Rail Joints: Effects of a Rail Joint

Rail Joints

Although a rail joint has always been an integral part of the railway track, it isย looked upon as a necessary evil because of the various problems that it presents.

Earlier, rails were rolled in short lengths due to difficulties in rolling and the problemย of transportation. With increase in temperature, rails expand and this expansionย needs to be considered at joints. It was, therefore, felt that the longer the rail, theย larger the required expansion gap, and this too limited the length of the rail. A railย joint is thus an inevitable feature of railway tracks, though it presents a lot ofย problems in the maintenance of the permanent way. This chapter discusses theย various types of rail joints and their suitability on a railway track.

Effects of a Rail Joint

A rail joint is the weakest link in the track. At a joint, there is a break in the continuityย of the rail in both the horizontal and the vertical planes because of the presence ofย the expansion gap and imperfection in the levels of rail heads. A severe jolt is alsoย experienced at the rail joint when the wheels of vehicles negotiate the expansionย gap. This jolt loosens the ballast under the sleeper bed, making the maintenance ofย the joint difficult. The fittings at the joint also become loose, causing heavy wearย and tear of the track material. Some of the problems associated with the rail jointย are as follows.

Maintenance effort

Due to the impact of moving loads on the joint, the packing under the sleeperย loosens and the geometry of the track gets distorted very quickly because of whichย the joint requires frequent attention. It is generally seen that about 30% extra labourย is required for the maintenance of a joint.

Lifespan

The life of rails, sleepers, and fastenings gets adversely affected due to the extraย stresses created by the impact of moving loads on the rail joint. The rail endsย particularly get battered and the hogged and chances of rail fracture at joints areย considerably high due to fatigue stresses in the rail ends.

Noise effect

A lot of noise pollution is created due to rail joints, making rail travel uncomfortable.

Sabotage chances

Wherever there is a rail joint, there is a potential danger of the removal of fishย plates and rails by miscreants and greater susceptibility to sabotage.

Impact on quality

The quality of the track suffers because of the excessive wear and tear of trackย components and rolling stock caused by rail joints.

Fuel consumption

The presence of rail joints results in increased fuel consumption because of theย extra effort required by the locomotive to haul the train over these joints.

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