Corrosion of Rails: Causes and its prevention

Abstract

Corrosion of rails has been recognised as one of the most serious causes to damage of Railway track. The mechanism of rail corrosion under dynamic loading is so complex involving physical, chemical and electrochemical process that it is very difficult to assess the condition and causes of corrosion affected rails. Cases of failure of rails have cometo light at load much below the safe load mainlydue to deterioration of rail due to corrosion. It is therefore, essential that all P.Way Engineers should have a broad knowledge of rail composition, environment effect on it and its prevention by use of proper protective coatings so as to safeguard against the parils of sudden breakdown. In the present paper the author has made an attempt to present the basic causes of rail corrosion, its process and mechanism, influencing factors, and necessary measures to control it.