NS TO START BALLASTLESS TRACK TRIALS NEXT MONTH

Slab track offers demonstrable benefits compared with ballasted track in terms of maintenance. It is known in particular that problems with the ballast bed can occur where trains operate at speeds above 250 km/h (155 mi/h). The objective of the Best project in the Netherlands is to gather data concerningg construction methods and costs as well as the performance of the concrete slab track with embedded rails. The pilot project has been divided into two phases: the civil engineering part that covers the production of track specifications, the design of the foundations, the construction of the concrete slab, the implementation method, and the tracklaying schedule; and the trial phase that comprises the measurement program to obtain civil engineering information.