HIGHWAY AND

RAILROAD
ENGINEERING
WEEK 1

VICENTE M. ABAN
INSTRUCTOR
Transport, or transportation, is the
movement of humans, animals and goods
from one location to another. In other
words, the action of transport is defined as
a particular movement of an organism or
thing from a point A to a point B. Modes of
transport include air, land, water, cable,
pipeline and space. Wikipedia
Through advanced sensing, communication, and
artificial intelligence (AI) technologies,
transportation engineering also focuses on the
provision of on-demand, personalized, and shared
mobility services using electrical, connected and
automated vehicles. To this end, data-driven
approach, optimization, and game theory are
fundamental tools to understand and predict the
evolution of emerging transportation systems and
their roles in smart city development.
 
IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPORTATION
Transportation engineering is the application of technology

and scientific principles to the design, operation, planning

and management of transportation infrastructure, mobility

service, traffic, and travelers for various travel modes,

in order to provide for the safe, efficient, rapid,

comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally

sustainable movement of people and goods.

MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

LAND
RAILWAYS
HIGHWAYS

WATER
SHIPS
PORTS AND HARBOR

AIR
AIRCRAFTS
AIRPORTS

PIPELINES
CABLE
Rail
India has amongst the largest railway network in the
world. Every city, town, village has a rail connection.
Through railways very large volumes of goods can be
transported economically over long distances to remote
places in the country. But railways in general incur high
fixed costs because of expensive equipment (i.e.railways
must maintain their own rail track meant exclusively for
them) switching yards and terminals. However the
railways experience relatively low variable operating
costs. Railways help to transport raw materials from
extractive industries which are located at considerable
distances. Besides this railways also transport massive
amount of steel, automobiles, war equipment, across the
country.
Definition: Rail transport is also known as
train transport. It is a means of transport,
on vehicles which run on tracks (rails or
railroads). It is one of the most important,
commonly used and very cost effective
modes of commuting and goods carriage
over long, as well as, short distances.
Since this system runs on metal (usually
steel) rails and wheels, it has an inherent
benefit of lesser frictional resistance which
helps attach more load in terms of wagons
or carriages. This system is known as a
train. Usually, trains are powered by an
engine locomotive running on electricity or
on diesel. Complex signaling systems are
utilised if there are multiple route networks.
Rail transport is also one of the fastest
modes of land transport.
DESCRIPTION:
Rail transport has emerged as one of the most
dependable modes of transport in terms of safety.
Trains are fast and the least affected by usual
weather turbulences like rain or fog, compared to
other transport mechanisms. Rail transport is better
organised than any other medium of transport. It has
fixed routes and schedules.
Railroads basically concentrate on the container traffic and are
becoming more responsive of the customer needs,
emphasizing bulk industries and heavy manufacturing. They
have expanded their intermodal operations through alliances
and motor carrier ownership. Railroads are even concentrating
on development of special equipment. There are unit trains
which are entire train carrying the same commodity, which are
bulk products such as coal or grain. Unit trains are faster, less
expensive to operate and quick as it can bypass rail yards and
go direct to the product’s destination.
There are also various different types, such as
articulated cars for extended Rail chassis, double-stack
railcars, have 2 levels of containers, thereby doubling
the capacity of each car. It also reduces chances of
damage because of their design. These technologies
have are being applied by railroads to reduce weight,
increase carrying capacity, and facilitate interchange.

The above examples show the attempts being made by

the railways to retain and improve their share of overall
transportation market.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Railway
Transport
Advantages:
1. Dependable:

The greatest advantage of the railway

transport is that it is the most
dependable mode of transport as it is
the least affected by weather conditions
such as rains, fog etc. compared to other
modes of transport.
2. Better Organised:
The rail transport is better organised than any other form of transport. It has fixed routes
and schedules. Its service is more certain, uniform and regular as compared to other
modes of transport.

3. High Speed over Long Distances:

Its speed over long distances is more than any other mode of transport, except airways.
Thus, it is the best choice for long distance traffic.

