The construction of railway tracks involves three main stages: earthwork to prepare the formation, plate laying which involves laying rails and sleepers, and ballast laying. Earthwork establishes embankments or cuttings depending on the topography. Plate laying uses different methods like the tramline method to lay tracks parallel to existing lines. Ballast is spread using ballast trains after the formation has settled, and is packed using shovels. Re-laying of tracks follows similar stages and preparation of material schedules.

1. RAILWAY TRACK CONSTRUCTION

2. CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY TRACKS
The constructionof Railway track can be divided into three stages.
1. Earthwork
2. Plate laying
3. Laying of ballast

3. EARTH WORK .
The formation may be in an
embankment or a cutting
depending upon the general
topography of the area.
A formation in an embankment is
normally preferred from the point
of view of good drainage.
The height of embankment
above highest water in the area
should be at least 60 cm.

4. WIDTH OF FORMATION
GAUGE TYPES OF FORMATION WIDTH OF FORMATION(m)
Single line Double line
BG Embankment 6.10 10.82
Cutting 5.40 10.21
MG Embankment 4.88 8.84
Cutting 4.27 8.23

5. PLATE- LAYING
• The operation of laying out of the rails and sleepers over the ready
formation is known as plate laying.
• The point from where the laying of track starts is known as the base and the
point upon which the new track is carried out is known as the rail head.
Methods of plate laying
1. Tramline method or side method
2. Telescopic method
3. American method

6. TRAMLINE METHOD
Used when new track is laid next to
the existing track.
For plate laying of new track, either
of the following two methods may
be adopted.
In this method all the materials are
taken from the central depot in
material trains on the existing track
and are spread on the formation of
new track.

7. TELESCOPIC
METHOD
This method is used very widely in India
1)The material are transported in material
train to the farthest point of new track and
unloaded.
2)These materials are then transported to the
point where work is in progress and different
components of track are assembled here.
3)In all 5 operations are involved in telescopic
method.

8. AMERICAN METHOD
• This method involves all mechanical work
• This method consists of fixing rails to the
sleepers and lifting the whole unit by heavy
cranes.
• First one is linked with the rail head, then the
train moves ahead by one rail length and the
same procedure is repeated.
• This method is un-economical one and is not
used in India

9. LAYING OF BALLEST
• The ballast is normally spread on the railway lines
after the embankment has settled well and at least
two monsoons have passed over it.
• The work of spreading the ballast is done by means of
ballast trains, which have special hoppers through
which the ballast can automatically unloaded onto the
track. be
• Alternatively, ballast is loaded in wagons of the train
and then unloaded at the site into a number of heaps
at suitable intervals along the track.
• Then packing of ballast is done by the workers by
means of shovels
Ballast laying vehicle

10. RE-LAYING OF TRACKS
Method of re-laying:
Work of relaying the track is normally divided into the
following stages:
(i)Preliminary work:
To prepare schedule of materials per 100m length or
per km of the track.
The entire quantity is collected at the central store,
from which day to day requirements is drawn