Learn Alignment of Railway Lines in Ten Minutes

The term alignment is employed in each horizontal and vertical layouts to explain the road uniformity of the rails. First, the horizontal alignment defines physically where the route or track goes and the second component is a vertical alignment, which defines the elevation, rise, and fall.

Factors affecting selection of an alignment:

1.Gauges of the railway- Dictates permissible curvature.

2.Obligatory or control points

-Important cities, towns, important growth centers.

-Major bridges.

-Existing passes or saddles.

-Avoid monuments, religious buildings.

3.Topography

-plane
-valley
-mountain

4.Geometric standards- Gradients and curves.

5.Geological consideration- Stable soil.

6.Flood and climate- Sandy/snowy: away from the wind direction.

7.Road and crossing- Right angle.

8.Labor and material.

9.Station and Yards.

10.Political

- away from borders.

11.Economic

-Construction, operation, maintenance.

-Maximum annual return = (R-E)/I

R = revanue.

E = expenses.

I = investment.