Alternative to sleepers and ballast?

[biggus]

Roads would not be level enough, too much variation in the level of the surface.
Then there would be the problem of gradients.

Agreed. I was imagining a scenario for low speed temporary use of a highway alignment.

However my idea was prompted by fantasies of reclaiming the musguided busway.

 

[Trog]

If your line is flooded ballast can be seriously damaged or just washed away andwill require massive quantities of work to restore to full operational status.

Slab track will just require a simple check to ensure that the foundation has not been scoured under.

But if the slab has been damaged repair will be a lot harder, and take way longer than bringing in some fill and ballast.

Also an old slab where the rail housings are starting to work loose, or where the formation under it has started to fail can be a nightmare to maintain, and even worse to replace.

 

[DarloRich]

If your line is flooded ballast can be seriously damaged or just washed away andwill require massive quantities of work to restore to full operational status.

Slab track will just require a simple check to ensure that the foundation has not been scoured under.

But "repairing" the ballasted formation is much easier! If the slab is chuffed you need a new slab

Ballast is great stuff, it inst just a pile of stones you know!

 

[142094]

track on the Tyne And Wear Metro on the underground sections from the Newcastle entrance of from gatehead to just after haymarket are all ballest free as well.

Plus on the bit on the viaduct between Manors and Byker. I read a report by the original engineers that worked on the structure during construction, and they answered a question by someone from the Institute of Civil Engineers on why they chose slab rather than ballast. If I can access it again I'll have a look.