A break-of-gauge is often seen as an obstacle to the smooth flow of traffic. However, a number of technical solutions exist to reduce its effect on the efficiency of rail services. Some of the most reliable solutions include transshipment, bogie changing and the use of wagons with “variable-gauge” bogies, which enables wagons to be pulled along a special transition track at reduced speed. During the process, the distance between wheels is adjusted from one track gauge to another.
Cross-border freight traffic has been constantly growing for years and the freight market demand, mostly that in Western Europe, has also known constant growth. Large European seaports barely cope with the high volumes of goods shipped every day. Although more difficult to develop on the Eurasian platform, railway freight transport begins to “gain ground”. At least that is what operator want, as well as the countries in the Eurasian platform and this becomes visible in the strategies they adopt. First of all, they want to increase rail freight traffic to boost incomes. But things are not that easy, especially because of long-distances and the drop of the traffic flow at the border between 1435 and 1520 mm gauges.
There are also other solutions for increasing cross-border traffic, experts of UN-ESCAP believe. One involves the provision of dual gauge, the provision of two different track gauges on a single track foundation through the insertion of a third rail (or sometimes a fourth rail to obtain the so-called “composite gauge”). The other option is to convert tracks of different gauges to a single gauge standard. However, these two solutions are viable only when different standards are applied within the same country or for cross-border movements over a very short distance to fit specific requirements such as extending a line section of one country onto the territory of another country to gain access to specific installations or sites, for examples ports or mining sites.
Is the obstacle real?
While continuity of gauge along all routes of the Eurasian Platform (Transsiberian Railway, Trans-Asian Railway, etc.) would be ideal, a break-of-gauge does not constitute a major problem to efficient services. With limited exception, break-of-gauges occur mostly at border points where a range of operations, such as changing locomotives or railway staff, already require trains to stop. These operations are generated by the requirements of railway administrations (customs, border police). Well-designed and well-organized facilities allow for transshipment to take place within the time allocated for these other operations, the disappearance of which cannot yet be realistically envisaged.
In addition, the bulk of time-sensitive traffic is containerized cargo which, by nature, lend itself well to fast and efficient transshipment. Finally, efficient transshipment often takes place within a few hours representing a fraction of the overall transit time over distances of 3,000 km or more.
Share on:
