Consider the following statements related to economic design of modern track:

1. Axle loading, possible weight reduction of the rolling stock and increase in number of axles should be rationalized.

2. Rail to sleeper fastenings for different type of sleepers at high speeds should have definite standards.

3. The weight of the sleeper and the rail may not be related to each other.

Which of the above statements are correct?

Explanation:

A modern track has to be rationalized in view of the following to achieve over-all economy on Indian Railways:

• Rail requirements, like quality of steel, design of rail-section and manufacturing process, should be rationalized so that the rail section can sustain the expected stresses due to rolling loads.
• Wheel diameter in relation to qualities of rail steel and steel of the wheel tyre should also be rationalized so as to keep Hertzian stresses within the endurance limits of the steel.
• Axle loading, possible weight reduction of the rolling stock and increase in number of axles should be rationalized.
• Rail-to-sleeper fastenings i.e., elastic fastenings for different types of sleepers at high speeds should have definite standards.
• The weight of the sleeper and the rail should be correctly related to each other.

Additional InformationRail Transportation:

• The concept of rail transportation is the movement of multiple wagons or a train of wagons or passenger bogies fitted with steel wheels running over two parallel steel rails of the railway track.
• The resistance to traction along the railway track for the movement of the steel wheels of the rail wagons is much lower than that along the more uneven road surface for the movement of road vehicles with rubber tyres, under identical conditions of speed and atmospheric factors.
• The energy requirement to haul unit load through unit distance by the railway is only a fraction of one- fourth to one-sixth (1/4 to 1/6) of that required by road.
• Therefore full advantage of rail transportation should be taken for the transportation of bulk goods and passengers, especially for long distances on land routes and where railway tracks are available.
• Indian railways were introduced in 1853.
• Indian railways operate on three gauges - broad gauge (1676mm), metre gauge (1000 mm), and narrow gauge (762 and 610 mm).