A British Railway Slab Track Project

Paved concrete track (PACT) is a continuously reinforced profiled concrete slab laid by a purposedesigned sLi.pf'o rm paving train on which the rails are continuously supported. This paper traces the development of the system by British Rail and includes a detailed description of the components of the system and the method of installation. Various slab support options are considered and the importance of careful design of the transition between the slab and the adjoining ballasted track is emphasized. The advantages and disadvantages of the PACT system are discussed and situations in which the installation of PACT could be beneficial are highlighted.