Railway track consists of several key elements to support safe and comfortable train travel. The track is laid on a prepared foundation and supported by ballast and sleepers. Rails are precisely aligned on top to provide a smooth ride. Turnouts allow trains to switch between tracks at junctions. Railway stations are where trains stop to collect and drop off passengers and cargo. Their design and layout must efficiently accommodate passenger and freight movement.

1. TOPIC
Layout and construction of a
railway track and railway station

2. RAILWAYTRACK
Track is the base upon which the railway runs. To
give a train a good ride, the track alignment must
be set to within a millimeter of the design. Track
design and construction is part of a complex and
multi-disciplinary engineering science involving
earthworks, steelwork, timber and suspension
systems the infrastructure of the railway.

3. ModernTrack forms
• There are now a range of modern track forms using a concrete
base. They are generally used in special locations such as
tunnels or bridges where a rigid base is required to ensure track
stability in relation to the surrounding structures. This type of
track, usually called "slab track" or "non-ballasted" track

4. Ballasted vs Non-BallastedTrack
• The basic argument for different track designs will be based on the
bottom line cost; cost of installation and cost of maintenance. There
are however, other issues such as environment noise, dust and
vibration or engineering issues such as space, location, climate and the
type of service intended for the track.
• There are a wide variety of track forms and systems incorporating
some form of concrete base or support which doesn't need
ballast. Almost all of these require less depth of construction than
ballasted track. However, the accuracy of installation must be higher
than that needed for ballasted track. Slab track will not be adjusted
after installation but ballast can be packed to align track as required.

5. Elements of railway track
Railway track consists of the following elements:
(1) Sub-structure
Track is the most obvious part of a railway rout but there is a
sub-structure supporting the track which is equally as important
in ensuring a safe and comfortable ride for the train and its
passengers. This part of the road consists of two main elements,
Formation
Ballast

6. Elements of railway track
Formation:
The formation is the ground upon which the track will be
laid. It can be the natural ground level or "grade" or it can
be an embankment or cutting. It is important that the
formation is made of the right materials and is properly
compacted to carry the loads of passing trains. It provides
a smooth and uniform bed on which the track is laid.

7. Elements of railway track
Ballast:
The track itself is supported on "ballast", made up of stones
usually granite or in the US, basalt below which is a layer of
sand, which separates it from the formation. Ballast is provided
to give support, load transfer and drainage to the track and there
by keep water away from the rails and sleepers. Ballast must
support the weight of the track and the considerable cyclic
loading of passing trains. Ballast is made up of stones of
granite. Ballast will be laid to a depth of 9 to 12 inches .

8. Elements of railway track
2- Sleepers:
Traditionally, sleepers (known as ties in the US) are
wooden are used transverse support for a railway to give
stiffness to it. They can be softwood or hardwood. Most in
the UK are softwood, although London Underground uses
a hardwood called Jarrah wood

9. Types of sleepers
Depending upon the material used for their manufacture, the
sleepers can be divided into the following categories
• Wooden sleepers
• Steel sleepers
• Cast iron sleepers
• Concrete sleepers

10. Types of sleepers
 wooden sleepers:
Advantages:
 Wooden sleepers are the ideal type of sleeper. Hence they
are universally used.They can be softwood or hardwood.
They are easy to cut and drill and used to be cheap and
plentiful. They absorb shocks and vibrations better than
other types of sleepers.

11. Wooden sleepers
Disadvantages:
They are easily liable to attack by vermin and
weather. Hence their life is lesser than other type of
sleepers and also susceptible to fire.
Their maintenance cost is highest in comparison to other
type of sleepers.Their useful life is short about 12 to 15
years.

12. Concrete sleepers
• Concrete is the most popular of the new types . Concrete
sleepers are much heavier than wooden ones, so they resist
movement better. They work well under most conditions
but there are some railways which have found that they do
not perform well under the loads of heavy haul freight
trains. They offer less flexibility and are alleged to crack
more easily under heavy loads with stiff ballast. They also
have the disadvantage that they cannot be cut to size for
turnouts and special trackwork.

13. Steel sleepers
Steel sleepers are also now used on more lightly used
roads, but they are regarded as suitable only where speeds
are 100 mi/h or less.it is more durable than other types of
sleepers and its life peried about 35-40 years. It is not
susceptible to vermin attack and fire and also easily
manufectureable.But there are also demarits,such as It is
liable to corrosion and Fittings required are greater in
number.

