[photopress:concrete_rail_making.jpg,full,alignright]First understand the principle. Concrete-bed tracks are widely used in Japan and Germany. Unlike ordinary tracks based on metal, which need frequent maintenance, lines built on concrete foundations are more stable and require less maintenance, although construction costs are slightly higher.
Now a test on China’s first domestically developed concrete-bed rail line using high-speed trains is being hailed as a success.
A spokesman with the Chengdu Railway Bureau, which built the track, said the 13.16-kilometer line near Chongqing Municipality proved stable and comfortable for trains running at speeds up to 232 kilometers an hour.
Construction on the concrete-bed rail began in September 2004 and was completed in December last year. Tests began on January 3 and lasted eight days.
Source: Shanghai Daily