APC-4 Rail Elastic Clips for Russian Railway

The Moscow State University of Railway Engineering (MIIT) has developed APC bolt-free anchor rail fastening system , which can work on main lines at any speed and load load. Its positive qualities are high reliability and ensuring the stability of the track width, low detail and low material consumption (saving metal at least 15 tons per 1 km), ease of assembly. The fastening is inseparable, the main element of the fastening is a frame-arch type anchor embedded in a reinforced concrete sleeper.

The design includes two flat polymer sub-clips, two on-rail insulating corners, two under-rail elastic gaskets with a thickness of 14 mm. The fastening of the modifications of the APC-4 allows you to adjust the position of the rail in height up to 20-24 mm.

The main disadvantage of APC rail fasteners for reinforced concrete sleeper is the insufficient provision of stable track width in curved sections of the track, especially in steep curves. The reason for this is the poor quality of the polymer elements of the fasteners.

The service life of the APC Railway Rail Fasteners currently does not allow to increase the reliability of the track. The assigned resource of fasteners must be at least 1 billion gross tons. To increase the reliability of fasteners, periodic replacement of under-rail gaskets is allowed when changing rails. The yield of metal elements of fasteners should not exceed 0.5% for every 100 million gross tons, terminals should not exceed 2% in straight sections and 5% in curves with a radius of less than 650 m.