4. Suitable for Bulky and Heavy Goods:

Railway transport is economical, quicker and best suited for carrying heavy and bulky
goods over long distances.
5. Cheaper Transport:
It is a cheaper mode of transport as compared to other modes of transport. Most of the
working expenses of railways are in the nature of fixed costs. Every increase in the railway
traffic is followed by a decrease in the average cost. Rail transport is economical in the use of
labour also as one driver and one guard are sufficient to carry much more load than the motor
transport.

6. Safety:
Railway is the safest form of transport. The chances of accidents and breakdowns of railways
are minimum as compared to other modes of transport. Moreover, the traffic can be protected
from the exposure to sun, rains, snow etc.

7. Larger Capacity:
The carrying capacity of the railways is extremely large. Moreover, its capacity is
elastic which can easily be increased by adding more wagons.
8. Public Welfare:
It is the largest public undertaking in the country.
Railways perform many public utility services. Their
charges are based on ‘charge what the traffic can bear’
principle which helps the poor. In fact, it is national
necessity.

9. Administrative Facilities of Government:

Railways provide administrative facilities to the
Government. The defence forces and the public
servants drive their mobility primarily from the
railways.

10. Employment Opportunities:

The railways provide greater employment
opportunities for both skilled and unskilled labour.
Disadvantages:
Although railway transport has many
advantages, it suffers from certain
serious limitations:
1. Huge Capital Outlay:

The railway requires is large investment of

capital. The cost of construction,
maintenance and overhead expenses are
very high as compared to other modes of
transport. Moreover, the investments are
specific and immobile. In case the traffic is
not sufficient, the investments may mean
wastage of huge resources.
2. Lack of Flexibility:

Another disadvantage of railway transport

is its inflexibility. Its routes and timings
cannot be adjusted to individual
requirements.
3. Lack of Door to Door Service:

Rail transport cannot provide door to door

service as it is tied to a particular track.
Intermediate loading or unloading involves
greater cost, more wear and tear and
wastage of time.
The time and cost of terminal operations
are a great disadvantage of rail transport.
4. Monopoly:

As railways require huge capital outlay, they may give rise to

monopolies and work against public interest at large. Even if
controlled and managed by the government, lack of competition may
breed inefficiency and high costs.
5. Unsuitable for Short Distance and Small Loads:

Railway transport is unsuitable and uneconomical for short distance and

small traffic of goods.

6. Booking Formalities:

It involves much time and labour in booking and taking delivery of goods
through railways as compared to motor transport.

7. No Rural Service:

Because of huge capital requirements and traffic, railways cannot be operated

economically in rural areas. Thus, large rural areas have no railway service
even today. This causes much inconvenience to the people living in rural
areas.
8. Under-utilised Capacity:
The railway must have full load for its ideal and
economic operation. As it has a very large
carrying capacity, under-utilisation of its
capacity, in most of the regions, is a great
financial problem and loss to the economy.

9. Centralised Administration:
Being the public utility service railways have monopoly
position and as such there is centralised administration.
Local authorities fail to meet the personal requirements
of
Road Transport
Road transport forms an essential part of any transport
activity, whether rail, sea or air. It is essential as a
supplementary and complementary mode of transport
to complete movement by other modes of transport.
Eg. From one terminal i.e. the railway station the
goods have to be carried to the destination by road.

Highway transportation has increased rapidly since the

end of World War II. This is because Motor carrier
industry results from door-to-door operating flexibility
and speed of intercity movement. They are even
flexible because they can operate on each and every
kind of roadways.

In comparison to railroads, motor carriers have

relatively small fixed investments in terminal facilities
and operate on publicly maintained highways.
In comparison with railway, Road transport offers
certain advantages like
1. Door to door service to customers which neither rail
nor neither sea nor air transport can offer.

2. On per unit basis, the cost of making a road is 1/6`

that of laying a railway line.

3. Capital investment in case of roadways is much less

than railways designed to carry equivalent quantum
of traffic.

