AS 7643:2018

Track stability

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 AS 7643:2018
Track stability

This Australian Standard® AS 7643 Track stability was prepared by a Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board
(RISSB) Development Group consisting of representatives from the following organisations:
ARTC Pacific National Queensland Rail
Aurizon Transport for NSW Public Transport Victoria
John Holland Rail KiwiRail Arc Infrastructure

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Metro Trains Melbourne

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The Standard was approved by the Development Group and the Infrastructure Standing Committee in September,
2018. On September 18, 2018 the RISSB Board approved the Standard for release.
This Standard was issued for public consultation before being approved.
Development of the Standard was undertaken in accordance with RISSB’s accredited process. As part of the
approval process, the Standing Committee verified that proper process was followed in developing the Standard.

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RISSB wishes to acknowledge the positive contribution of subject matter experts in the development of this Standard.
Their efforts ranged from membership of the Development Group through to individuals providing comment on a draft
of the Standard during the open review.
I commend this Standard to the Australasian rail industry as it represents industry good practice and has been
developed through a rigorous process.
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Paul Daly
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Chief Executive Officer

Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board

Keeping Standards up-to-date

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Australian Standards developed by RISSB are living documents that reflect progress in science, technology and
systems. To maintain their currency, Australian Standards developed by RISSB are periodically reviewed, and new
editions published when required. Between editions, amendments could be issued. Australian Standards developed
by RISSB could also be withdrawn.
It is important that readers assure themselves they are using a current Australian Standard developed by RISSB,
which should include any amendments that have been issued since the Standard was published. Information about
Australian Standards developed by RISSB, including amendments, can be found by visiting www.rissb.com.au.
RISSB welcomes suggestions for improvements and asks readers to notify us immediately of any apparent
inaccuracies or ambiguities. Members are encouraged to use the change request feature of the RISSB website at:
http://www.rissb.com.au/products/. Otherwise, please contact us via email at [email protected] or write to Rail
Industry Safety and Standards Board, PO Box 518 Spring Hill Qld 4004, Australia.

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 AS 7643:2018
Track stability

AS 7643:2018

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Track stability

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Document details
First published as: Railway Infrastructure – Track stability
ISBN 978-1-76072-172-5
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Published by SAI Global Limited under licence from the Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board,
PO Box 518 Spring Hill Qld 4004, Australia.
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Copyright
© RISSB
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All rights are reserved. No part of this work can be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, without the written permission of RISSB, unless otherwise permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968.
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Notice to users
This RISSB product has been developed using input from rail experts from across the rail industry and represents
good practice for the industry. The reliance upon or manner of use of this RISSB product is the sole responsibility of
the user who is to assess whether it meets their organisation’s operational environment and risk profile.

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 AS 7643:2018
Track stability

Document control

Document identification
Designation / Title

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AS 7643:2018 Track stability

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Document history
Publication Version Effective Date Reason for and Extent of Change(s)

2018 September 18, 2018 New edition

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2012 November 23, 2011 First published

Approval
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Name Date

Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board 18/09/2018

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Track stability

Contents
1 Introduction................................................................................................................... 6
1.1 Purpose .......................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Scope ............................................................................................................. 6

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1.3 Compliance ..................................................................................................... 6
1.4 Referenced documents ................................................................................... 6

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1.4.1 Normative references ...................................................................................... 6
1.5 Definitions & Abbreviations ............................................................................. 7
2 Temperature management ........................................................................................... 8
2.1 Temperature gauge calibration ....................................................................... 8
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2.2
2.3
Tolerance of temperature requirements .......................................................... 8
Type and appropriate use of temperature measurement devices .................... 8
Outline of the life cycle for managing track stability....................................................... 8
Track design ............................................................................................................... 10
4.1 General ......................................................................................................... 10
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4.2 Design stress free temperature ..................................................................... 10
4.3 Ballast characteristics and profile .................................................................. 11
4.4 Sleepers and fastening systems ................................................................... 12
4.5 Rails.............................................................................................................. 12
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5 Track construction and maintenance .......................................................................... 12

5.1 General ......................................................................................................... 12
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5.2 Temperature stress control ........................................................................... 12

5.3 Welded track ................................................................................................. 13
5.3.1 General ......................................................................................................... 13
5.3.2 Checking rail movement during adjustment................................................... 13
5.3.3 Use of rollers for stress adjustment ............................................................... 14
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5.3.4 Stress retention during minor rail works in CWR or LWR .............................. 14
5.4 Verification of rail adjustment. ....................................................................... 14
5.5 Jointed track ................................................................................................. 14
5.5.1 General ......................................................................................................... 14
5.5.2 Rail gap calculation ....................................................................................... 14
5.6 Maintenance ................................................................................................. 15
6 Commissioning track stability...................................................................................... 15
7 Monitoring processes ................................................................................................. 15
7.1 General ......................................................................................................... 15
7.2 Rail creep monitoring process ....................................................................... 16
7.3 Measurement of SFT .................................................................................... 16
7.3.1 General ......................................................................................................... 16
7.3.2 Destructive methods: .................................................................................... 17

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7.3.3 Partly destructive methods: ........................................................................... 17

7.4 Conditions for stress re-adjustment ............................................................... 17
7.5 Procedures for train operations following track disturbance .......................... 17
8 Operation.................................................................................................................... 18
8.1 Longitudinal and lateral forces from trains ..................................................... 18

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8.2 Precautionary restrictions due to weather conditions .................................... 18
8.3 Dealing with track after a buckling incident.................................................... 18

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8.4 Stress adjustment of affected track ............................................................... 18
Appendix A Track stability hazards ................................................................................ 20

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1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
This Standard sets out the requirements for managing the stability of tracks for train operations
in Australia.

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1.2 Scope
Track stability refers to the capacity of track to resist push out and buckling from compressive

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forces, curve pull-in and rail breaking from tension forces in the rails, due mainly to changes in
rail temperature.
This Standard examines factors affecting track stability for the design and maintenance of
jointed, long and continuously welded rail.
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This Standard covers rail networks classified in AS 7630.
Tram tracks, cane railway and monorail networks are not included.

1.3 Compliance
There are two types of control contained within Australian Standards developed by RISSB:
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(a) Requirements.
(b) Recommendations.
Requirements – it is mandatory to follow all requirements to claim full compliance with the
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Standard.
Requirements are identified within the text by the term ‘shall’.
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Recommendations – do not mention or exclude other possibilities but do offer the one that is
preferred.
Recommendations are identified within the text by the term ‘should’.
Recommendations recognise that there could be limitations to the universal application of the
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control, i.e. the identified control cannot be applied, or other controls could be appropriate or
better.
For compliance purposes, where a recommended control is not applied as written in the
standard it could be incumbent on the adopter of the standard to demonstrate their actual
method of controlling the risk as part of their WHS or Rail Safety National Law obligations.
Similarly, it could also be incumbent on an adopter of the standard to demonstrate their method
of controlling the risk to contracting entities, or interfacing organisations where the risk may be
shared.
Controls in RISSB standards address known railway hazards as included in an appendix.

1.4 Referenced documents

1.4.1 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this Standard:
(a) AS 7630 Track classification.

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