COURSE: RAILWAY TERMINAL DESIGN & OPERATIONS

TOPIC 1, WEEK 3

RAILWAY AS A FREIGHT
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

By : LY MENGKEA
TSI | 2024
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CONTENT
1. Definition
2. Constituents
3. The railway system technique
4. Classification of railway systems
5. The capabilities of the railway system
6. Historical overview of the railway and future perspectives
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4. CLASSIFICATION OF RAILWAY SYSTEMS

Classification of railway based on : The term “speed” in railway:

-speed -track design speed (Vd)
-functionality/provided services -permissible track speed (Vmaxtr)
-track gauge -maximum running speed (Vmax)
-traffic composition. -passage speed (Vp)
-instant speed (Vt)
-commercial speed (Vc)
-average running speed (Var)
-rolling stock design speed (Vrs)
 4. CLASSIFICATION OF RAILWAY SYSTEMS
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To select track design speed Vd:
-desired run time t (target time)
-desired total travel time (door-to-door
service)

To select Target time t:

-comparing to the existing competitive
transportation means

Var ≤ Vmaxtr ≤ Vd
 4.1 BASED ON SPEED 4
Railway systems are classified into the following three categories:
Conventional-speed.
High-speed.
Very high-speed or super-fast.

I. Regard to the railway infrastructure: II. Regard to the operation: III. Regard to the rolling stock:
1. Conventional-speed tracks: 1. Conventional-speed services: 1. Conventional-speed trains:
-Vmaxtr (Vd) < 200 km/h -Vc (Var) < 150 km/h -Vrs < 200 km/h
2. High-speed tracks: 2. High-speed services: 2. High-speed trains (fast trains):
-200 km/h ≤ Vmaxtr (Vd) < 250 km/h -Vmax ≥ 200 km/h -200 km/h ≤ Vrs ≤ 250 km/h
3. Very high-speed tracks: -S ≥ 150 km (1.9) 3. Very high-speed trains (super-fast
-Vmaxtr (Vd) ≥ 250 km/h -Vc ≥ 150 km/h trains):
3. Very high-speed services: -Vrs > 250 km/h
-Vmax ≥ 250 km/h
-S ≥ 400 km (1.11)
-Vc ≥ 180 (200) km/h
 4.2 BASED ON FUNCTIONALITY/PROVIDED SERVICES 5
Based on geography and functionality, railway systems are divided into:
Intercity systems.
Suburban/regional systems.
Urban systems.
Steep gradient railway systems.
I. Intercity systems: II. Suburban/regional systems:
usually links major urban centres. commuter services within suburbs and satellite regional centres.
rang: greater than 150 km. rang: 100 km to 150 km.
1. Conventional-speed rail 1. Suburban rail:
2. High-speed rail 10km to 40km.
3. Very high-speed rail very high-frequency services (usually trains run every 15–30 min).
2. Commuter rail:
30km to 50km.
relatively high-frequency services (usually trains run every 20–60 min)
3. Regional rail:
50km to 150km.
(usually trains run every 1–3 h)
 4.2 BASED ON FUNCTIONALITY/PROVIDED SERVICES 6
III. Urban systems:
1. Metro:
move underground, great transport capacity and high implementation cost.
2. Light metro:
a system between the tram and the metro. Light metro + tram = ‘Light Rail Transport Systems’.
3. Tramway:
integrated into the road arteries of the city, using a specialised track superstructure.
4. Monorail:
moves using a system of rubber tyres on an elevated guideway comprising a single beam made of concrete
or steel. Serve within recreation areas (thematic parks, zoo parks, etc.), as well as for connecting the city
centre to the airport.
5. Driverless systems of low/medium transport capacity:
3–25 persons per vehicle, they usually operate for the service of trips within airports, large hotels, casinos,
congress centres and health centres, educational institutions, and big companies’ premises,
 4.2 BASED ON FUNCTIONALITY/PROVIDED SERVICES 7
IV. Steep gradient railway systems:
serves small-distance connections with an important difference of altitude between the two edges of the
railway line.
1. Rack railway:
to approach remote mountain developments and tourist resorts on tracks with longitudinal slopes usually
exceeding 50–70‰.
2. Cable-propelled railway:
use vehicles that are hauled via cables.
funicular(non-detachable, cable-propelled vehicles for steep gradients),
cable railway (detachable, cable-propelled vehicles for steep gradients),
and inclined elevator.

