Friday, 18 April 2014

The Process Of Rail Track Inspection

By Essie Osborn


In the transport industry, the rail transport has gained roots to an extent that most world economies could crumble should it fail. Currently, it provides the much needed solution to jam problem on the roads of major cities like New York and London. With no any conceivable possibility that it dependence level on this form of transportation could decline in the near future, proper maintenance program supported with adequate funding must be put in place. The process of maintenance begins with conducting rail track inspection to establish the repair schedule.

The railroad is exposed to weather elements including extreme temperatures, floods, soil erosion, freezing during winters and rapid growth of vegetation during rainy conditions. Worse still, there is an increase in number of locomotives, increased number of trips made, increasing weight and increased velocity. The implication is that it takes shorter time for damages to occur due to increased vibration and wear and tear which are unavoidable.

By far, the physical conditions are not the only factors that accounts for rapid degradation of rail lines. The rapidly developing economy means that more cargo and passengers have to be relocated. The solution has always been to increase the number of locomotives operating, increase the number of trips to be made, increase the tonnage carried at any time and make locomotives longer. This means that lines are exposed to more vibrations and as destroyed much faster than before.

During inspection process, extermination of external metal surface and internal metal structure is done and data recorded covering wide range of information. The information is used to outline several aspects such as what kind of repair work ought to be carried out and on what part on the line and the frequency of such repair work.

Currently, ultrasound technology is widely used to examine internal metal components and determine their suitability or stress level. There are firms that have put in place all necessary requirements, most modern machines and highly trained and experienced staff that carries out the work in the most desirable manner revealing all details as required.

During the contracting process, there are many factors to put into consideration. For example, why is should the maintenance and review service be contracted to another company? The mere importance of the duty to well-being of train passengers is enough to justify the reason why the job should be contracted to a specialized firm.

As much as possible, only a firm that certifies all the prerequisites from staff competency, accessibility of all the necessary machines and gadgets, and field experience should be given the job. Other essential issues include having authorization from pertinent regulatory authorities.

The firm contracted for railway inspection must be able to provide a well detailed report for both short term and long-term repair and maintenance program. Major overhauls are very expensive and require that financial planning is carried out well in advance. Additionally, the report should ensure that repair works are carried out with no interference to normal operation schedules while at the same time ensuring that no accidents are allowed to occur.




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