Why Do Railway Tracks Have Stones?

You have almost certainly seen the seemingly unending mounds of stones that border the railway tracks on any train ride. They could appear to be typical stones at first view, but if you routinely travel trains. You may have observed that the texture and shape of those stones are essentially the same everywhere you go, irrespective of the nation in which you are travelling. What is the rationale behind that? Why are the railway tracks of our planet lined with such ordinary rocks? Why do railway tracks have stones?

Track ballast refers to the crushed stone used to line train tracks. More specifically, the track bed on which railway track ties or sleepers are installed is made up of the track ballast. All around the railway track ties, underneath them and in between them are jam-packed these stones. Depending on specific factors relating to the railway tracks geographic location. The track ballast thickness typically ranges between 25 and 30 cm. Although burned clay or other less desirable options are occasionally employed. Track ballast typically comprises of broken pebbles or stone. It's crucial to realize that you can't simply toss some pebbles on a railway track and call it a day. The stones used as railway track ballast all have distinctive sizes, shapes and textures. They have a rough surface and jagged edges for a good reason. These rocks are stable, because they are interlocked with one another. They would slide over one another and weaken the track ballast, if you replaced them with sphere-shaped or slick rocks. This can have disastrous effects, as you might expect. Steel and other metallic components that are prone to corrosion and rust are used to make railway tracks. Since they are continually exposed to the elements, including the sun intense heat, rain, vegetation and general deterioration. The protection of the railway track is the main objective of track ballast. It achieves this in a variety of ways that are discussed below.

1. Keeps the sleepers in position

Every day numerous trains, including both passenger and freight trains travel along railway tracks. It follows that the constant strain and tension those tracks must endure is not surprising. The sleepers are held in place by the track ballast, preventing longitudinal or lateral movement when large trains pass over them. Without track ballast, passing trains might eventually cause the sleepers to give way.

2. Load balancing

Trains are incredibly heavy, putting a ton of pressure on the sleepers and tracks. The jagged stones in the track ballast interlock with one another. In this manner, the enormous load applied to the track and sleepers is dispersed equally by the track ballast.

3. Vibration inhibiting

The vibrations produced by a moving train are dampened by the track ballast. The stones in the track ballast create a cushioning effect that improves the comfort of train passengers. Pay special attention to how you feel when a train travels over a section of railway track without track ballast the next time you ride in a train to test this.

4. Drainage

It's crucial to prevent rain or water clogs from flooding railway tracks. Additionally, helpful in this regard is track ballast. It stops water from backing up or gathering on the sleepers or surrounding them. Without it, water would build up on the tracks, causing their metallic components to rust quickly.

5. Prevents undergrowth around the tracks

However, we all appreciate expanses of land covered in lush vegetation, including trees and plants. The strength of a railroad track can be severely weakened by vegetative growth. It is crucial that there be no weeds, grass or plants growing next to the rails. The stones in the ballast of the track significantly help to keep out vegetation that would weaken the track's strength and structure.

6. Noise reduction

For those standing outside the train, the noise from a moving train can be rather incredibly loud. The track ballast crushed stones have a bigger surface area than a level plane, which substantially helps with noise absorption. Trains are audibly louder when they move along rails without track ballast.

7. Minimizes heat growth

Railway tracks often enlarge in the summer, because of the heat. The effectiveness and safety of the track are ensured by track ballast, which helps restrict this heat expansion to a safe level. As you can see, track ballast improves passenger comfort while also shielding the railway track and its sleepers from the elements and the pressure of a running train. When you look at such stones, you could assume that they will remain in the tracks for all time without being moved. That's not exactly accurate, though the efficiency of the ballast will be hampered if it is excessively covered in mud or dirt. It may result in debris building up between the stones, which would significantly affect its drainage.

 

Track ballast needs routine upkeep and cleaning, just like railway track. On occasion, fresh piles of crushed stones are used to replace the original stones. The amount of manual effort needed is decreased by the use of equipment known as "ballast cleaners" that are specifically designed for cleaning track ballast. It's astonishing how a group of seemingly unrelated stones can support a global business that touches the lives of millions of people.