ABSTRACT
The last ten years have seen significant growth in passenger and freight traffic on railways across the world. In addition to an increase in overall traffic volume, there have been moves to higher line speeds on passenger routes and heavier axle loads for freight vehicles. The increase in demand has led to the expansion of existing networks, construction of dedicated high speed lines and extensive rehabilitation of existing track to meet the demands of modern railway traffic. However, traditional ballasted track remains the mainstay of most new, classic and upgraded railways.
