Assessing the defects on the main structural components of the Kampala Namanve commuter railway and investigating their effect on the track’s geometry.

Abstract

An efficient rail network is essential in aiding the development of the state and its citizens by improving and availing other means of transportation and communication, for both passengers and cargo. It is therefore important that the rail way infrastructure is well maintained and kept in a condition, efficient enough to safely sustain the transportation of goods and cargo. According to The Witness news ( URC resumes passenger services, 2021), upon re-opening in July 2021, the Kampala-Namanve passenger train made 5 trips daily, with over 4000 people using the 5 coaches that were present to travel. This signifies that a significant number of people commute on this railway and therefore should be in good condition. According to NBS (Government kicks off Rehabilitation of Railway lines, 2022), the government of Uganda kicked off rehabilitation of the various defects on the Tororo-Namanve rail section. This signifies presence of defects on the current railway networks in Uganda. In this study, literature related to railway lines and defects that affect them was obtained from textbooks, the internet, engineering journals and credible news articles. The literature was reviewed mainly to understand the permanent way of the railway line, its main structural components, and the defects that effect these components, the permanent way drainage, operation and maintenance activities. Field visits under supervision from URC personnel were done to identify the defects present on the main structural elements of the railway. Standard measurements were done to ascertain the extent of their effect on the geometry of the rail way line. Significant defects were identified through visual inspection and how they affect the track geometry was discussed. Engineering tests i.e. gradation and elongation were also carried out on the ballasts to determine their functional capability. Geometry alignment was determined along a section of the curve in Nakawa approaching Wankoko level crossing using a cant and gauge measuring device. There were irregularities recorded in the slope and cant values obtained. These irregularities were attributed to the presence of various defects on the rail line Conclusions and constructive recommendations on how these defects can be addressed were drawn.