Track bed

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File:Section through railway track and foundation.png
Section through railway track and foundation showing the ballast and formation layers
File:Railroad tracks northbound, Matfield MA.jpg
A view of track bed in Massachusetts

The track bed or trackbed (or railroad bed) is the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links.

Background

According to Network Rail, the trackbed is the layers of ballast and sub-ballast above a prepared subgrade/formation (see diagram). It is designed primarily to reduce the stress on the subgrade.

Other definitions include the surface of the ballast on which the track is laid,[1] the area left after a track has been dismantled and the ballast removed[1] or the track formation beneath the ballast and above the natural ground.[2]

The trackbed can significantly influence the performance of the track, especially ride quality of passenger services.

See also

References

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  1. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ellis, Iain (2006). Ellis' British Railway Engineering Encyclopaedia. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-8472-8643-7., p. 386.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jackson, Alan A. (2006). The Railway Dictionary (4th ed.). Sutton Publishing Ltd. p. 297. ISBN 0-7509-4218-5.

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