Upgrading railway permanent way tracks uses inserted elastic elements into the rail support structure, to take up the forces from faster and/or heavier rail traffic

摘要

To upgrade railway permanent way tracks, elastic elements are positioned in the track to take up the ground pressures and vibrations from trains traveling at higher speeds and/or with increased axle weight loading. They prevent damage to the track rail supports and the ground under the tracks. The elastic elements are of an elastomer material, inserted between the rails and the sleepers to give a spring and damping action, with a stiffness matching the rail bending tension. The elastic elements can also be used as the sleepers and the ballast.