4. Road transport provides employment to many

people.
1. Less Capital Outlay:
Road transport required much less
capital Investment as compared
to other modes of transport such as
railways and air transport.
The cost of constructing, operating and
maintaining roads
is cheaper than that of the railways.
Roads are generally constructed by the
government and local authorities and
only a small revenue
is charged for the use of roads.
3. Service in Rural Areas:

Road transport is most suited for carrying goods and people

to and from rural areas which are not served by rail, water
or air transport. Exchange of goods, between large towns
and small villages is made possible only through road
transport.
4. Flexible Service:
Road transport has a great advantage over other modes of
transport for its flexible service, its routes and timings can be
adjusted and changed to individual requirements without
much inconvenience.

5. Suitable for Short Distance:

It is more economic and quicker for carrying goods and people
over short distances. Delays in transit of goods on account of
intermediate loading and handling are avoided. Goods can be
loaded direct into a road vehicle and transported straight to
their place of destination.
Road transport may face a number of problems when any of the following facts is
evident :
1) There is an occasional shortage of fuel in the country.

2) Vehicle availability in the country has been problematic.

3) The cost of components and accessories, such as tyres and batteries, has escalated
tremendously.

4) The police check posts are too many, resulting in heavy detention to road vehicles,

5) The present Motor Vehicle Act regulating the issue of licenses and permits and
movement of vehicles is very restrictive.

6) When Road Conditions are very bad and hazardous ,vehicles tend to reduce speed,
which leads to wastage of natural transport capacity.

7) Roadside maintenance and service facilities are inadequate.

8) The system of national, zonal and state permits restricts free growth of road transport
6. Lesser Risk of Damage in Transit:
As the intermediate loading and handling
is avoided, there is lesser risk of damage,
breakage etc. of the goods in transit. Thus,
road transport is most suited for
transporting delicate goods like chinaware
and glassware, which are likely to be
damaged in the process of loading and
unloading.

7. Saving in Packing Cost:

As compared to other modes of transport,
the process of packing in motor transport is
less complicated. Goods transported by
motor transport require less packing or no
packing in several cases.

8. Rapid Speed:
If the goods are to be sent immediately or
quickly, motor transport is more suited
than the railways or water transport. Water
transport is very slow. Also much time is
wasted in booking the goods and taking
9. Less Cost:

Road transport not only requires less initial capital investment, the
cost of operation and maintenance is also comparatively less. Even if
the rate charged by motor transport is a little higher than that by the
railways, the actual effective cost of transporting goods by motor
transport is less. The actual cost is less because the motor transport
saves in packing costs and the expenses of intermediate loading,
unloading and handling charges.

10. Private Owned Vehicles:

Another advantage of road transport is that big businessmen can
afford to have their own motor vehicles and initiate their own road
services to market their products without causing any delay.

11. Feeder to other Modes of Transport:

The movement of goods begins and ultimately ends by making use
of roads. Road and motor transport act as a feeder to the other
modes of transport such as railways, ships and airways.
Disadvantages:
In spite of various merits, road/motor has
some serious limitations:
1. Seasonal Nature:
Motor transport is not as reliable as rail transport.
During rainy or flood season, roads become unfit
and unsafe for use.
2. Accidents and Breakdowns:
There are more chances of accidents and
breakdowns in case of motor transport. Thus, motor
transport is not as safe as rail transport.
3. Unsuitable for Long Distance and Bulky
Traffic:
This mode of transport is unsuitable and costly for
transporting cheap and bulky goods over long
4. Slow Speed:

The speed of motor transport is comparatively

slow and limited.

5. Lack of Organisation:

The road transport is comparatively less

organised. More often, it is irregular and
undependable. The rates charged for
transportation are also unstable and unequal.
Water transport
One of the oldest modes of transportation is water. In terms of time
factor, they may be slow. But, they Water transport could be of inland
can carry more shipment, at reduced cost over longer distance. Water
transport could be of inland type or oceanic transport.
Inland water transport
Inland water transport is used mainly for transport within a country. In
our country Inland water transport through rivers and canals is quite
popular because of the low cost and bulk transport. But here, the inland
water transport system heavily depends upon the rain and in many
places on the tides. So, in our country we cannot guarantee the
functioning of inland water throughout the year at the same efficiency.
Oceanic Transport
Oceans act as huge waterways for transport of goods form one
country to another. Oceanic transportation includes import and
export of crude and bulky commodities like materials which are
removed from mines, cement, chemical, crude oil, iron ore, coal,
chemicals like sulphur, crude petroleum, and selected
agricultural products, etc.

