T-Track Saudi

Market Offering
Five-Point Plan
Rail Expertise

Market Offering

It draws exclusively on the rail expertise and supplier base developed for leading international railways, particularly from South Africa, Brazil and Australia, where low-density networks provide heavy-haul and general freight services in challenging environments.

The company provides a unique blend of domain experts that continue to successfully push the rail engineering and business management envelope, often challenging the experiential paradigm of conventional railway thinking.

The company offers the Client a menu of products and services in a variety of engagement models:

Five-Point Plan for Low-Density Railways

Over the years our team has developed a unique Five-Point Plan for Low-Density Railways to ensure profitability, revenue growth, attractive return on capital, and the lowest cost of ownership whilst providing a predictable service to customers in harsh environments.

1. Self-Steering Bogies (versus fixed axle bogies)

The steering bogie is designed to make the most of this ability by reducing the stiffness of the axle box suspension and increasing the tread gradient to maximize the difference in diameter between left and right wheels on the same axle. These features allow the wheels and axle to move more freely without sacrificing running stability.

As a train runs on a curve at high speed, the wheels exert high lateral force on the rails causing wear and tear of wheel flanges and rails, and resulting in derailing in extreme cases. This lateral force can be reduced by various methods, including use of self-steering bogies.

Normal wheels are press-fitted onto the axle and have a tread gradient. This gradient provides some degree of steering over a curve by allowing the centre of the axle to move towards the outside of the curve as a result of the centrifugal force.

The advantages of Self-Steering Bogies are:

2. Communication Based Train Control (versus line-side signaling and control)

CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) systems are known as comprehensive, integrated and intelligent control systems for rail systems including mainline railways, light rails and underground lines in cities. With the development of modern data communication, computer and control techniques, CBTC represents the future direction of rail control systems. CBTC is known as the brain and nerve centre of rail systems, and ensures the safety and efficiency of rail systems.

The European standard is known as the ETCS (European Train Control System) and available in Level 0, 1 and 2 specifications .

The advantages of CBTC include:

Increased traffic density
Improved safety:

Automatic Train Protection (ATP)
Automatic train operation (ATO)
Automatic Train Supervision (ATS)

Reduction in wayside signaling equipment
Lower cost of maintenance

3. IGBT Based AC Power Switching (versus GTO based)

Locomotives represent a challenging application for high-power electronics in terms of power, voltage-level and operating conditions. The transition from Gate Turn Off Thyristors (GTO) to Insulated Gate Bi-polar Transistor (IGBT) allowed building of more compact converters with a more flexible power rating.

In future diesel locomotives will employ lightweight and maintenance free AC motors capable of hauling higher loads using IGBT based AC traction control systems.

An IGBT is a power transistor that has characteristics of both metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFET) and bipolar junction transistors (BJT’s). Modules with multiple IGBTs can support very high voltage and amperage.

Some of the advantages of using IGBT’s in locomotive power switching include:

Increased power density
Less weight
Simpler converter structure
Significant reduction in power loss and the subsequent increase in converter efficiency lead to notable reductions in operating costs

4. Modular Beam Track (versus ballasted sleeper track)

Modular Beam Track revolutionizes the cost of installation and ownership of track. This is a ballast-less railway system with rails continuously supported on twin reinforced concrete beams laid on a designed formation. The beams are tied together with galvanized steel tie-bars, the ends of which encircle the beams around the concrete and sized in convenient precast lengths.

The reinforced concrete beams and the formation form an integral system, and are designed as such by eminent consulting engineers. Site-specific designs are done to suit the Client’s needs in respect of varying axle loads, operational speeds and annual tonnages. TMT is further optimized to suit prevailing geotechnical conditions.

The technology does away with ballast costs (ballast quarries, ballast trains, tamping & sifting machines, the rail dynamics risk of compacted ballast, the creeping of sleepers under lateral forces and the longitudinal stress management of continuous welded rail).

Existing applications include main lines, marshalling yards, ports, urban light rail, tunnels, tracks at passenger platforms, level crossings, and tracks in underground mines, at bulk loading sites, and in desert conditions.

