Tubular track at Rissik

[Chris Janisch]

It may be of interest to viewers to know that tubular track is being installed at Rissik station, adjacent to Hatfield Gautrain station. The Gautrain works required slewing of the main line and the opportunity was taken to install TT. If PRASA had the money all its stations would be so converted. This track is ballastless and consists of track attached to steel beams, with a spacer every few metres to keep the gauge. It already exists at Centurion and Hercules. The main advantage for platform use is that with ballasted track the track levels are constantly raised as ballast is sifted and added. Tubular keeps a standard height, which is passsenger-friendly. Maintenance is also less.
My father is a consultant to TT, having worked with Protekon for many years. The section of line near Rissik was my childhood trainspotting kingdom, where 15CAs used to blast through. The whole area has changed beyond recognition now. Such is the march of progress....

[Luca Lategan]

Tubular track was also used on the new Kayalitsha extention in the Cape.

Would TT be a usefull alternative to normal track between Fishhoek and Simonstown? This may have worked in the dry sand on the Luderitz line, but maybe the wet sand at Simonstown wouldn't be such a good deterent of the sand.

[Christopher King]

What happens about the Track circuits for signalling which rquire the rails to be insulated from one another?