What is Railway Engineering? – Civil Engineering

Railway Engineering

(रेलमार्ग इंजीनियर)

Railway engineering is a branch of civil engineering that deals with the design, construction and maintenance of the railway track for safe and efficient movements of the Rail Transport System (trains).

Transportation is regarded as an index of economic, social and commercial progress of a country. The transport industry, which undertakes nothing more than mere movement of persons and things from one place to another, has constituted one of the most important activities of men in every stage of advanced civilization. The whole structure of industry and commerce rests on the well laid foundation of transport. Adequate transportation is indispensable for economic and social development of a nation and the world as a whole.

The railway is a rapid, reliable, and a very huge transportation system. Due to railways, industrial development is possible,increasing the land values and standard of living of the people.

Given below are the links to some major and important topics related to railway engineering that will be beneficial for aspiring civil engineers:

RAIL

Rails are steel girders placed end to end to provide a level and continuous surface for the movement of trains.

Following are the functions of rails:

• The rails provide a level and continuous surface for the movement of trains.
• The rails provide a smooth pathway to trains, This pathway has very less friction. The friction between the wheels of the train and steel of rails is about 20% of friction between the pneumatic tyres and metalled roads.
• The rails serve as a lateral guide for the running of wheels.
• The rails bear the stresses developed due to vertical loads transmitted to it through axles and wheels of the rolling stock, due to braking forces and thermal stresses etc.
• The rails transmit the heavy load of rolling stock etc. to the large area of formation through sleepers and ballast.

Flat Footed Rails

Flat footed rails are among the categories of types of rails.

Flat footed rails are also called Vignole’s rails after the name of the inventor. It consists of three parts: Head, Web, Foot. The foot is spread out to form a base. About 90% of the railway tracks in the world are laid with this form of rails, in India flat footed rails are most commonly used.

 Advantages of flat footed rails:

• For fixing flat footed rails to sleepers, no chairs are needed.
• This form of rail is stiffer both vertically and laterally, then the full headed rail of equal weight.
• More cheaper the B.H. rails.

Disadvantages of flat footed rails:

Due to the impact of rolling wheel loads, fitting gets loosened more frequently.

Sleepers

Sleepers are the members which support the rail and are laid, transverse to the rail. They rest on the ballast cushion and transfer the axle load to subgrade through ballast. They are also called as rail road ties.

Functions of railway sleepers

The main functions of sleepers are as follows:

• It holds the rail to correct gauge and alignment
• It gives firm and even support to the rails.
• It transfers the load in a uniform way from rails to the area of ballast.
• It acts as an elastic medium between the rails and the ballast to absorb the blows and vibrations of moving load.
• It provides longitudinal and lateral stability to the permanent way.

 

Online Courses for Railway Engineering (CE):

Candidates pursuing civil engineering can see high competition while preparing for government Railway Engineering exams such as GATE, ESE, SSC JE, RRB JE Exam and many others. While government jobs bring along a stable career and job security, it is not easier to crack the exam. Such exams expect hard work, dedication and a well strategic planning and study routine. MADE EASY is here to support your preparation journey of GATE, ESE and PSU exams. Our courses are curated by renowned experts that focus on providing quality lectures from the basic level to advanced level. MADE EASY provides aspirants the right guidance to maximize their performance and achieve success. Civil engineering candidates are advised to visit on the links given below to know more about courses that include key concepts of engineering branches taught from basic level and prepare aspirants for the future.

• MADE EASY Classroom Foundation Course for GATE 2026-27
• MADE EASY Classroom Course for GATE + SES (GS) 2026-27
• GATE + ESE + SES (GS) : 1 Year Foundation Course
• Live Online Foundation Course for GATE + SES (GS)
• Live Online Foundation Course for ESE, GATE, and SES 2026

Recommended Books for Railway Engineering

Books are still an essential part of learning as they offer in-depth knowledge in various topics. Learning books are well structured and provide comprehensive understanding making them invaluable for students and lifelong learners. MADE EASY Publications is one such platform for students who are looking for high quality and well structured content for their preparation. Our platform consists of government engineering exams books which are curated by a team of experts and experienced authors. Civil engineering aspirants are suggested to click on the links mentioned below to learn more in depth about Railway engineering:

• GATE-2026: Civil Engineering Previous Year Solved Papers
• ESE 2026: Preliminary Exam: Civil Engineering Objective Solved Paper Vol-1
• A Handbook on Civil Engineering

Must Read:

• Railway, Airport, Dock, Harbour & Tunnelling Engineering
• Track Stresses, Traction and Tractive Resistances
• Geometric Design of Track

FAQs:

1. What is the coning of the wheel treads?

Ans. The tread or rim of railway vehicles are not made flat but are sloped and this sloping surface along the circumference forms part of a cone. This is known as the coning of wheels.

2. What are the types of rail sections?

Ans. The three types of rail sections which have been tried so far for the construction of railway track are:

• Double headed rails (D.H. Rails)
• Bull headed rails (B.H. Rails)
• Flat footed rails (F.F. Rails)

3. What does a railway engineer do?

Ans.  A railway engineer is responsible for planning, designing, constructing and maintaining railway tracks, bridges, tunnels, stations, signals and overhead wires.

4. Who is eligible to be a railway engineer?

Ans. A candidate must be an Indian citizen, have completed an engineering degree or diploma from a recognized university along with minimum age of 18 years and maximum age of 33 years.

5. What is the salary of a railway engineer officer?

Ans. A railway engineer can earn 3 LPA and can extend till 10 LPA.