One of the biggest safety hazards for railroad operations in the winter is rail fracture. Steel rails undergo more thermal contraction and a reduction in material toughness when the surrounding temperature drops.
In recent years, rail fractures caused by spalling defects have occurred repeatedly, posing serious risks to railway operation safety.
From the vast networks of heavy-haul railways to the busy corridors of port cranes and tunnel boring operations, a common engineering element silently bears immense loads: the I-section rail.
Railway track gauge refers to the distance between the inner sides of the two rails on a railway track. It is a fundamental aspect of railway engineering, as it determines the type of trains that can operate, their stability, and the load they can carry.
A train track and a high-speed railway track may look similar on the outside – but they have fundamental differences in design, steel grades and performance requirements.
The Surprising Truth Behind Those “Rusty” Rails. If you’ve ever stood beside railroad tracks — whether an old freight corridor or a newly laid high-speed line — you’ve probably noticed it: the rails look rusty.
Railway ballast is the foundational layer of crushed stone you find beneath the railroad tracks. It plays several critical engineering roles in keeping railways safe and stable.
If you’ve ever seen old, rusting railway rails stacked near a siding or lying beside a discontinued line, a logical question arises: why aren’t these massive steel beams recycled into new rails?
A railroad track is mainly composed of rails, sleepers (ties), fastening systems, turnouts, ballast, and the subgrade. Each of these railroad track components plays a specific role in supporting train operation.
Railroad track steel is not just “steel shaped like a rail.” It is a purpose-engineered material designed to survive decades of heavy loading, constant wheel contact, and environmental exposure that would quickly destroy ordinary structural steel.
