Since the late 19th century the design of tramway tracks in streets has remained remarkably static. A mass concrete foundation supports grooved girder rails bolted together with gauge bars.The highway pavement is made up with setts, concrete or blacktop.
The LR55 tramway track design has a top suspended rail, bonded with an elastomeric polymer into pre-cast concrete foundation troughs, which are only 180mm deep and 380mm wide. Trenches in the highway pavement 400mm wide and 200mm deep are needed to take the LR55 foundation troughs and minimise the relocation of under street plant. The bearing pressure on the base of the troughs is low, and does not require any further pavement strengthening.
These pages take you through a short presentation on the LR55 tramway track system