IR Construction Manual Sep 2023 PDF

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (RAILWAY BOARD) INDIAN RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION MANUAL September, 2023  PREFACE TO INDIAN RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION MANUAL Indian Railways plays a lead role in meeting the logistic needs of the country. In recent past, there has been com...

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (RAILWAY BOARD) INDIAN RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION MANUAL September, 2023  PREFACE TO INDIAN RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION MANUAL Indian Railways plays a lead role in meeting the logistic needs of the country. In recent past, there has been complete change in construction project execution on Indian Railways. With availability of adequate fund for construction projects there is need to strengthen the construction organisation so as to build the infrastructure assets at the fastest rate. For smooth execution of projects many instruction, guidelines, drawings etc. have been issued by Railway Board and RDSO. Railway Board vide letter no. 2023/W-I/Genl/Construction manual dated. 23.06.2023 instructed IRICEN to draft a “Construction Manual” containing various instructions, guidelines, drawings, good construction practices etc. It was also envisage that the young officers shall be associated while drafting “Construction manual”. Accordingly, a team under guidance of Director General/IRICEN (Convener) was formed by IRICEN. This team comprised of IRICEN faculties, Construction field officers including young officers. The details of team are as under - SN. Faculty from IRICEN SN. Field Officials 1 Satya Prakash 1 Sujat Hashmi ADG/IRICEN CPM/Prayagraj/NCR 2 C M Gupta 2 Rajkumar Wankhede Dean/IRICEN CE/C/WR 3 R K Shekhawat 3 M. V. S. Ramaraju Sr. Professor Projects CE/C/III/SCR 4 Anil Choudhary 4 Suresh Pakhare Sr. Professor (Track machines) CE/C/South/CR 5 D N Kate 5 Archana Meena Sr. Professor (Works) Dy. CE/Works/NWR 6 R N Gupta 6 Rajendra Dhaka Sr. Professor (Bridges-1) Dy. CE/C/V/Maliagaon/NFR 7 Anil Kumar 7 V Suresh Sr. Professor (Track -1) Dy. CEE/C/CR 8 S K Agarwal 8 Sudhir Nath Singh Professor (Bridges) Dy. CSTE/C-I/CCG/WR 9 Anurag Rastogi 9 Sagar Choudhary Professor (Track machines) Dy. CE/CN/STR/CR 10 Avinash Kumar 10 Narendra Kumar Meena Professor (Track - 2) Dy. CE/CN/II/RTM/WR 11 B K Kushwaha Professor (Procurement) 12 N K Mishra Professor (Track -1) While drafting the manual the difficulties faced by the officers when they join the construction project work is given special attention. Accordingly, the chapters of “Construction manual” are decided covering all stages of construction project. This manual will be called as “Indian Railways Construction Manual”. Salient features of the “Indian Railways Construction manual” (IRCM) are as under– 1. The topic on pre-investment studies is included under name “Alignment and survey”. In this topic, the new concept of feasibility study, preparation of Detailed Project report (DPR) are explained in detail. Also, certain modern surveying techniques like GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), Ariel photogrammetry from Aircraft/ UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone) Survey, Development of Digital Elevation Model (DEM etc. have been mentioned. The mandatory provision of checking the new project alignment through (BISAG-N) has been mentioned. The relevant, instruction reference is also mentioned. 2. In Project Planning- the standard of Construction, Planning and execution strategy including tender planning, quality control & quality assurance, project monitoring and control are discussed. 3. In Land Acquisition, the land acquisition using i) Special Railway project ii) The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act-2013 iii) “Direct purchase through private negotiations with land owners” etc. are detailed. 4. A chapter on tenders and Contract giving in depth procedures is included. In this chapter, apart from conventional Item rate contract, EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) contracts which Indian Railways has now started adopting on higher scale is explained in detail. Also, for project design, supervision, monitoring etc. the provisions of “Project Management, services (PMS), Project supervision Service (PSS), General Consultant (GC) etc. have been covered. 5. Design of railway formation and earthwork in Construction project as per latest RDSO guidelines has been covered with quality control & quality assurance measures. 6. Chapters explaining complete bridge planning, design and execution has been covered. It includes bridge foundations, fabrication of steel girders, launching of girders including precautions while working in electrified section and different type of bearings (Elastomeric, Spherical and Pot - PTFE) used for bridges, precautions in launching of girders have been included. Also, various check list on material selection, girder fabrication, bearings on etc. are covered in detail. Also it covers, the details on open, well, pile foundations. Certain provisions of IRC are also included. 7. A separate chapter on Grade separator is included, it covers planning, design and launching of ROB/RUBs. 8. In reinforced cement concrete chapter, provision of concrete mix design, materials used for concrete manufacture, transportation, laying, finishing etc. are covered. Chapter also covers durability provisions for concrete structure design, various type of concretes (e.g. self-compacting concrete, acceptance criteria of concrete, various tests to be carried out on cement and concrete. 9. Provisions of building planning, design covering green buildings concept and different type of green building ratings have been detailed. Indian Railways policy guideline on energy efficiency in non-traction area related building, rain water harvesting etc. are covered. Various provisions of passenger amenities at stations including those required for Divyangjans are included. 8. Various aspect of track laying – planning, execution with mechnaised means has been detailed. Various machines like New Track Construction (NTC), Point and Crossing Laying Machines (T-28), BFR mounted cranes, crawler mounted cranes, continuous track lifter, and Rail threader etc. are covered apart from conventional machines already in use on Indian railways. 