LR55 Tram Track

THE NEXT GENERATION OF TRAMWAY TRACKS

LR55 is a revolutionary rail system for tram ( trolley ) and railway ( railroad ) applications. LR55 is laid in the road structure itself, so that there is little or no disturbance to underground services. Instead slots 200mm deep and 400mm wide are cut in the road and the track laid in. The track exploits the strength of existing highway pavements by transmitting the static and dynamic loads from the upper surface, rather than the foot of the rail as in conventional track. This results in the load on the railhead being distributed onto the sub-base of the highway, rather than onto a specially laid foundation for the track. The load is of a sufficiently low value not to require a separate foundation and the stability of the road and track keeps the track to gauge without gauging bars.

By avoiding the need to divert utilities clear of deep foundations LR55 offers a considerable saving in cost and speed of installation. Up to 100m of LR55 can be laid in a night. The road can then be opened for general traffic until the following night.

When laid the track becomes another utility in the road and trenches of at least a metre length can be dug under the track without special precautions. Utility staff can thus work around the tramway, with suitable precautions which have been discussed with the Railway Inspectorate.

LR55 track consists of three components. 1) a concrete base trough which is laid in the road, 2) LR55 rail and 3) a polymer to bond the two together.

The LR55 track is one of the products offered by TRAM Power Ltd (www.trampower.co.uk). Two EU mills are preparing to roll the LR55 section at a competitive price compared to grooved girder (Phoenix) rails. A British company, Direct Track Solutions Ltd., is preparing drawings for switches and crossings in the LR55 profile. The first design will be for a 25m radius turnout. Specific turnout designs can be prepared for unique site applications.

Come and see the next generation of tramway tracks.