CHAROENWONG , Chonlatis

A primary function of railway ballast is to maintain vertical track geometry, however over time it becomes contaminated with fines which reduce its ability to free-drain. Then, in the presence of moisture, the individual particles have greater scope for rearrangement thus leading to increased track settlement. This behaviour has received...

Concrete slab railway tracks typically have higher initial capital costs yet lower operational costs in comparison to ballasted tracks. One reason for the elevated operational costs on ballasted lines is the need for more frequent maintenance (e.g. tamping to maintain track geometry). Therefore on higher linespeed routes where maintenance...