The capability of water to carry large tonnage at low variable

costs makes it in demand. When a company desire low freight
rates and the speed and the time of transport are secondary, it
has the option of selecting water as a mode of transport.
The main disadvantage of water transport is the
limited range of operation and speed. Unless the
origin and destination are adjacent, supplement
haul by rail or truck is required. Water transport isn’t
all that flexible. Labour restrictions on loading and
unloading at docks create operational problems
and tend to reduce the potential range of available
traffic. Also, a highly competitive situation has
developed between railroads and inland water
carriers in areas where parallel routes exist.
Pipelines
Primarily, pipeline is used for the transport of crude petroleum, refined
petroleum and natural gas. Pipelines are also used for the transportation
of certain types of chemicals, Pulverized dry bulk materials such as
cement and flour via hydraulic suspension system, and sewage and
water in cities. A significant fixed cost is incurred while setting up the
pipeline and related infrastructures. Thus, given the nature of costs,
pipelines are the best suited when relatively large and stable flows of
materials are required. E.g.: pipeline may be best suited to transport
crude petroleum from the port to the refinery. But, to transport refined
petrol to a gas station does not justify the use of a pipeline and this is
better done by a truck. There is a talk going on between India, Iran and
Pakistan regarding the transportation of crude oil from Iran to India with
the help of a pipeline which will pass through Pakistan. This will reduce
the cost of transporting crude oil from Iran to India. One advantage of
pipelines is that, once they have been constructed, they are not labour
intensive for operational purposes as other modes of transport so their
variable operating cost is low.
In comparison with the other modes of transport, pipelines operate
on a 24 hour basis, seven days a week. They stop functioning due
to change in the commodity to be transported, or due to
maintenance. Unlike other modes of transport, pipeline does not
have any ’empty containers’ or vehicles’ which are to be returned
to the origins.

A high fixed cost for pipelines normally results from the right of
way construction and requirements at the control stations and
pumping capacity. Another disadvantage of ‘pipeline is that they
are not flexible. Once the route of a pipeline is fixed, it is not
changeable. Again pipelines are restricted with respect to the
types of commodities which can be transported through them.
Only products in the form of gas, liquid slurry can be handled by
the pipelines:’
Air Transport
Air transport though new as compared to other
modes of transportation, has gained large popularity
in transporting various commodities. The basic
advantage of Air transport is its high speed. By air,
the time required may be just a few hours, which
may be days by other modes of transport. However
this being a major advantage, air transport also has
various disadvantages. These are:
∙ Air transport is a costly affair.
∙ Air transport is limited by ‘lift capacity’ i.e.
goods up to certain load (weight) can be
transported by aircrafts.
Air freight variable cost is very high due to fuel, maintenance
and labour intensity of both in flight and ground crew. The fixed
cost of air transport is low as compared to rails, water and
pipeline. In fact, air transport ranks second only to highway with
respect to low fixed cost. Airways and airports are maintained
by public funds and terminals are by local communities. The
fixed costs of airfreight are associated with aircraft purchase
and the requirement for specialized handling systems and
cargo containers. But the air freight variable cost is extremely
high as a result of fuel, maintenance, and labour intensity of
both in-flight and ground crews. Even though it has all these
disadvantages, High speed of air transport often helps in
compensating its other disadvantages. No particular commodity
dominates the freight carried by air transport. E.g. big courier
companies such as DHL, Fed Ex have their own air crafts to
transport couriers between different countries within a short
time.
Rope ways
A ropeway is a form of naval lifting device
used to transport light stores and
equipment across rivers or ravines. It
comprises a jackstay, slung between two
sheers or gyps, one at either end, from
which is suspended a block and tackle, that
is free to travel along the rope and hauled
back and forth by inhauls (ropes attached
to the pulley from which the block and
tackle are suspended).
Cable transport is a broad class of transport modes that have cables.

