Railway station • A well selected place along a railway track where trains stop for one of the following purposes , is called a railway station . • - to exchange the passengers and goods , • - to change the engine and running staff , • - to control the train movements . Site selection for railway stations

• While selecting a site for a railway station , the following factors are generally considered . • 1) – Acquisition of adequate land , • 2) – Level ground with good drainage , • 3) – Availability space on both sides , • 4) – Alignment of the track . 1 - Classification of railway stations

• A – Halt station ,

• B – Flag station , Way side station • C – Crossing station , • D – Junction station , • E – Terminal station . A - Halt station

• It is simplest type of station . It is usually provided with a rail level platform (at least 50 m long) . • Halt stations are provided for the facilities of villages and towns that some trains give a stoppage for a minute for passengers to entrain or detrain . • Halt stations do not have any administration building but some of them have a small ticket office .

B - Flag station

• Flag station is bigger than halt station . It is provided with a station building and staff . • The facilities provided at a flag station are : • a) – A rail level platform or high level platform , • b) – A small waiting hall, sanitary , water , telephone , clock , • c) – Some benches in platform , • d) – An outer signal and a home signal may be provided on either side .

C - Crossing station

• This is a common type of station where some trains stop and some do not. The trains coming in opposite directions are accommodated. • Loop line and sidings are provided in station yards to facilitate a faster trains to overtake a slower train. • Platform in sufficient numbers are provided for up and down trains as well as for goods trains. • Sidings help in storing the goods wagons . A wayside station can be on a single main line or on double main line .

• In bigger crossing stations use more lines , one or two are the main line and some are loop lines .

loop line (side line) Main line (running line)

• In such a crossing station with one main line, simultaneous reception facilities are provided for trains approaching from opposite directions . Crossing loops Crossing station on single main line

Main line

Crossing station on single main line with subway Main line Crossing station on double main line with subway Crossing station on double track line

• In this case , separate up and down lines are available for the trains moving (overtake of fast train , working on one loop line in some emergency repairing) in opposite directions . • In some crossing stations , usually a refuge line are provided .

• For loading and unloading the goods from good trains separate platform (near by passenger platform) is provided . One of the main features of this layout when an island platform is surrounded by loop lines , is a access to it by the passengers , may be made either through a sub-way or over a foot over bridge .

• For permitting trains going in opposite directions , the minimum requirement is a loop line . • Two type of loop line are used : • 1) – symmetrical splits , • 2) – non-symmetrical splits .

symmetrical splits

non-symmetrical splits D - Junction station

• The station where a branch line joints a main line is called a junction station . At these stations , the following additional arrangements are needed : - A facility to interchange the traffic between the main line and the branch line , - A loco workshop for the repair of locomotives , wagons and bogies (rolling stock) . - An arrangement for changing the direction of the locomotives , turn table , - Station master’s office , board indicating the train’s program , - Staff rooms , restaurants , waiting and resting rooms - Signal cabins , controlling the trains movements ,

Junction station on single main line (the main line diverges) Junction station on single main line (The branch line dose not on the main line) Junction station on single main line (two levels structure) Junction station on double main line E - Terminal station

• The station at which a railway line or one of its branch line terminates , is called a terminal station or terminus . • At a terminal station , the reception line terminates at a dead end . At terminal stations , the following facilities are generally provided : • - to reverse the locomotive , sidings , • - an arrangement for changing the direction of the locomotive ( turn table , triangle) , • - to repair the wagons , loco., • - station building , staff and master office , traffic control cabins • - waiting and resting room , restaurant , public service ,

London Waterloo

Some features of terminal station :

• In many cases of terminal station , neither the foot over- bridges nor sub-way are provided , • - at big station , a large concourse is needed . For better using , the concourse can be separated from the checking area through check exits . • -sometimes , platforms (concourse area) are reserved for the suburban trains . • In between platform lines , an additional line (2+1) with turnouts may be provided for releasing the incoming locomotives (lines between platform no 3 and 4 in Fig.). • - In the case of only two lines between two platforms • A double crossover is provided (lines between platform 1 and 2 ) . Platform no 6

Platform no 5 Platform no 4

Platform no 3 Platform no 2

Platform no 1

Platform

• A raised or level surface from where passengers board or alight from trains , or loading and unloading of goods , is done , is known as a platform (passenger platform & good platform) . • The essential features of a passenger platform are : • 1) – A minimum length of 60 m (desirable 200 m ) of the platform should have a covered portion. • 2) – A min. width of 3.5 m of the platform should be constructed . • 3) – Depending upon the expected passenger traffic at the station , the platforms can be at either rail level , low level or high level . On many European counties the height of 75 cm is common . 30 cm elevated (medium height) platform

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Station in East Sussex, England • 4) –The passenger platform are provided a slope of 1 in 30 toward the track .The ends of the platform are provided a max. slope of 1 in 6 . • 5) – Light arrangement , drinking water , W.C , roof to protect passenger in hot sun and rainy time , Indication the name of station in bold letters in Persian and Latina . • 6) – Sufficient clearance between the centre line of the nearest track and the edge of the platforms should be provided . • The essential features of a goods platform are : • 1) – The top level of the goods platform and wagons floor are keeping at the same level , • 2) – Goods platforms are necessarily provided with roof so that the goods laying on the platform during monsoon , do not get spoiled . • 3) – G. platforms should be directly accessible from the goods sidings marshalling yards . • 4) – They should also be provided with suitable types of goods weighing equipments . 2 - Siding

