Cost Effective Solution of Persistent Permanent-way Track Faults Using XiTRACK GeoComposite Technology

Peter K Woodward ^1,2 , Gerald Nicholl ¹ and David R Thompson ³

¹ XiTRACK Limited, Station Road, Birch Vale, High-Peak, Derbyshire, SK22 1BR
² School of the Built Environment, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS
³ Balfour Beatty Rail Technologies, Midland House, Nelson Street, Derby, DE1 2SA

Click Here For Full Paper

ABSTRACT 

One of the most significant technical problems faced by the p-way engineer is the stabilisation or elimination of recurring, persistent p-way track faults. This type of problem generates significant difficulties and resource issues on the operational performance of the network. In April 2005 the XiTRACK technique was granted Product Acceptance Approval by Network Rail for general application on UK railways and was granted based, in part, on a series of successful trials using XiTRACK GeoComposite technology. The XiTRACK technique has been specifically developed to solve persistent p-way track faults in a cost effective manner. The technique is based on reinforcing the ballasted track using the on site application of 3-dimensional polymer (or ‘GeoComposite’) technology that significantly enhances the engineering behaviour of existing track, without removing any of the beneficial properties of the ballast. In this way high levels of confidence in its use can be expected. In the trials of the technique over the last few years, XiTRACK has been able to virtually eliminate maintenance on all the persistent p-way track faults where it has been installed. In this paper the results of monitoring of these sites as discussed by Thompson and Woodward (2004) are presented. In addition the performance of the computational methods used in the XiTRACK Process are highlighted.

This Paper was published in the Journal of The Permanent Way Institution, Volume 124 Part 4, October 2005.