Bangladesh Railway started in 1862 with a 53 km broad gauge line. It now has over 2900 km of track with both meter gauge and broad gauge lines. The railway network connects 43 districts and is an important mode of transportation. Track consists of rails, sleepers, fittings and ballast laid on a prepared formation. Rails are joined by fish plates and bolted to sleepers. Ballast distributes loads and provides drainage. The master plan aims to upgrade tracks and convert more lines to broad gauge over the next two decades.

1. 1
INTRODUCTION TO
RAILWAY ENGINEERING
Al Fattah Masudur Rahman
Joint Director General (Engineering)
Bangladesh Railway

2. 2
History of Bangladesh Railway
 BANGLADESH RAILWAY, covering a
length of 2,929.50 route-kilometre
managed by 25,226 regular staff, is
Government-owned and Government
managed transportation agency of the
country.
 43 civil districts of Bangladesh are connected via
railways.
 Bangladesh Railway started it operation in 15
November 1862 by constructing 53.11 km broad
gauge line between Darsana and Jagoti, extended
upto Goalando Ghat in 1871.
14.98 km meter gauge line between Dhaka-
Narayanganj was opened for traffic on 4th January
1885.
 In 1891, the construction of then Assam-Bengal
Railway was taken by the Assam-Bangla Railway
Company.
 On 1 July 1895, two sections of meter gauge lines
were opened between Chittagong & Cumilla (149.89
km) and between Laksam & Chandpur (50.89 km)
 Railway Companies formed in England took up the
construction and operation of these sections in
middle and late 19th century.

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History of Bangladesh Railway
 In middle and late 19th century.
Bangladesh Railway was mostly inherited
from the British-established Assam Bengal
railway system after the partition of India in
1947.
 At present Bangladesh Railway has 2929.50
route-kilometers with 460 Stations.
 Bangladesh Railway's headquarter were located in
Chittagong, which had historically been the south-
eastern terminus of the Assam-Bengal Railway.
 After independence from Pakistan in 1971, It was
named as Bangladesh Railway (BR). Its Headquarter is
in Dhaka.
 A major road cum rail bridge (Bangabandhu
Bridge) over the river Jamuna opened in 1998 to
connect the previously isolated east and west rail
networks.

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IMPORTANCE OF RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION
 RAILWAY IS THE BEST MODE OF TRANSPORTATION TO CARRY
HEAVY LOAD.
 AVAILABLE IN ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY.
 CAN PASS HUGE PASSENGER.
 POPULAR IN COMMERCIAL COMPANY.
 LESS RISK.
 JOURNEY IS RESONABLE.

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RAIL ROUTE IN
BANGLADESH

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Railway Master Plan
 Bangladesh Railway (BR) completed revision of its masterplan with an investment
proposal of BDT 5.10 trillion until 2045 in five phases for making the railway efficient for
passenger and freight servicing.
 The plan activities include projects for increasing efficiency of the rail track, its
gradual upgrade and conversion from metre gauge to broad gauge through
transitional upgradation by converting into dual gauge, improving carriage and
locomotive maintenance capacity, developing institutional capacity, upscaling
significantly freight operational capacity and exploring prospects for introducing
electric trains or high-speed trains on some priority routes during the period

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LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF BANGLADESH RAILWAY : ACTS & RULES
 THE RAILWAYS ACT, 1890 (ACT NO. IX OF 1890).
 General & Subsidiary Rules of Bangladesh Railway
 Bangladesh Railway Way & Works Manual.
 Bangladesh Railway Engineering Code.
 Bangladesh Railway Operation Manual.
 Bangladesh Railway Accounts Code.

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Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known
as metro, subway, tube, U-Bahn or underground, is a type
of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban
areas. Unlike buses or trams, rapid transit systems
are electric railways that operate on an exclusive right-of-
way, which cannot be accessed by pedestrians or other
vehicles of any sort, and which is often grade
separated in tunnels or on elevated railways.
Different Types of Railway
 Conventional Railway : Train speed is less than 200 kmph
 High Speed Railway : Train Speed is equal or more than
200 kmph.
 Mass Rapid Transit:

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RAILWAY TRACK (PERMANENT WAY)
 Track or Permanent Way is the rail-road on which
trains run.
 It basically consists or two parallel rails having a
specified distance in between and fastened to
sleepers, which are embedded in a layer of ballast
of specified thickness spread over the formation.
 The rails are joined each other by fish plates and
bolts and these are fastened to the sleepers by
various fittings like keys and spikes etc.
 The sleepers are speed at a specified distance and
are held in position by embedding in ballast.

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 Ballasted track
A type of traditional railway track
which is commonly composed of rail,
sleepers, fasteners and ballast bed.
 Ballastless (Non-Ballasted) Track
A type of railway track which is
composed of rail, fasteners, tie and
reinforced concrete bed
RAILWAY TRACK (PERMANENT WAY)

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Track Gauge
 The Gauge of a railway track is
defined as the clear minimum
perpendicular distance between inner
faces of the two Rails.
 Gauge is measured between the
inner face of the two rails at a point
14 mm below the top of the rail.
 Different types of Gauge:
 Broad Gauge (BG) : 1676 mm (5’-6”)
 Meter Gauge (MG): 1000 mm (3’-
33/8 “)
 Narrow Gauge (NG) : 762 mm (2’-6”) ,
610 mm (2’-0”)
 Standard Gauge: 1435 mm (4’- 8½ “)

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Track Gauge
Factors affecting the choice of gauge:
1.Traffic Conditions.
2. Development of poor areas.
3. Cost of track.
4. Nature of country.

