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Railway Technical Website Background Paper No. 2 Track Basics by Piers Connor1 Introduction Track is the base upon which the Railway runs. To give a train a good ride, the track alignment must be set to within a millimeter of the design . Track design and construction is part of a complex and multi-disciplinary engineering science involving earthworks, steelwork, timber and suspension systems - the infrastructure of the Railway . Many different systems exist throughout the world and there are many variations in their performance and maintenance.

design. The older UK standard design was an elastic spike with a sprung, curved top which secures the rail. There are a number of variations seen around the world. One of the most popular is the "Pandrol" clip seen above. A resilient pad will be provided between the rail and the base plate and around the securing clip, where required to

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