V. Freight trains:
1. Conventional loads (axle load Q ≤ 25)
2. Heavy loads (axle load Q > 25)
3. Hazardous load (dangerous goods)
4. Transport of small parcels.
 4.3 BASED ON TRACK GAUGE 8
On the basis of the gauge, railway lines are divided into 5
categories:
Standard tracks: 1,435 mm gauge.
Broad tracks: 1,520/1,524 mm (former Soviet countries),
1,600 mm (Irish gauge), 1,665 mm, and 1,667 mm.
Metre tracks: 914 mm, 950 mm, 1,000 mm (metre), 1,050
mm, and 1,067 mm (Cape gauge).
Narrow tracks: from 600 mm to 900 mm and mainly 600
mm (Decauville), 700 mm, 750 mm, and 760 mm
(Bosnian gauge). These gauges are usually used for
secondary lines (e.g., industrial areas, factories, and
mine service lines). Metre and narrow tracks are also
termed as ‘small gauge tracks’.
Mixed gauge tracks: tracks on which trains of different
gauge category may run simultaneously.
 4.4 BASED ON TRAFFIC COMPOSITION 9
On the basis of their traffic composition, railway network/corridors can be classified into five
categories as follows (Christogiannis, 2012; Christogiannis and Pyrgidis, 2013):
1. Exclusively used by freight trains (freight-dedicated network/corridor).
2. Mainly used by freight trains.
3. Network/corridor with mixed traffic operation.
4. Mainly used by passenger trains.
5. Exclusively used by passenger trains (passenger-dedicated network/corridor).
 5. THE CAPABILITIES OF THE RAILWAY SYSTEM 10
5.1 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE RAILWAY

Advantages Disadvantages
High transportation capacity Increased requirements in track geometry design
High-speed capability (horizontal, longitudinal alignment)
Travel safety Low wheel–rail adhesion coefficient
Rail services regardless of weather conditions One degree of freedom (no door-to-door
(regularity of services) services)
Environmentally friendly transport Hard (noisy) rolling
One degree of freedom (automation of many Low network density
operations)
Passenger comfort/relaxed state of mind
Small land take (right-of-way)
 5.2 COMPARISON OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF RAILWAY SYSTEMS
See Table 1.7 on page 39-41. 11
5.3 COMPARISON OF THE CAPABILITIES OF DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
Within this framework and in the next sections, the two cases below are compared:
Case 1: Long-distance trips (S = 500–1,500 km). Aeroplanes and high-speed trains are compared.
Case 2: Urban trips. Metro, tram, urban bus, and private car are compared.

5.3.1 COMPARISON OF AIR AND HIGH-SPEED TRAIN TRANSPORT

Study of 8 connections in Europe: Rome–Naples, Rome–Florence, Madrid–Barcelona, Madrid–Seville, London–Paris,
Amsterdam–Paris, Brussels–Amsterdam, Paris–Lyon (Pyrgidis and Karlaftis, 2010) :
After analysing the data, the following may be reasonably concluded:
• Regarding run times, aeroplane is the fastest mode (ratio 1:1.7 for short distances (250km) and 1:3 for long distances
(500 km)).
• Regarding travel times, the aeroplane prevails only for long and very long distances.
• The ratio of the number of daily services between the aeroplane and the high-speed train is 1:4.
• Transport capacity is calculated by multiplying the number of journeys carried out daily in the eight connections
examined by the number of passengers who can be carried every day by each mode. Specifically, regarding air travel, an
average aeroplane load is equal to 247 passengers. For connections over 400 km, the conclusion to be drawn is that the
transport capacity ratio between aeroplane and high-speed train is 1:3.
5.3.2 COMPARISON OF URBAN SYSTEMS 12
6. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE RAILWAY AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 13
6. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE RAILWAY AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 14
The year 1825 is considered to be the starting point in the history of railway, and George Stephenson, an
English engineer, is considered as its pioneering figure.
The railway dominated terrestrial transportation for over 100 years (1830–1950). During this period, it
made an enormous contribution to transportation and civilisation.
The railway is considered to be the mode of transport that laid down the foundations for inland
development on all continents. (If it were not for the railway, the coastal towns would have become
powerful (only one transportation: ships)).
A struggle between the railway VS the aeroplane and car, from the mid-1960s onwards.
1970s, not only had the railway begun to lose a worrying amount of ground in terms of its share of the
transport market, but also railway organisations had begun to suffer financially (loans, deficits) and have
become significantly dependent on state budgets, having problematic cross-border services.
“Competition” has been the solution to overcome the economic impasse afflicting the rail sector in recent
years.
Since 2010, the entire rail services within the European Community Railway Network are open.
6. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE RAILWAY AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES 15
Over the last 35 years, the improvement in the quality of life in the large cities, the dramatic rise in road
and airport congestion, the intensification of air and noise pollution, as well as the continuing energy crisis,
have all created a massive ecological issue.
Thus, the railway has made a comeback since it is an ecologically friendly mode of transport and has
become more up-to-date and can move at very high speeds. The use of rail transportation is judged more
and more to be imperative, both for movement within urban and suburban environments and, also, in order
to serve the need for long-distance travelling.
 TSI | 2024

THANK YOU
By : LY MENGKEA