They transport passengers and goods, often in vehicles called cable cars.

The cable may be driven or passive, and items may be moved by pulling,

sliding, sailing, or by drives within the object being moved on cableways.

The use of pulleys and balancing of loads moving up and down are common

elements of cable transport. They are often used in mountainous areas where

cable haulage can overcome large differences in elevation.

modes of cable transport
AERIAL CABLE
TRANSPORT RAIWAY
AERIAL
funicular is a transportation system that uses cable-driven cars to
connect the end-points and possibly intermediate points along a
steep incline. By definition, a funicular uses two counterbalanced
passenger cars attached to the opposite ends of a cable, which is
looped over a pulley at the upper end of a track. A funicular's two
cars move in concert: as one ascends, the other descends
simultaneously, an arrangement that distinguishes a funicular from
other cable-guided transportation systems — e.g., a
single-car inclined elevator.The term funicular derives from
the Latin word funiculus, the diminutive of funis, meaning 'rope'.
Intermodal Transportation
Intermodal transportation is the use of more than one
mode of transport to move a shipment to its destination.
A variety of intermodal combinations are possible
depending upon the type and amount of goods, the time
of delivery, the pricing factor, etc. the most common
combination is that of the motor carrier and railway.

Intermodal combination of transport has also helped to

increase the revenue of each of the modes of transport.
On land it has been found that a combination of truck
and rail mode of transport offer a better deal in terms of
cost and time rather than transport by truck alone. In
general, therefore intermodal means of transport helps
to bring together different modes of transport to create a
price and /or service offering that may not be matched
by any single mode transport.
Various Intermodal combinations
Piggyback / railroad
It is a specialized form of containerization in which rail and and
road transport co-ordinate. In piggyback, the carrier places the
motor carrier trailer on a rail flatcar, which moves the trailer by
rail for a long distance. A motor carrier then moves to trailer for
short-distance pickups and deliveries.
Containership / Fishy back / trainship :
Containership, Fishy back, trainship and example of the oldest
form of intermodal transport. They utilize waterways, which is
one of the least expensive modes for product movement. The
Fishyback, trainship and containership concept loads a truck
trailer, railcar, or container onto a barge or ship for the
shipment.
QUESTIONS

IDENTIFY THE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

AVAILABLE
IN THE COUNTRY AND THE LOCALITY
DISCUSS THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RAIL TRANSPORT
SCOPE OF HIGHWAY AND TRAFFIC
ENGINEERING
highway engineering
pavement design and construction
flexible pavement
rigid pavement
highway materials
soils
Portland cement
construction methods
handling and placing of concrete
joints
quality control practices
specifications
testing
HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

► Rigid pavement

Portland cement concrete pavement

► Materials

► Joints

► Handling and placing of concrete

► Flexible pavement

► specific gravity

► porosity of aggregates

► Asphalt content

► Percentage of Voids

► Design of pavement

► Mcleods Methods

► u.s corps of engineers

► radius of relative stiffness

► Radius of resisting sections

► Traffic index
Traffic engineering

❖ Capacity
❖ Traffic volume
❖ AADT
❖ Design speed
❖ Density
❖ Trip Distribution
❖ Traffic signs, signals, markers
Traffic engineering

► Highway Safety And Accident Analysis

► Accident rate
► Severity ratio
► Space speed
► Time mean speed
► Rate of flow
► Design repetitions
► Traffic index
► Peak hour factor
► Spacing of vehicles
Traffic engineering

Minimum Radius Of Curvature For Horizontal Curve

Design speed
Superelavation
Side friction
Radius of curvature
Traffic engineering
Sight distance
Stopping sight distance
Passing sight distance
Parabolic curve
Symmetrical
Unsymmetrical
Thank
you!!!