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ELEMENTS OF TRACK
 RAIL
 SLEEPERS
 FITTINGS & FASTENINGS
 SWITCHES & CROSSINGS
 BALLAST
 FORMATION
 SUBBALLAST
 SUBGRADE
 EMBANKMENT
FILLING/BED ROCK

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16.  Can be considered as steel girders for the purpose of
carrying loads
 Made up of high carbon steel to withstand wear and
tear
 Flat footed rails are mostly used in railway track
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17.  Rails provide hard, smooth and unchanging surface for
passage of heavy moving loads with minimum friction
between steel rail and steel wheel.
 Rails bear the stresses developed due to heavy vertical
loads, lateral and braking forces and thermal stresses.
 The rail material used is such that it gives minimum wear
to avoid replacement charges and failure due to wear.
 Rails transmit the loads to sleepers and consequently
reduce pressure on ballast and formation below
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18.  Rails should be designed for optimum nominal weight to
provide for the most efficient distribution of metal in its
various components
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19.  Double headed rails
 Bull headed rails
 Flat footed rails
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Long Welded Rail (LWR) is a welded
rail, the central part of which does not
undergo any longitudinal movement
due to temperature variations. A length
greater than 250 metre on Broad
Gauge (BG) and 500 metre on Metre
Gauge (MG) will normally function as
LWR
Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) is an
LWR, Distressing of, which may be
required to be carried out in parts.
Maximum length of CWR under Indian
conditions shall normally be restricted
to one black section
Short welded rail (SWR) is a welded rail,
which contracts and expands
throughout its length. Normally the
length of SWR is 3 X 12.8 metre

21.  The moving of number of wheels of train on rail
cause wear on rails
 Depending on location wear of rail can be:
◦ Wear of rails on top or head of rail
◦ Wear of rails at ends of rail
◦ Wear of rail on the sides of head of rail
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22.  Wear of rail on sharp curves can
be reduced by introducing check
rails all the way round the inner
rail and parallel to it
 Hold back flange of inner wheel
and prevents outer wheel to
damage outer rail
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23.  Lubricating oil on sides of head of rail
reduces wear
 Lubrication of rail joint allows free expansion
of rails & reduces wear & tear of fish plates
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25.  The flanges of wheel is never made flat, but they
are in the shape of cone with a slope of 1 in 20.
 The coning of wheels is mainly done to maintain
the vehicle in the central position with respect to
the track
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26.  To reduce wear & tear of the wheel flanges
and rails, which is due to rubbing action of
flanges with inside face of the rail head.
 To provide a possibility of lateral movement
of the axle with its wheels.
 To prevent the wheels from slipping to some
extent
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27.  At level surface
◦ Flanges of wheels have equal circumference
◦ Equal diameters on both rail
◦ Equal pressure on both rail
 At curves
◦ Outer rails has to cover great distance than inner rail
◦ Vehicle has tendency to move sideways towards outer rail
◦ Circumference of flange of outer wheel will be greater than
that of inner wheel
◦ Helps the outer wheel to cover longer distance than inner
rail
27

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29.  To minimize the disadvantages of coning
 Rails are tilted inwards
 Inclined base plates are used
 Slope of base plate is 1 in 20
Advantages
 Maintains gauge properly
 Wear of the head of rail is uniform due to tilting
of rails
 Increase life of sleepers as well as rails
29

30.  Longitudinal movement of rails in a track
 Rails have tendency to move gradually in the
direction of dominant traffic
Indications of creep
 Closing of successive expansion spaces at rail
joints in the direction of creep and opening out
of joints at the point from where creep starts
 Marks on flanges and webs of rails made by
spike heads by scratching as the rail slide
30

31.  Changes in temperature
 Unbalanced traffic
 Alignment of track
 Grade of track
 Type of rail
 Poor maintenance of track components
31

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 Ballast is provided to give support,
load transfer and drainage to the
track and thereby keep water away
from the rails and sleepers. Ballast
must support the weight of the track
and the cyclic loading of passing
trains considerable cyclic loading of
passing trains.

33. 33
Functions of Ballast
 To transfer and distribute the load from sleepers to a larger area
of formation.
 To provide elasticity and resilience to track for getting proper
riding comfort.
 To provide necessary resistance to track for longitudinal and
lateral stability.
 To provide effective drainage to track.
 To provide effective means of maintaining evenness and
alignment of the track.

34. 34
Functions of Ballast
 To transfer and distribute the load from sleepers to a larger area
of formation.
 To provide elasticity and resilience to track for getting proper
riding comfort.
 To provide necessary resistance to track for longitudinal and
lateral stability.
 To provide effective drainage to track.
 To provide effective means of maintaining evenness and
alignment of the track.

35. 35
Traditionally, sleepers are wooden. They can be softwood or hardwood. In
Bangladesh uses a hardwood. Sleepers are normally impregnated with
preservative and, under good conditions, They are easy to cut and drill and
used to be cheap and plentiful. Nowadays, they are becoming more
expensive and other types of materials have appeared, notably concrete and
steel. concrete and steel.

36. 36
The purpose of providing fitting &
fastening is to hold the rail in proper
position for the smooth running of
trains. This fitting & fastening join rail
with rail as well as fix the sleepers with
rail.
Type of fastening :
 Bearing Plate.
 Fish Plate
 Spike
 Hook bolt
 Fang bolt
 Chair and key etc

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TURN OUT
SWITCHES
Switches are mechanical devices
consisting of special crossties with
rails that permit a train to change
tracks and therefore, change direction.
Switches may be controlled either
manually or electronically

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54. 54
TYPE OF SIGNAL –
-ACCORDING TO FUNCTION
-ACCORDING TO LOCATION
-ACCORDING TO OPERATION
-SPECIAL SIGNAL

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57. 57
CROSS SECTION OF DOUBLE TRACK RAILWAY ALIGNMENT

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