Chapter 2 Track
CALTRAIN DESIGN CRITERIA CHAPTER 2 - TRACK CHAPTER 2 TRACK A. GENERAL This Chapter includes criteria and standards for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance as well as materials of Caltrain trackwork. The term track or trackwork includes special trackwork and its interface with other components of the rail system. The trackwork is generally defined as from the subgrade (or roadbed or trackbed) to the top of rail, and is commonly referred to in this document as track structure. This Chapter is organized in several main sections, namely track structure and their materials including civil engineering, track geometry design, and special trackwork. Performance charts of Caltrain rolling stock are also included at the end of this Chapter. The primary considerations of track design are safety, economy, ease of maintenance, ride comfort, and constructability. Factors that affect the track system such as safety, ride comfort, design speed, noise and vibration, and other factors, such as constructability, maintainability, reliability and track component standardization which have major impacts to capital and maintenance costs, must be recognized and implemented in the early phase of planning and design. It shall be the objective and responsibility of the designer to design a functional track system that meets Caltrain’s current and future needs with a high degree of reliability, minimal maintenance requirements, and construction of which with minimal impact to normal revenue operations. Because of the complexity of the track system and its close integration with signaling system, it is essential that the design and construction of trackwork, signal, and other corridor wide improvements be integrated and analyzed as a system approach so that the interaction of these elements are identified and accommodated.
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