Why There Is No Ballast on High Speed Rail Track?
Ballast Rail Track
Ballast refers to the gravel or crushed rock paved on the road or railway subgrade, it is mainly used in railway subgrade. Ballast is one of the main components in the railway transportation system, used to support the railway sleeper and rail track. Before laying tracks, a layer of ballast is needed to pave on the railway subgrade. The use of ballast is very available for water drainage and the track position adjustment. Rail ballast can distribute the pressure pushed by the sleepers, steel rail and vehicles, to the roadbed. It can reduce the vibration and noise caused by the train, increasing passengers ride comfort degree.
![ballast rail track](/uploads/allimg/ballast-rail-track.jpg)
![ballast rail track](/uploads/allimg/ballast-rail-track.jpg)
Function of Rail Ballast
- Distribute the pressure and shake when the vehicles passing by, keep the gauge invariant.
- Reduce the noise and improve the comfort of the passengers.
- Easy to drain water with good permeability.
The Disadvantages of Ballast Rail Track
1. Ballast Maintenance
It need to maintenance at regular time, replace and clean the ballast are the main work of the maintenance. Vehicles passing by bring shake of the rail track and the ballast, long time’s vibration may cause the subgrade soil squashing into the ballast, which will weaken the hardness of roadbed and lower the rail surface. So the maintenance of rail ballast is necessary for securing the normal movement of the vehicles.
It need to maintenance at regular time, replace and clean the ballast are the main work of the maintenance. Vehicles passing by bring shake of the rail track and the ballast, long time’s vibration may cause the subgrade soil squashing into the ballast, which will weaken the hardness of roadbed and lower the rail surface. So the maintenance of rail ballast is necessary for securing the normal movement of the vehicles.
2. Smoothness and the Splashing of Ballast on Rail Track.
The smoothness of ballast track can’t reach the smoothness degree of concrete monolithic track-bed. In addition, the sleeper is not fasten on the track bed rigidly, the steel rail under the vehicles may drive the sleepers to bend upwards when the vehicles passing by.
Why High Speed Rail Adopt No Ballast Rail Track?
With the development of railway technology, high speed rail is the main trend in the construction of railway. As we all know, there is ballast on normal rail track, however no ballast on high speed rail track, why?
![No ballast high speed rail track](/uploads/allimg/no-ballast-high-speed-rail-track.jpg)
- The maintenance time of normal rail road track and the ballast is usually at day time, and the maintenance work is carried during the operating line gap. The vehicles may limit the speed during the maintenance period. Because the speed of HSRs is high, limit the speed is impossible, the carry out of maintaining work is not so ideal as normal rail. It is reasonable to use concrete track instead of ballast track.
- The concrete track is smooth than the ballast track, so the noise is lower and the passengers can feel more comfortable and steady.
- Avoid ballast splashing, running on the concrete track can ensure the problem of no ballast splashing, securing normal movement of high speed rail.
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