Improvement of Track Quality at Daqin Coal Line, China

With total mileage of 653 km the DatongQinhuangdao (short: “Daqin”) coal line is the major corridor for transporting coal from the west (Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region) to Qinhuangdao, China's largest coal-exporting seaport. Increased track availability, especially in heavy haul railway lines, is the target of many research and development projects for many years. Using elastic polyurethane components in the ballasted track system reduces track maintenance and therefore increases the availability of the line.