared to its
weight.
(iv) In case of Railways, only the direction
of movement of trains is controlled and
practically
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 trains from one track to an other track.
(v) Railways act as the biggest
undertaking in the world and thus
provide employment opportunities on
large scale.
(vi) Railways from the chief sources of
revenue to a country without any
taxation.
Modern methods such as
modernization of traction (gradually
switching over to diesel and electric
traction), speedy, trains, automation in
operation, high powered locomotives, etc.
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are being employed in Railways to impart
better services to all the users and to
create a bright future for this mode of
transportation.
SYSTEMS OF
RAILWAYS
The Railways can be provided on,
above the below the ground
surface, suiting to the area.
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There are, therefore, the
following four systems of
Railways :-
1. Surface railways;
2. Elevated railways;
3. Under ground railways; 34
 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 36
constructed.
3) Under ground railways :- The
railways provided just below
ground level are called “low
level or underground
railways”. 37
Advantages :-
i. This system provides rapid
and unobstructed
transportation.
ii. This system helps in reducing
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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.
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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.
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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 ; 42
43
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 44
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. 45
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 46
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 47
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. 48
repairs and renewals of any of its
portion can be carried out
without any difficulty.

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Thank
You.