2. MAINTENANCE
Railway maintenance by tradition has always been
decided by empirical methods.
This has worked well in the past with an abundant
supply of well trained human resources ensuring
that the track was kept to a high standard.
In today’s railway age there is a shortage of human
resources in numbers and skills necessary to
maintain the track for high speed and heavy axle
load trains to run efficiently.
Railways are increasingly reducing maintenance
cost.
3. Why Track Maintenance ?
What is Track Maintenance
Cycle?
What quality of track we are
aiming at? TQI, SD
What is Tamping Cycle?
What is Annual Cycle of
Maintenance?
5. Summary of European Railway
Standards
Standard Deviation (mm) Peak Value (mm)
Vert Lat. Vert Lat.
Plan Urgent Plan Urgent Plan Urgent Plan Urgent
BR 2.7 4.6 1.9 3.2 +6
-12
20 11 25
SNCF 2.1 --- --- --- 12 16 --- ---
DB 1.5 2.1 1.4 1.9 10 14 10 14
SBB 1.9 --- 1.2 --- --- --- --- ---
9. Calendar Based Maintenance?
- Systematic Manual Through
Packing
-Systematic end to end tamping
-Systematic haunch cleaning
cum through packing
-Systematic overhauling of
track and turnouts
10. Calendar Based Maintenance?
- Systematic USFD testing of rails
and weld joints
-Systematic destressing of CWR
-Systematic creep pulling and
gap adjustment in welded track
-Systematic oiling and greasing
of fish plated joints
11. Calendar Based Maintenance?
- Systematic inspection of track and
recording of track tolerances and
correction of defects
-Systematic clearing of track side
drains
-Systematic clearing of vent way in
bridges and culverts (waterways)
- Systematic inspection of tunnels,
Infringements, platform clearances
12. Calendar Based Maintenance?
- Systematic inspection of bridges,
and track on bridges
-Systematic inspection in electrified
sections
-Systematic joint inspection of
turnouts and track circuit portions
along with Signaling Staff
13. Difference types of tools for
Maintenance?
-Beaters, Crowbars and Track
Jacks
-Measured Shovel Packing (MSP)
-Off track tamping machines
-Small Track Machines
-Heavy Duty On-track machines
19. Standard Operating
Procedures
Method Statement for Track
Maintenance Works
Roles and responsibilities
Safety at work site
Ty. Speed restrictions
Do’s and Don’ts
Track Maintenance
20. 1. What track structure
railway want to adopt
and why?
2. What is the maximum
operating speed and
axle load
Track Maintenance and Track
Structure
21. 1. Maintenance to ensure
Track Geometry
Integrity
2. Maintenance to ensure
Track Component
Integrity
Track Maintenance
24. Important Chapters
CHAPTER TITLE
7 TRACK RECORDING SYSTEMS
AND TRACK TOLERANCES
15 WORS PLANNING
16 TRACK MAINTENANCE SYSTEM
20 WELDED RAILS & MAINTENANCE
21 REALIGNMENT OF CURVES
25. Important Chapters
CHAPTER TITLE
22 RAIL DEFECTS AND
RECTIFICATION
30 DUTIES OF DISTRICT ENGINEER
31 DUTIES OF PWI
32 DUTIES OF GANGER
34 TRACK MAINTENANCE
OPERATIONS
26. Important Chapters
CHAPTER TITLE
35 INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
OF SWITCHES AND CROSSINGS
36 INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
OF BRIDGES
38 PRECAUTION BEFORE AND
DURING RAINY SEASON
39 ACCIDENTS
40 EXECUTION OF WORKS, SPEED
RESTRICTIONS
27. Important Chapters
CHAPTER TITLE
41 LEVEL CROSSINGS AND GATEMEN
42 PATROLLING OF RAILWAY LINES
43 WORKING OF TROLLEYS
44 WORKING OF SELF PROPOLLED
ON-TRACK MACHINES
45 SCHEDULE OF INSPECTIONS
46 SAFETY ON TRACK
28. 1. What is Track Memory?
2. What is Track Modulus?
3. What is the residual life
or track components?
How do we understand
the above?
Track Memory, Ballast Modulus
30. In general high rate of track geometry
deterioration in individual areas can be
easily detected such as:
1. Singular features –approach to bridges
2. Local geometry faults present from the
start
3. Sub-layers of inferior quality formation
(weak sub-grade)
4. Welds of inferior quality
31. The rate of track geometry deterioration
is a function of traffic carried in
mm/MGT or of time in mm/year.
If we don’t include quick settlement and
rapid deterioration of track immediately
after tamping, the rate of geometry
deterioration is in general linear
between the two maintenance
operations.