• The portion of a branch line or a loop line terminating at a dead end either with a buffer stop or a sand hump , is called a siding . • A short length siding is called trap siding and a long length siding is called a shunting neck . • Both , the trap siding and shunting siding or shunting neck are provided dead either with a buffer or a sand hump . • A sidings which is generally provided for receiving un-authorized wagons likely to move under gravity on steep gradient in hilly section is known as a catch siding. • The purpose of catch sidings is to arrest un- authorized vehicles which might start running back on the line on down slope . • In case no such arrangement is made , the vehicles may start running on the main track and may collide with other wagons . Catch sidings rather help in avoiding such accidents . shunting neck catch siding

3 - Yards

• A system of tracks usually laid within definite limits for sorting and dispatch of wagons , making up trains , and for other specified purposes , is known as a yard or station yard and classified as :

A - Passenger yards , B - Goods yards , C - Marshalling yards , D - Loco yards . A - Passenger yards

• They provide facilities for the safe movement of the passengers during entraining and detraining. • The passenger platforms are provided for this purpose and accordingly , passenger platforms are also known as passenger yards . • At the terminal and junction stations , separate sidings are provided to accommodate passenger trains during their idle hours . • Depending upon the volume of traffic , these yards are provided facilities for washing , repairing , examination of coach and charging of batteries .

B - Goods yard

• Good yards are necessary at all stations except halt and some flag station . • Good yard consists of goods platforms and sidings for receiving , loading and unloading of goods , receiving and dispatching of wagons . • These yards should have storage sheds , weighing bridges , booking and clearance offices , and approach roads for trucks to move . weighing bridges Loading structure

Open loading platform

Loading area Loading structure

Side loading Ramp

Front end loading ramp

C - Marshalling yards

• The function of a marshalling yard is to isolate the goods wagons from the main line, by providing parallel sidings (yards) . • At this yard , the incoming wagons are sorted out for different destinations , the empty wagons are received and sorted for dispatch to station when required . • In general , a marshalling yard serves as the heart of the railway system . The efficiency of this yard depends upon the number of wagons it sorts out and dispatches in a day . • Marshaling yards are provided only at important junction stations which act as distributing centre for various destinations . • Shunting yard : Marshalling yards can not be provided in all stations specially in flag stations . But every station these days deals with goods traffic . Therefore , one or two sidings are provided at the stations along with goods yards , to carry out the operation of shunting , to sort out wagons , carrying goods and also isolate empty wagons which in turn are sent to a nearby marshalling yard . • The marshalling yards should preferably be kept parallel to running lines and designed that wagons move in one direction only . • container platforms for the exchange of goods , should be provided on one or more sidings of marshalling yard . • A marshalling yard is composed of the following sidings : - Reception sidings , - Sorting sidings , - Departure sidings . Typical marshaling yard track plan Hump-shunting marshaling yards track plans Reception sidings

• These lines are in the form of a parallel grid with equal length of track . • The incoming goods wagons are received here and wait for being sorted out . Sorting sidings

• Here the individual wagons are sorted out , as per their destination . Each siding is allotted for wagons of destination of the same route . • These sidings are laid in the form of a fan . The number of siding required depends on the number of routes the station serves. Departure sidings

• These lines are similar to the reception lines where all the sorted wagons in one route are kept ready for attaching to a goods trains moving on the main line . • The number of lines required , again depends upon the intensity of goods traffic .

Marshalling yard signaling • Marshalling yards may be classified as : • - Flat yards , • - Gravitational yards , • - Hump yards . • Construction of each type of the above marshalling yards depends upon the general topography of the area of the yard . Flat yards

• When the available area is flatted , flat yard are invariably constructed . • In flat marshalling yards , all the sorting work done by means of locomotives . • Operational cost in flat yards is heavy but it is advantageous because it requires less space . Gravitational yards

• In this type of yard , the tracks are laid over suitable gradient so that wagons can move of their own under the action of gravity . • Movements of wagons are controlled by brakes manually . • The shunting operation are carried out by gravity assisted by engine power . • This type of yard is suitable , but the topography of the area may not permit such type of yard at every station . Hump yards

• In this type of yard , artificially built humps or summits , are provided and wagons are pushed upon the hump by an engine . • As the hump is located at the entrance to the sidings , the wagons move into the sidings under gravity force . • The wagons are pushed up the hump and allowed to roll down to the appropriate departure siding .The stopping of wagons rolling down the gradient in a hump at the exact point , is carried out the following methods : • - Manual : Shunting man run along the wagons on either side and apply the wagon brakes just before the exact point of stopping . • - Retarded : in this method , retarders are fixed on either side of rails (operated electrically or electromechanically) , to stop wagons . • - Skid : Skids are placed on rails and the rolling wagons drag the skids and the friction thus develops , helps in stopping the wagon . Diagram of hump classification tracks

D - Loco yards

• The yards which are constructed for accommodating the locomotives for coaling , watering , repairing , oiling ,cleaning , servicing , etc., are called loco yards (loco sheds) . • The loco yards are generally installed at the junction stations on the same side as the marshalling yard . • In these yards , a turn table or a triangle should be provided for changing the direction of locomotive.