Rail joints are the weakest part of the track. Due to discontinuity of rail in the horizontal & vertical plane, imperfection in the levels of rail heads at the joint & discontinuity in the wave motion of rail, joint suffer with severe blow under passage of wheels. The blow results in degradation of ballast, reduction in ballast resistance and affecting track parameter due to loose packing/ fastening.
Types of Joints
1) Suspended Joint
The rail ends are suspended between 2 sleepers and some portion of rail is cantilever at the joint. Due to cantilever action the packing under the joint sleeper get loose while movement of load. Suspended joint are very common and being adopted not only in Indian Railway but also in other countries of the world.
2) Supported Joint
