RAIL TRANSPORT

DONE BY:OBOROC ANA-MARIA

EMREI 145
Deffinition
Rail transport is the conveyance of passengers and
goods by means of wheeled vehicles specially designed
to run along railways or railroads. It is a rapid, energy-
efficient, but capital-intensive means of mechanized land
transport. It is part of the logistics chain that facilitates
international trade and economic growth in most
countries.
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Railway Transport
Advantages:

1. Dependable:
2. Better Organised:
3. High Speed over Long Distances:
4. Suitable for Bulky and Heavy Goods:
5. Cheaper Transport:
6. Safety:
7. Larger Capacity:
8. Public Welfare:
9. Administrative Facilities of Government:
10. Employment Opportunities:
Disadvantages
1. Huge Capital Outlay:
2. Lack of Flexibility:
3. Lack of Door to Door Service:
4. Monopoly:
5. Unsuitable for Short Distance and Small Loads:
6. Booking Formalities:
7. No Rural Service:
8. Under-utilised Capacity:
9. Centralised Administration:
Development of rails
Stone rails
The earliest evidence of a railway found thus far was the
6-kilometer (3.7 mi) Diolkos wagon way, which
transported boats across the Corinth isthmus in Greece
during the sixth century B.C.E. Trucks pushed by slaves
ran in grooves in limestone, which provided the track
element, preventing the wagons from leaving the intended
route.
 Wooden rails
Railways began reappearing in Europe after the Dark
Ages following the collapse of the Roman Empire.
the rails were prone to wear out under the pressure, and
had to be replaced regularly.
 Iron plate rails
In 1768, the Coalbrookdale Iron Works laid cast iron
plates on top of the wooden rails, providing a more
durable load-bearing surface.. The advantage was that a
considerable variation in wheel spacing (gauge) could be
accommodated.
 Edge rails
Lengths of "fishbelly" rail on stone support blocks
From the late eighteenth century, iron "edge rails" began to
appear. The British civil engineer William Jessop designed
smooth iron edge rails, which were used in conjunction with
flanged iron wheels, introducing them on a route between
Loughborough and Nanpantan, Leicestershire, as an adjunct
to the Charnwood Forest Canal, in 1793-1794[7]. In 1803,
Jessop opened the Surrey Iron Railway in south London,
arguably the world's first horse-drawn public railway.[8] Being
of cast iron these rails were short, around three feet long, of a
"fish-bellied" design. They had a foot at each end by means
of which they were fastened to stone blocks in the ground.
 Wrought iron and steel rails
Cast iron is a brittle material and the short lengths meant
that they soon became uneven. However, developments in
the process of hot rolling iron meant that longer length rails
could be produced. In 1805, the first wrought iron rails
were produced at Bedlington Ironworks near Durham. The
first steel rails were produced by Robert Forester Mushet
and laid at Derby station in 1857[7]. Modern railways still
use steel rails, but they are typically welded together to
form lengths of continuous welded rail which removes the
additional wear and tear on rolling stock caused by the tiny
differences in rail surface height at the joint between
adjacent rail sections.
Development of motive power
Steam locomotives
The first locomotive to haul a train of wagons on rails was designed by Cornish
engineer Richard Trevithick, and was demonstrated in 1804 on a plateway at
Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales.[9] Although the locomotive successfully hauled the
train, the rail design was not a success, partly because its weight broke a
number of the brittle cast-iron plates.
 Dieselization
was the replacement of the steam locomotive with the diesel-electric locomotive
(often referred to as a "diesel locomotive"), a process which began in the 1930s
and is now substantially complete worldwide.
Dieselization took place largely because of the reduction in operating costs it
allowed.
 Electrification
Robert Davidson started to experiment with an electrical railway car in
Scotland in 1838. By 1839 he had completed and presented a 4.8 m long
carriage that weighed six tons, including batteries. It reached a maximum
speed of 6.4 kilometers per hour.
The worlds 10 longest railway networks
United States - 250,000km
China - 100,000km
Russia - 85,500km
India - 65,000km
Canada - 48,000km
Germany - 41,000km
Australia - 40,000km
Argentina - 36,000km
France - 29,000km
Brazil - 28,000km
The cost of using rail freight
Wagon provision
Locomotive haulage - including fuel or electric traction
supply
Driver and terminal staff costs
Track access charge
Contact Network Rail CASE STUDIES