XN000022-1977-05-29 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, MAY 29, 1977

IMPROVEMENTS TO RAILWAY TRACKS AT FO TAN *****

THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY HAS INTRODUCED THE USE OF HEAVIER RAILS AND CONCRETE SLEEPERS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EXISTING TRACKS AND REDUCE MAINTENANCE COSTS.

THIS MEASURE WILL NOT ONLY ENSURE BETTER TRAIN SAFETY BECAUSE OF THE MORE STABLE TRACKS, IT WILL ALSO ENABLE PASSENGERS TO HAVE A SMOOTHER AND MORE COMFORTABLE JOURNEY.

THE GENERAL MANAGER OF K.C.R., MR. REGINALD GREGORY, SAID TODAY THAT THE IMPROVED NEW TRACKS WOULD BE MADE UP OF RAILS OF 54 KG. PER METRE, PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE SLEEPERS AND A DOUBLE LAYER OF BALLAST.

THE NEW STANDARD HAS BEEN INITIALLY APPLIED TO THE RAILWAY SIDINGS IN FO TAN WHICH CAME INTO OPERATION ON FRIDAY (MAY 27), MR. GREGORY SAID. AT A COST OF $2.5 MILLION, THE SIDINGS WILL ENABLE OIL FROM CHINA TO BE UNLOADED FROM FREIGHT TRAINS THROUGH A SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED GANTRY DIRECTLY INTO THE ADJACENT STORAGE TANKS.

MR. GREGORY POINTED OUT THAT THE CONCRETE SLEEPERS, TO BE CAST LOCALLY, COULD HAVE SIX TIMES THE LIFE OF WOODEN SLEEPERS AND THE HEAVIER RAILS WOULD LAST MORE THAN TWICE AS LONG AS THE EXISTING RAILS OF 43 KG. PER METRE.

BECAUSE OF THE LONGER LIFE OF SLEEPERS AND RAILS, THE MAINTENANCE COSTS IS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED, HE ADDED.

+THE NEW TRACKS ARE BEING ADOPTED PROGRESSIVELY TO REPLACE EXISTING TRACKS WHEN THEY BECOME DUE FOR RENEWAL OR, IN SOME INSTANCES, WHEN IT IS FOUND THAT THEY CAN GIVE A BETTER SERVICE BEFORE DOUBLE TRACKING IS IMPLEMENTED, HE SAID.

+ IT WILL TAKE ABOUT SIX YEARS TO REPLACE THE EXISTING 33.5- KILOMETRE TRACK FROM HUNG HOM TO LOWU WITH THESE NEW RAILS AND SLEEPERS,

+ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT TO THE TRACKS IS TO DO AWAY WITH JOINTS AND INSTEAD TO HOLD THE SECTIONS TOGETHER BY WELDING. THIS REMOVES THE BUMPS ON THE TRACK AND LETS THE TRAIN GLIDE RATHER THAN JOLT ALONG.

+ALSO THE METHOD OF FASTENING THE TRACK TO THE SLEEPERS HAS BEEN IMPROVED BY A NEW SYSTEM WHICH IS FAR LESS EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN.

+FLEXIBLE PLASTIC INSERTS ARE PLACED BETWEEN THE RAIL AND THE SLEEPERS AND BETWEEN THE RAIL AND THE FASTENER TO ACT AS SOME SORT OF SHOCK-ABSORBER, SO THAT PASSENGERS CAN HAVE A STILL BETTER RIDE AND THE PASSAGE OF THE TRAIN WILL BE QUIETER,+ HE SAID.

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