32. Various trends of gradually deteriorating track
quality
0
1
2
3
σ
mm
1 2 3 4
Time in Years
33. 0
1
2
3
σ
mm
1 2 3 4
Time in Years
Various trends of gradually improving track
quality
35. Time in Months or Years
Construction Tolerance
Maintenance Tolerance
Safety Tolerance
SD
in
mm
Tamping/Maintenance Cycle
Track
Memory
36. Track Quality Behaviour Over
Time
Track quality obeys an e-function
Q(t) = Qo ebt
Q(t): Quality evolution over time
Qo : Initial quality
b : Rate of deterioration
It is demonstrated (OBB- Austrian Railway)
there are no maintenance measures capable
of returning track to its initial state
37. Track Quality Behaviour Over
Time
Since no maintenance measures is capable of
returning track to its initial state, it is
important to start off with the highest
possible standards and using life cycle cost
as a reference for future maintenance.
39. Frequent
Tamping
0
1
2
3
σ
mm
1 2 3 4
Time in Years
Shorter than normal maintenance cycle
Solution:
1. Track
Rehabilitation
2. Ballast Cleaning
40. 2.0 Track Modulus
or Ballast Modulus
Bulk Density and Specific Gravity of
Ballast Layer
Dynamic Track Stabilization
Crib and Shoulder Compaction of
Ballast
41.
42. 3.0 Residual life of Track
Components
Ballast
Rail
Sleeper
Fastenings
Weld Joints
Turnouts
43. High Speed Line Maintenance- How is it managed ?
Belgium Experience (SNCB)
There are a number of aspects that should be borne in mind:
Choice of line layout if possible on the basis of technical
criteria (Curve radius, gradient etc.)
Involvement of maintenance personnel in the construction
phase to supervise the quality of work done and ensure
staff training
Allowance of sufficient time to conduct maintenance
operations (Traffic block)
Provision of the requisite tools and maintenance equipment
such as:
1. Tamper-levellers-liners and ballast regulator for plain track
and switch gear
44. High Speed Line Maintenance- How is it managed?
2. Multipurpose OHL maintenance vehicle
3. Survey equipment
4. Welding set
5. Rail cutting machine
6. Ultrasonic control equipment
7. Generator set etc
The following activities can be contracted out:
1. Vegetation control
2. Rail grinding
3. Drain clearance
45. High Speed Line Maintenance- How is it managed?
4. track and over head line geometry inspection
5. embankment consolidation
6. Weed killing
7. OHL Installation train
8. Track circuit measurements
The aim of maintenance is to be constantly aware of the
status, behaviour and possible developments in the different
installations, it is important that they should be kept under
careful supervision
The foot patrols are absolutely essential for the earliest
possible detection of infrastructure defects. Such patrols have
to operate by day.
46. Foot inspection reports are combined with the results of other
inspections using recording vehicles:
• Track geometry and OHL inspections
• Ultrasonic testing
• Measurement of acceleration in bogies and vehicle bodies
etc.
47. SNCB SCHEDULE OF INSPECTIONS ON HIGH SPEED LINE
Description Duration
Foot Patrol running track 1x/10 Weeks
Foot Patrol switch gear 1x/2 Weeks
Immediate surroundings 1x/5 Weeks
Track recording vehicles:
Inspection from drivers cab 1x/2 Weeks
Track geometric recording 1x/3 Months
Recording of acceleration in bogie and
body of the vehicle
1x/2 Weeks
USFD Test for rails and welds 1x/after 5
years of train
operation
48. SNCB SCHEDULE OF INSPECTIONS ON HIGH SPEED LINE
Description Duration
Points control checks 1x/4 Weeks
Examination of safety critical track
dimensions
1x/6 Months
In-depth examination of safety critical
track dimensions
1x/1 Year
On the basis of the results of the various
inspections the technical teams decide on the
maintenance programme
49. SNCB SCHEDULE OF INSPECTIONS ON HIGH SPEED LINE
Maintenance Programme
R-1 Scheduled maintenance of critical points
(switch gear)
R-2 Scheduled track maintenance
R-3 Scheduled partial track maintenance
After 5 years of experience in high speed line maintenance
(speed > 220 km/h revenue design speed 300 km/h) SNCB
say: “efficient high speed line maintenance means meticulous
attention to details at all times.”
50. DSB –Danish State Railway
Philosophy in Maintenance
1 High reliability in train operation
2 Reduction in reserve materials (Inventory)
3 Long life span – residual life
4 Better economy
5 A good image for DSB:
Precision
Service
Frequency
Comfort
6 Well motivated staff
51. Austrian Federal Railway
Philosophy in Maintenance
1 The key to success is clearly to start with the
highest possible quality standards
2 The general goal of maintenance strategies is to
extend the service life of track superstructure
while avoiding recourse to speed restrictions
3 By defining track quality mathematically it is
possible using forecasting techniques to
estimate:
Service life that can be achieved
Degree of maintenance necessary to meet the
demands of traffic, speed and axle load
52. Austrian Federal Railway
Philosophy in Maintenance
4 Application in the form of adaptations to the
maintenance regulations and nationwide training
for the staff employed in the railway maintenance
departments
5 Speed restrictions on track is extremely
uneconomical
