Break-of-gauge
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| Rail gauge |
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| Broad gauge |
| Standard gauge |
| Narrow gauge |
| Dual gauge |
| Break-of-gauge |
| Breitspurbahn |
| Rail tracks |
| Tramway track |
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With railways, a break-of-gauge is where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded. Either way, a break-of-gauge adds delays, cost and inconvenience to traffic that must pass from one gauge to another.
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[edit] Inconvenience
Transloading of freight from cars of one gauge to cars of another is very labour and time intensive, and increases the risk of damage to goods. If the capacity of freight cars on each system does not match, additional inefficiencies arise. Technical solutions to avoid transloading include variable gauge axles, replacing the trucks of cars, and the use of transporter cars that can carry a car of a different gauge.
Talgo and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles have developed dual gauge axles (variable gauge axles) which permit through running.
In some cases, breaks of gauge are avoided by installing dual gauge track, either permanently or as part of a changeover process between gauges.
[edit] Major breaks of gauge
Major breaks of gauge between large systems include:
[edit] Africa
- many missing links where railways between and within countries do not link up.
- rail lines links by ferries on convenient rivers or lakes. See portage railways.
- countless potential break-of-gauge stations where missing links to be completed.
- Dar es Salaam is one of the few places in Africa where different gauges actually meet.
[edit] Asia
[edit] Bangladesh
Bangladesh has decided to resolve most of its break-of-gauge problem by converting most of its broad and narrow gauge tracks to dual gauge.
[edit] China
China (standard gauge) on one hand, Mongolia and Russia (1520 mm) on the other.
China (standard gauge), Vietnam (metre gauge)
[edit] India
India has decided that towns on the narrow gauge system get a second class service, and has decided to convert a significant proportion of the narrow gauge system to broad gauge.
[edit] Iran
Iran with its standard gauge has break-of-gauge at the borders with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, and will soon have a new break-of-gauge with Pakistan. It has a short main line with tracks of Indian broad gauge.
[edit] Thailand
Several countries bordering Thailand use metre gauge track, but there are missing links between Thailand and Vietnam via Cambodia.
[edit] Vietnam
- Dual gauge (metre gauge and standard gauge) from Chinese border to Hanoi.
[edit] Australia
- Queensland (1067 mm) and New South Wales (1435 mm)
- New South Wales (1435 mm) and Victoria (1600 mm)
- Southern South Australia uses broad gauge, like Victoria. Northern South Australia had a number of narrow gauge 1067 mm lines, leading to several break-of-gauge stations at various times including Hamley Bridge, Terowie, Peterborough, Gladstone and Port Pirie.
- In the latter part of the 20th century, all mainland capital cities were connected by a standard gauge (1435 mm) network, leading to more breaks of gauge (or branch line closures) in states where this is not the norm.
- Perth's railway system is narrow gauge (1067 mm), while the Indian Pacific is standard gauge. The line between East Perth and Midland, the eastern suburban terminus, and inland to the major rail junction at Northam is dual gauge. All rail east of this is standard gauge.
[edit] Europe
- France (1435 mm) and Spain (1668 mm)
- Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania (1435 mm) and former Soviet Union countries: Russia (Kaliningrad), Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova (1520 mm)
- Finland (1524 mm) and Sweden (1435 mm), between Tornio and Haparanda. Railway ferries between Finland and Sweden or Germany.
- Switzerland, see "Minor breaks of gauge" below.
[edit] North America
- The United States of America had broad, narrow and standard gauge tracks in the 19th century, but is now almost entirely 1435 mm. Similarly the adjacent countries of Canada and Mexico.
[edit] Minor breaks of gauge
Wherever there are narrow gauge lines that connect with a standard gauge line, there is technically a break-of-gauge. If the amount of traffic transferred between lines is small, this might be a small inconvenience only. In Austria and Switzerland there are numerous breaks-of-gauge between standard-gauge main lines and narrow-gauge mountain railways.
The line between Finland and Russia has a minor break-of-gauge. Finnish gauge is 1524 mm and Russian 1520 mm, but this does not stop through-running.
The effects of a minor break-of-gauge can be minimised by placing it at the point where a cargo must be removed from cars anyway. An example of this is the East Broad Top Railroad in the United States of America, which had a coal wash and preparation plant at its break of gauge in Mount Union. The coal was unloaded from narrow gauge cars of the EBT, and after processing was loaded into standard gauge cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
A break of gauge (914mm/1435 mm) between Mexico and Guatemala is currently closed.
[edit] See also
[edit] Other issues
While track gauge is the most important factor preventing through running between adjacent systems, other issues can also be a hindrance, including loading gauge, couplings, brakes, electrification, signalling systems, rules and regulations, language and jealousies. The last mentioned point is where a railway system will not allow its rolling stock to venture past the national boundaries, at least without a swap with similar vehicles going the other way. This is a recipe for inefficiency.
