B.Tech

The track gauge is the inner faces distance between the load bearing rails. In India we have presently four types of different gauges as broad gauge (1676mm), meter gauge (1000mm) and two narrow gauges of 762 and 610mm. The total track length used by Indian Railways is about 115,000 km, while the total route length of the network is 66,030 kms. The following factors are affecting while selecting the track gauge.Cost considerations: This includes land acquisition cost, labor cost, material cost etc. However, switching over from narrow to broad gauge is quite cheaply.
Traffic considerations: Traffic, speed and hauling capacity are the important while opting for gauge. A wider gauge has great potential in order to meets the above requirements because of large wheel diameter.
Physical considerations: Tracks required certain gradients and curves as per the physical conditions of the areas. Narrow gauges have the good flexibility for achieving them.
Uniformity of gauges: By keeping the uniform gauge the railway can minimize the number of variants in rolling stock. This will further improve the interchangeability and helps in standardizing the rolling stock.