14. Elements of railway track
3- Rails:
Rail is an iron beam.it has a wide base or "foot" and
narrower top or "head". The UK introduced a type of rail
which was not used elsewhere apart from a few UK
designed railways. This was known as "Bullhead" rail and
is shown in comparison with the standard type in the
diagram.

15. Types of rails
Rails can be classified into the following categories:
• Bull headed rail
• Flat footed rail

16. RailWelding
• Modern trackwork uses long welded rail lengths to provide
a better ride, reduce wear, reduce damage to trains and
eliminate the noise associated with rail joints. Rail
welding is a complex art (or science) depending on how
you feel about it. There are two main types of welding
used for rails: Thermit welding and Flash Butt welding.

17. Gauging
• The line of route has to be checked from time to time to
ensure that the structures are not interfering with the
gauge. A line is always gauged when a new type of rolling
stock is to be introduced. It is important to see that the
small variations in track position, platform edge, cable duct
location and signal equipment hasn't been allowed to creep
inwards during maintenance and
renewalprogrammes.

18. Monuments and Datum Plates
• Along the line of route various locations are marked by a
fixed post in the track or a plate on a near by structure to
indicate the correct level or position of the track. These
are called monuments or datum plates. Measurements are
taken from these to confirm the correct position of the
track.

19. Curves
• Curves in the track are almost a science on their own. Careful
calculations are required to ensure that curves are designed and
maintained properly and that train speeds are allowed to reach a
reasonable level without causing too much lateral stress on the
track or inducing a derailment. There are both vertical curves
and horizontal curves. There is also a section of track on either
side of a curve known as the transition, where the track is
changing from straight to a curve or from a curve of one radius
to one of another radius.

20. Cant
• Cant is the name used to describe the cross level angle of
track on a curve, which is used to compensate for lateral
forces generated by the train as it passes through the
curve. In effect, the sleepers are laid at an angle so that the
outer rail on the curve is at a higher level than the inner
rail. In the US, it is known as superelevation. Cant is
measured either in degrees or in linear dimensions. On
standard gauge track 150 mm or 6 ins. of cant is equal to 6
degrees.

21. Turnouts
• I have used the word "turnout" to describe the junctions in
trackwork where lines diverge or converge so as to avoid
"points" (UK) or "switches" (US). A turnout consists of a
number of parts as follows:
The moving part of the turnout is the switch "blade" or "point",
one for each route. The two blades are fixed to each other by a
tie bar to ensure that when one is against its stock rail, the other
is fully clear and will provide room for the wheel flange to pass
through cleanly. Either side of the crossing area, wing and
check rails are provided to assist the guidance of the wheelsets
through the crossing.

22. Types of turnouts
• There are a number of standard layouts or types of
turnouts, as shown in the following diagrams.

23. Crossings
• The crossing can be cast or fabricated. Rails are usually
made of steel with a large iron content but a little
manganese is added to crossings and some heavily used
rails to increase resistance to wear. Below is a photo of an
example of a cast manganese crossing. A crossing is also
sometimes referred to as a "frog".

24. Switch crossing
• A switched crossing (sometimes referred to as a swing nose crossing or
moveable frog) will normally be provided for turnouts with a very
acute angle. The crossing will have a powered element which will be
set for the required route at the same time as the switch blade is set.
• The blades of a turnout are normally moved remotely using an
electrically operated point machine. The machine contains the
contacts which confirm the points are moved and locked in the correct
position for the route set. Point machines are normally located to one
side of the track but a new generation of machines is now appearing
where the mechanism is contained in a sleeper fitting between the rails.

25. Route Signalling
• Signalling in the UK has always used the principle of
"route signalling" as opposed to the "speed signalling"
philosophy adopted by European and US railways. This
means that drivers of a British train will be shown which
route a train will take when it proceeds past a signal
protecting a diverging junction.

26. RAILWAY STATION
Introduduction:
There was a time (in the UK at least) when the word
"station" would only ever be taken to refer to a railway
station. For some reason, nowadays people insist on
referring to a station as a "train station“ as if there was any
other sort of station. Whatever it is called, the station can
often be a neglected part of the railway scene but they are
the usually first point of contact the passenger has with the
system.

