Principles of Railway Location and Design

Sirong Yi

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9780128134887
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Engineering General
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Principles of Railway Location and Design examines classification and classing methods of railway networks and expresses theories and methods of railway route selection and design. Railway networks represent modal transfer, which significantly alleviates traffic congestion and pollution The book introduces capacity enhancing methods for existing railways and implementation plans and technical conditions for improving existing passenger railways, building new high speed railways and developing heavy haul railways.

The book covers ten areas of unfavorable geological conditions including slide areas, debris flow areas and earthquake areas. Practical solutions with detailed presentations have been provided. This valuable reference book summarizes and extracts the high speed railway route selection design. The book covers basic principles and methods by referring to research data of high speed railway technology in China and other countries, as well as engineering practice data.

• Provides classification and classing methods of railway networks, integrated with principles and methods of railway route selection and design
• Describes enhancing methods for existing railways, and an implementation plan for existing passenger railways, new high speed railways and heavy haul railways
• Presents route selection principles and methods for regions with bad geological conditions, including landslide, debris flow and earthquake

Chapter 1

Railway Transport Capacity and Construction Standards

Abstract

The chapter starts by looking at railway traffic volume. The type and availability of various categories of traffic largely determine the kinds and quantities of rolling stock and motive power, the level of track construction and maintenance, the system of operation, and, most importantly, the profitability of the system. Railway carrying capacity and railway traffic capacity are then explored, followed by high-speed railway transport capacity. Finally, railway classification and main technical standards are considered. Railway classification refers to class grade of a railway according to its role in railway network, properties, volume of long-term passenger and freight traffic, maximum allowable axle load and designed speed, etc. The railway main technical standards are basic standards, which influence the traffic capacity, construction cost, operation quality, and the selection of other equipment standards.

Keywords

Traffic volume; Railway carrying capacity; Traffic capacity; High-speed railways; Classification; Standards

1.1 Railway Traffic Volume and Design Period

The type and availability of various categories of traffic largely determine the kinds and quantities of rolling stock and motive power, the level of track construction and maintenance, the system of operation, and, most importantly, the profitability of the system.

1.1.1 The Significance of Traffic Volume

Before designing new railway or reconstruction of an existing railway, it is necessary to carry out the economic survey so that the political, defense, and economic significance of the design line is clear, and the status of the design line in the railway network is then determined as well. The economic survey can also provide overall design and various facilities design with information of passengers and freight volume. The significance of traffic volume is as follows:

(1) Designing of railway capacity largely base on the volume of passenger and freight which also has a significant impact on selecting the main technical standards. On the other hand, the capacities of passenger and freight transportation equipment are determined by the main technical standards, which should not be less than the investigated or forecasted volume in order to meet the requirements of the national transportation.

(2) The evaluation of railway economic benefits is largely based on the volume of passenger and freight which also determines the railway operation income, transport costs, payback periods of economic efficiency, etc. Higher traffic volume means more income, lower cost, and shorter payback period. In order to achieve more railway economic benefits, it is necessary to attach great importance to the investigation and prediction of passenger and freight volume.

(3) The traffic volume is important for the selection of a route. In the location procedure, there are a lot of route schemes with different economic and technical conditions. If the traffic volume is large, it is much easier to select the route scheme with higher investment, as its operating expenses is lower than that with lower investment. If the volume is small, the possibility to select the scheme with large investment will decrease. Thus, the traffic volume is important for route selection.

Overall, passenger and freight volume plays an important role in the design of railway. If the investigated or predicted passenger and freight volume is larger than that of the actual situation, the design standard and the capacity of equipment will be unnecessarily higher than required, causing an increase of investment. Once it is put into use, due to the smaller actual volume, railway capacity is idle, investment wastes, operating income is less than expected, therefore the revenue is reduced. If the investigated or predicted volume is smaller than the reality, although the initial investment decreases, once being put into use, capacity will be saturated soon, causing the railway’s premature reconstruction, the additional investment increases. Neither of the inaccurate predictions are economical. That is why the railway design must attach great importance to the investigation and forecast of passenger and freight volume.

1.1.2 Economic Investigates and Traffic Forecasts

Railways need to forecast the type and volume of traffic that can be anticipated, the same as in many other business enterprises. It is necessary when planning a new line and when reconstructing an existing line. There must be sufficient traffic in view to give economic justification to the project (unless special reasons such as national defense arise), and it is required to assure a reasonable return based on the large investment likely to be involved. Traffic for the distant as well as for the near future should be considered.

To forecast the traffic volume, the first work is to delimit the attracting scope of the design line. Then, in the designated attracting scope, an investigation should be carried out to assure the short-term passenger and freight volume, and based on the construction plan and the economic statistics in the scope, the long-term volume can then be predicted.

1.1.2.1 Attracting Scope

Attracting scope of the design line is the area that most traffic volume can be attracted. Traffic volume investigation and prediction are carried out in the attracting scope. According to the nature of traffic volume, the attracting scopes are divided into through attracting scope or through territory and regional attracting scope or regional territory.

(1) Through attracting scope
Through attracting scope is a favorable...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Railway Transport Capacity and Construction Standards
• Chapter 2: Traction Calculation
• Chapter 3: Railway Plane and Profile Design
• Chapter 4: Railway Location
• Chapter 5: Technical and Economic Comparison of Schemes
• Chapter 6: Station Design
• Chapter 7: Strengthening of the Railway Transport Capacity
• Chapter 8: Design for Reconstruction of Existing Railways and Building Out of Second Railway Lines
• Bibliography
• Index