Understanding railway tracks. What is the role of ballast? Bogies and coaches

The rails made of iron are a permanent way for the trains or trams to move one. The cost of setting up of rail track for a kilometer costs nearly 20 crore INR and in the case of bridges, and hilly regions the cost increases. For electrification of these rails, an extra of 1 crore INR is incurred per kilometre. 

To prevent them from sinking into the soil, concrete sleepers are used, which increases the surface area and thus reduces the pressure on the ground. To keep the rails attached to the concrete sleepers, clips are fastened. Also, ballasts are laid along the tracks.

Ballast plays an important role in maintaining the safety, 

• It keeps the soil under the track intact and prevents it from getting washed away during rain.
• It helps in keeping away the unwanted plants that grow by the side of the track.
• It provides extra support to the track by filling the gaps in between the track and the soil.

There are certain limitations also in laying the ballasts,

• It needs regular maintenance as it breaks down by the pressure of the moving train.
• The maximum speed limit is 200 kmph for a train moving on the track placed with ballast.

Bogies are section/ mechanism that is made up of two excel and makes the wheel system of a coach. Coaches are set on bogies which help them to move. 

Coaches are boxes in which passengers travel, these coaches consist of compartments.

A compartment consists of two aisles and two sets of side seats. This consists of a cabin and a coupe.

The side seats of both sides make a cabin, in the air-conditioned coaches, these cabins are covered with curtains or doors. The two remaining aisle seats form a coupe and are covered with curtains in the AC coaches.

The path that connects all these inside the coach is known as the lawn.