This document discusses the components and functions of permanent way and track for railways. It includes: 1. The layers of the track structure including rails, sleepers, ballast, and sub-ballast which form the track bed and distribute load to reduce stress on the subgrade. 2. Details of rails, sleepers, ballast, and gauge and their purposes in guiding trains, bearing loads, maintaining alignment, and allowing for drainage. 3. Rail fastenings like fish plates and bolts which hold rails to sleepers to distribute load over a large area and firmly attach rails.

1. PERMANENT WAY + TRACK
FOUNDATION
RAILWAY TRACK

2. PERMANENT
WAY
PLAIN
TRACK
SPECIAL
TRACK

5. POINTS &
CROSSINGSTo Guide The Vehicle For Directional
Change

6. Switch expansion joints (SEJ) are provided at the ends of long
welded rails to allow for the cumulative thermal expansion
movements of the ends of the rails

8. 1. RAILS TRACK STRUCTURE
2. SLEEPERS
3. BALLAST
4. FASTENINGS
PERMANENT WAY

9. TRACK FOUNDATION & PERMANENT WAY
DIAGRAM

10. The "track bed" is the layers of ballast and
sub-ballast above a prepared
subgrade/formation (see diagram). It is
designed primarily to reduce the stress on
the subgrade.
The trackbed can significantly influence the
performance of the track, especially ride
quality of passenger service

11. GAUGE
 The perpendicular distance between the inner
faces of heads of the two rails forming the track is
known as the ‘Gauge’.
 Broad Gauge - 1676 MM
 Meter Gauge - 1000 MM
 Narrow Gauge - 762 MM OR 610
MM
 Broad gauge is known as Indian standard gauge.
 The WORLD standard gauge is 1483MM.

12. RAILS
 Rails are continuous girders which carry the axle
load.
 Functions:-Provides
 Hard and smooth surface for the wheels of a train
to roll on
 Bears lateral stress and vertical loads due to
breaking and thermal stresses.
 Transmit load to the formation through sleepers
and ballast.

13. Types of Rails-
 Double headed rails
 Bull headed rails &
 Flat footed rail or Vignoles rails(Invented by
CHARLETS VIGNOLES)
95% of the railway track in the world laid with this form
of rails.
Classification According to Size:
1.60KG Rails
2.52KG Rails
3.90R

14. FLAT FOOTED RAIL & BULL-
HEADED RAIL

15. DOUBLE HEADED RAIL

16. Manufacture of Rails:-
Most commonly used alloy steels are:
 1.Medium manganese steel
 2.High Manganese steel
 3.Chromium Steel
Standard Lengths of Rails are:
 12.8 M for B.G
 11.89 M for M.G

17. SLEEPERS:
 Sleepers are transverse ties in a Railway Track
 Functions:
 To support the rails firmly and evenly
 To maintain gauge correctly
 To transfer the load from rails to ballast
 To maintain alignment of the track

18. Types of Sleepers:
1. Timber or Wooden sleepers
2. Steel Sleepers
3. Cast Iron Sleepers
4. R.C.C Sleepers
Classification according to the size:
60 Kg 2.74 m x 25 cm x 13 cm on
BG
52 Kg

19. BALLAST
 Broken stone or any other suitable material
placed below and around the sleepers.
Functions: Provides
1. Provides Hard and level bed for the sleepers to
rest on
2. Provides to hold sleepers in position
3. Provides Elasticity to the track
4. To drain away the rain water and prevent its
percolation into the formation

20. FORMATION
 Distribute the load of traffic from the sleepers to
the formation without
 Progressive settlement
 Permit drainage of the track
 Prevent lateral movement of the track
 Prevent longitudinal movement of the track, and
 Afford a convenient medium for packing the track
to cross level and

21. Rail fastenings:
 Fish Plates and Fish Bolts
 Spikes and hook Bolts
 Chairs and keys
 Bearing Plates
Functions:
 Distribute the load coming on rails to the sleepers
over a large area.
 To hold Rails to the sleepers firmly