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Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake - Rabindranath Tagore.

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(Not Frequently Asked Questions)

Why are railway tracks covered with ballasts?

The rail track is the very basis of the rail road line. It consists of parallel rails laid on cross-ties on a roadbed of ballast.

The standard steel rail is shaped like the letter 'T', resting on a wide base or fl**ge. It is fastened at right angles to wooden or concrete sections called cross-ties, which are embedded in crushed stone or cinders, ballast, to hold them steady.

The ballast also covers part of the rails. When train passes over the track the pressure acting on it changes continuously.

The variation in pressure is so much that i, instead of ballast, a rigid road like material is used, it would crack. The ballast gives the track flexibility to face this variable pressure. In addition to this cushioning effect, the ballast also helps drainage.