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What Exactly Is Railway Ballast?

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A railway ballast is used as a bed for railway tracks. They provide not only stability to the tracks, but also will offer a great drainage system when in place and support for the loads carried by trains running over them. They are very cleverly engineered into place so that they possess another beauty and offer low maintenance by being tricky for vegetation to grow through - because of this, they are economical to boot. Produced from natural deposits of stones such as granite one might think this is something very easy to come by but in actual fact, a level of expertise is bestowed into the rail track ballast used across the UK. 

All train enthusiasts from the young who may be fans of films such as The railway Children and The Railway Children Return, to the life-long railway and train spotters will understand the importance of railway ballast and the important job that it does on all track.  

For UK railways it is screened by Network Rail so that we can have zero fines aggregate looking after our often antique railways system. Pure, crushed granite has to be fully certified and is the most widely used rail track ballast in the country and the screening involves the removal of any undesirable fines to ensure the most hard wearing, free draining and easily cleaned aggregate. 

The ideal packing for track is to have a ballast railway which is nestled between, below and around the sleepers using specialised equipment to place it in the necessary areas. Without the screening process a sub standard ballast could make for a pretty unkempt railway so it is always important to choose well and ensure the longevity of both old and new tracks so that future generations can enjoy the railways the way they have always been. The world is in a position mostly of wanting to move forwards and find new and better ways to do things, when it comes to the railways however, the old ways of looking after them, with railway ballast, are still more than good enough to stand the test of time. That’s what happens when you choose the best quality, it just moves with you rather than making like a runaway train into the distance. 

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  1. Rail ballast – Your Questions Answered Ballast is an essential part of traditional railway tracks. As Rail Technology Magazine explains, “In traditional railway track, the rails are supported and held apart by sleepers or ties, which rest on and are embedded in a coarse granular aggregate
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