Track drainage can be defined as the interception, collection, and disposal of water from, upon, or under the track. It is accomplished by installing a proper surface and sub-surface drainage system.As we know, a good track drainage system should essentially ensure that no water percolates into the track at either the surface or the sub-surface levels,and the arrangements for the drainage of sub-surface water should be good and effective wherever required. Track drainage should be handled in two distinctive phases.
Surface drainage Surface water due to rain or snow, or from adjacent areas should be drained off properly by designing well-planned and effective surface drains.
Sub-surface drainage In case water percolates into the formation due to bad soil or such other reasons, the formation gets adversely affected and this has a bearing on the safety and stability of the track. Complete details of the same are given in This article
In the following sections,
surface drainage is dealt with in three different stages
(a) Drainage in mid-sections
between railway stations
(b) Drainage in station yards
(c) Drainage of station platforms
Drainage in Mid-sections Between Railway
Stations
A drainage system between two
railway stations consists of the following features.
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Cross section of side drain |
Lining of drains
Side
drain lining is imperative on Group A routes and preferable
Adequate opening
under level crossing In
order for all the water to flow out of
Catch water
drain Catch
water drains should be provided wherever necessary,
No surplus
ballast Surplus
ballast in the shoulders of the track retards drainage
Drainage in Station Yards
When planning the drainage of
station yards, the following guidelines should be
Open surface
drains Surface
drains should generally be left open to make cleaning
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Open drain |
Saucer-shaped
drains As
mentioned earlier, the longitudinal drains that lie
Drain top not to
be above cess level Normally,
the drain top should not be above
Outflow and
slope Wherever
there is a proper outfall available at either end of a
Position of
ballast sections The
ballast section in station yards should be the
Network of cross
and longitudinal drains Every station yard should have a
Drainage of Station Platforms
The following points should be taken
into account when planning the drainage
Slopes away from
track Normally,
all end platforms should be sloped away from
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Drainage of platform |
Discharge on
non-track side All
drains from platform shelters, tea stalls, toilets,
Discharge not
towards run-through lines In the case of island platforms, all
Sub-surface Drainage
Water normally reaches the
sub-surface due to capillary action, seepage from
Provision of
inverted filter Some
sub-drainage systems consist of a blanket of a
Paving of catch
water drains The
entrance of water into the subgrade can be
Provision of
sand piling Some
drainage systems are provided with an adequate
Drainage of
water pockets by perforated pipe Perforated pipes with a diameter
Cement grouting Cement can be
used to grout the water pockets so as to ease the
Drainage of
water pockets by puncturing holes In special situations where water
Requirements of a Good Track Drainage
System
A good drainage system should
satisfy the following requirements.
Surface water
should not percolate to track One of the basic requirements of a
Effective side
drains The
size of the side drains should be adequate with a proper
Longitudinal
drains to be saucer-shaped The longitudinal drains provided
Provision for
clearing and inspection The drains provided for drainage should
Drain top to be
below cess level Normally,
the drain top should not be above the
No erosion of
banks The
flow of water along the slope and across the track should
Formation to be
of good soil Ideally,
the formation and subgrade should be made
Proper
sub-surface drainage Arrangements
should be made for a good
subsurface
Proper outfall Longitudinal
drains should be designed so as to provide a proper
Special
arrangements for waterlogged areas and other difficult situations A
Need for Proper Track Drainage
Water is the greatest threat to a
railway track, and the most prominent factor that
Settlement of
embankment Excess
water may cause the embankment to settle.
Reduction in
bearing capacity
The
bearing capacity of the soil as well as its
Failure of embankment
The
percolation of water in the embankment increases
Formation of
ballast pockets Excess
moisture leads to punctures in the formation.
Shrinkage and
cracking of banks The
embankment soil cracks and shrinks once
Adverse effects
of black cotton soil There
are certain soils, such as black cotton
Formation of
slush Slush
is formed due to the dynamic load of running trains. It
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