27. Station
• Stations are the places where trains stop to collect and
deposit passengers. It should therefore be well designed,
pleasing to the eye (photo left), comfortable and
convenient for the passenger as well as efficient in layout
and operation. Stations must be properly managed and
maintained and must be operated safely.

28. Station and Crossing Safety:
• There are two differing views about passenger safety at
stations which have dictated station design for the last 150
years or more. For most of the world, it has been assumed
that passengers will take care of their own safety when
walking on or near a railway. Because of this, it is not
considered necessary to segregate passengers from trains.

29. Platforms:
• The term platform is worth explaining. In the US, the position
of a train in a station is referred to as the "track" as in "The train
for San Diego is on Track 9". This is very logical as the raised
portion of the ground next to the track is actually the platform
and may well be used by passengers boarding a train on a track
along the opposite edge of the platform. For this reason, the
British way of referring to the "Train at Platform 4", referring to
the platform "face", sometimes confuses foreign visitors, who
see two trains, one on each side of the platform.

30. Entrances and Exits:
• Station entrances and exits must be designed to allow for
the numbers of passengers passing through them, both
under normal and emergency conditions. Specific
emergency exit requirements are outlined in many
countries as part of safety legislation or to standards set
down by the railways or other organisations.

31. Passenger Information:
• Information systems on stations are variously referred to
as a Passenger Information System (sometimes referred to
as PIS) or Passenger Information Display
(PID). Professional railway staff often refer to them as
Train Describers. One of the most common complaints by
passengers on railways is the lack of up to date and
accurate information. When asking the staff for
information, passengers expect an accurate and courteous
response with the latest data.

32. Station Design:
• The design of stations has developed over the years as the
use of railways has first expanded and latterly declined. A
new form of station design has also evolved with the
introduction of metros and high capacity urban railways.
• On a railway which requires passengers to be in possession
of a valid ticket or authority to travel whilst on the
property, the station area is divided into an "unpaid area"
and a "paid area", to denote the parts where passengers
should be in possession of a valid ticket.

33. Side Platform Station:
• The basic station design used for a double track railway
line has two platforms, one for each direction of
travel. Each platform has a ticket office and other
passenger facilities such as toilets and perhaps a
refreshment or other concession.

34. Island Platform Station:
• A cheaper form of station construction, at least for a
railway at grade level, is the island platform. As its name
suggests, this is a single platform serving two tracks
passing on either side, effectively creating an island which
can only be accessed by crossing a track. A bridge or
underpass is usually provided. Island platforms are usually
wider than single platforms used for side platform stations
but they still require less area.

35. Elevated Station with Side
Platforms:
• Elevated railways are still popular in cities, despite their
history of noise creation and generally unfriendly
environmental image. The poor image has been
considerably reduced with modern techniques of sound
reduction and the use of reinforced and pre-stressed
concrete structures. They are considerably cheaper than
underground railways and can be operated with reduced
risk of safety.

36. Elevated Station withTicket Hall
Below Platforms:
• The ticket office and gate lines are below the platform
level. This can be done to allow one ticket office to serve both
platforms but it requires the space to be available below track
level and this, in turn, requires enough height in the
structure. Since many stations are built at road intersections, the
location of the station structure might have to permit road traffic
to pass beneath it and this requires an adequate height structure
to be built. It is sometimes better to position the structure to one
side of the road intersection to allow room below for the ticket
office.

37. Lifts and Escalators:
• Vertical transportation at stations in city environments and
on urban railways is almost as important as the horizontal
transportation provided by the trains. Any station not
easily accessible on the surface and which requires stairs,
will nowadays, require lifts for the disabled. Stations with
a height difference between levels of more than 4 to 5
metres will probably need escalators as well - certainly in
the up direction.

38. Junction signals:
• This pair of stop signals protects a pair of diverging
routes. The lower signal is "off", indicating that the
diverging route to the left of the two is set and locked and
the train may proceed along that route. The position of the
two semaphore arms was often arranged so that one was
lower than the other to indicate a slower route, usually
because of a curve.

39. Sources
• RAILWAY TRACK by Dan McNaughton, Simon Lowe and
Mike Brotzman
• www.railway-technical.com/stations.shtml
• www.railway-technical.com/sigtxt1.shtml
• www.railway-technical.com/
• Railway Age; Modern Railways; International Railway
Journal; Railway Gazette International; Mass Transit; Trains
Magazine.