The advantages of Modular Beam Track include:

cost of installation:

Less formation work
Simple construction logistics
No special track-laying equipment

Very low cost of maintenance:

No Ballast
No sifting
No tamping
Only grouting every few years

No loss in capacity due to sifting and tamping (of ballast)
Maintains vertical alignment (fixed geometry)
Continuous beam support of rail:

Higher axle loads for lighter rail
No corrugation of rail
Maintains longitudinal alignment of continuously welded rail:

1. No kick-outs
2. No rail breaks

Increased dynamic stability of trains
Reduced stray return currents on electrified lines
No sleeper creep on turnouts (especially in heavy-haul)
Excellent in sandy conditions

5. Technical Audits (versus in-house engineering)

Class 1 Railroads can afford the overhead cost of in-house Engineering and Research & Development capabilities. To save costs low-density railways often rely on vendors and consultants to advise them on technical decisions and technology management. A Technical Audit provides railway management with a business tool for technology management. This is similar in use to Financial Audits in business management.

The advantages of a Technical Audit include:

Regular independent expert feedback to management on the technical “health” of the railway.
Proper alignment of technical capital and maintenance decisions with business objectives.
Less and more predictable overhead costs:

Vendors advise in their own interest
Consulting fees are expensive

Tracking reports every half-year does away with technical "surprises"

Rail Expertise

Our team has vast experience in all railway engineering conventions since the early 1970's. It includes two of the seven members of the Hall of Fame of the International Heavy Haul Association³ , academics and practitioners.

In heavy-haul applications the management of the wheel/rail interface is of paramount importance. A number of key areas include:

Vehicle and Track Interaction, including heavy haul vehicle suspensions and rail and wheel management.
Wheel and Rail Performance, including contact mechanics, rail and wheel materials, lubrication and friction management, and rail/wheel damage modes.
Maintenance of optimal wheel and rail performance in a heavy haul environment, including the management of continuously welded rail.

There are many lessons to be learnt from other successful heavy-haul rail operations around the world. These include dedicated lines, established mixed freight and start-up operations. Our team has experience in heavy-haul operations in South Africa, South-America and Australia.

T-Track draws on more than 300 years of experience gained from facing challenges in rail projects and operations in the international arena and in particular sub-Sahara Africa.

The Core Team developed its more than 100 years of rail knowledge from working many years for a Class 1 railroad in Africa, and supplying products and services to seven state-owned railways and five railway concessions in the region.
The Rail Advisory Board has more than 200 years of rail experience and thought leadership and includes two Hall of Fame members of the International Heavy Hall Association, a number of doctorates, academics and research scientists.

T-Track is confident that this combination of advice and expertise can significantly contribute to successful implementation of the Client’s rail business plans.

Advisory Team

The advisory team that T-Track can offer to the Client is made up of a group of professional consultants that have gained considerable heavy-haul, inter-modal and general freight rail expertise over many years.

Below is a list of services that can be provided by T-Track:

Technologies for Low Density Railways
Rail Operations Management
Rail Safety
Locomotive Traction Systems
Capital Planning & Pre-feasibility
Track Structure & Dynamics
Rail Marketing, Freight Flow Modeling, Cost of Logistics
Ballasted Track Construction
Tubular Modular Track Construction
Multi Disciplinary Railway Engineering
Testing of Track Structures
General Freight and Inter-modal Logistics
Feasibility Studies & New Line Design
Rail Operations & Change Management
Systems Engineering and Project Management
Track Maintenance
Rolling Stock Design
Signalling & Train Control Systems, Wayside Systems, Railway IT Systems, Rail Logistics
Rail Steering Bogie Design
Maintenance of Diesel Locomotives
Procurement of Capital Rail Equipment

T-Track EPCM Services

T-Track EPCM Services offers a full house execution service from Concept through to commissioning of operational track.

The Services set comprises a Joint Venture between T-Track, a Saudi Company, and Infradev / Tubular Track (PTY) Ltd from South Africa.

This Saudi company is structured in a manner that optimizes the Saudi available services and the South African technical expertise and execution management capability.

All local civil and structural trackworks will be undertaken by the local infrastructure division; The design, engineering and execution methodologies will be undertaken by the South African Rail Technology divisions within Tubular Track (PTY) Ltd. The Project Management will be managed and executed by the Infradev arm of the consortium utilising the expertise of locally based international contractors. All equipment specification, procurement, quality assurance and control functions are carried out by Infradev-Tubular Track (PTY) Ltd.