10. S&T chapter covers in Block Proving by Axle Counter (BPAC) using universal fail safe block interface (UFSBI), Electronic Interlocking installation, Relay interlocking, Track circuiting, S&T utility shifting, precautions in cable laying, lighting and surge protection of signalling equipment. It also covers requirement for making signalling system compatible to RE standard 25KV AC. 11. Electrical and TRD chapter covers important aspects of Railway electrification, principles of layout plans & sectioning diagram of 25 KV AC traction, anti-theft charging of OHE etc., important parameters of high rise OHE, methods of power line crossings etc. 11. A separate chapter on Pre-NI and NI working and commissioning of Railway projects has been included. This will be very useful while taking up the yard modification / multi-tracking etc. The chapter covers detail procedure on application to CRS, documents submission to CRS or other competent authority, preparation and complete planning of CRS inspection. This chapter will immensely help the field officials. Effort has been made in preparing this manual that all provisions of various codes, and manuals, guidelines etc. as well as practical aspects of work execution are taken into account. However, there is always scope of updating the provisions on the subject and smoothen the field working to achieve the quality product at faster pace. The Chief Administrative Officers (Construction) of zonal Railways may therefore supplement, where necessary, the practices and procedures contained herein with such further instructions/orders, as would suit local circumstances on their Railway. Such instructions must not of course contravene any of the provision in this manual, the codes of the various departments of the Railways, General Rules, or any of the statutory regulations in force. It is hoped that “Indian Railways Construction Manual” will be of immense use to the construction engineers in easily understanding the working on construction projects in its various stages like planning, execution, monitoring or commissioning and also of any discipline like civil, electrical. S&T etc. It will help, construction engineers in accessing latest instructions related to entire project life cycle. Thus, helping Indian railways in building the logistic infrastructure at fastest pace with requisite quality and also with proper safety. IRICEN will be glad to consider any comments and suggestion from Railway Administrations. Any errors or omissions found in this Edition may be brought to the notice of IRICEN. (R K YADAV) Pune Director General September, 2023 IRICEN  IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT IRCM USE & VALIDITY The “Indian Railways Construction Manual” is prepared by taking content of various letters, guidelines, codes & manuals. Purpose of this manual is to make the relevant information about construction project planning, execution & monitoring available to the Construction officials in single document. Hence, in case of any conflict, the provisions of relevant codes, manuals, and guidelines etc. shall prevail the provisions of this manual. This manual will be updated from time to time. However, to have updated information the user should see the provisions of relevant manual, codes, guidelines, correction slips etc. for any update. In various paragraphs of this manual specific reference of other codes, guidelines, Railway Board instructions have been mentioned. Since there are number of references and content of same is running in hundreds and their content is available on various Indian Railway websites, it has been considered prudent to compile and place them on IRICEN website instead of keeping them in this manual. In order to have ease in accessing these reference document, all these reference documents are made available on IRICEN’s website www.iricen.gov.in at Home page ➔ ”Code & Manual” ➔”Work Related” ➔ “IRCM Reference Documents”. E.g. In chapter – 2, under para 201(1) there is reference to Railway Board letter. It is written as “Railway Board's letter No. 2015/W-1/Gen/Corr./GM Pt dated 06.12.2018, Ref. 2.01”. This means the letter referred as 2.01 is relevant to the para 201(1) and the complete content of letter is made available on IRICEN’s website as Ref. 2.01 under chapter 2 and not in the Manual. At end of each chapter, a summary of referenced document along with the paras in which these references is provided. Also, at the end of this manual a complete summary of all referenced document is provided at one place. Para Page No Topic No CHAPTER 1 ALIGNMENT AND SURVEY 101 General 1 102 Feasibility Study 2 103 Approval of Feasibility Report 10 104 Final Location Survey 10 105 Modern Surveying 15 106 Design of Alignment 16 107 National Master Plan & Utilization of BISAG-N Portal 17 CHAPTER 2 PROJECT PLANNING 201 Standards of Construction – Points for Consideration 19 202 Planning and Execution Strategy- Points for Consideration 22 203 Quality Control and Assurance 25 204 Project Monitoring and Control 26 205 Contract Management 27 206 Important Ingredients of a Successful Project Execution Scheme 27 CHAPTER 3 LAND ACQUISITION 301 Background 33 302 Governing Provisions for Acquisition of Land For Railways Projects 33 303 Applicability of Land Acquisition Provisions 33 304 Application for Land Acquisition 34 305 Responsibility of Railway Administration While Acquiring Land 35 306 Classification of Railway Land 35 307 Extent of Land to Be Acquired 35 308 Land Plans and Schedules 37 309 Market Value of Land to Be Acquired 37 310 Procedure Flow for Acquisition Under Railway Act-1989 38 311 Procedure Flow for Land Acquisition as Per RFCTLARR Act-2013 40 312 Land Acquisition by Direct Purchase Through Private Negotiations 46 313 Withdrawal from Acquisition 47 314 Management of Land 47 315 The Award Statement 49 316 Transfer of Land And Buildings Between Union and State Government 49 317 Acquisition of Defence Land 49 318 Acquisition of Forest Land 50 CHAPTER 4 DRAWING APPROVALS 401 General 52 402 Drawings prepared by Civil Engineering Department 52 403 Approval of Civil Engineering Drawings 53 404 Approval of bridge designs and drawings for works being executed by RVNL 54 405 Drawings prepared by S & T Engineering Department 55 406 Approval Signalling and Telecommunication Engineering Drawings 60 407 Drawings prepared by Electrical Department 61 408 Standard Procedure order for ESP, SIP & GAD approval 62 Para Page No Topic No CHAPTER 5 TENDER, CONTRACT& CONTRACT MANAGEMENT 501 General 82 502 Stages of Tender 82 503 Dos and Don’ts on Tender Handling 91 504 Contract Management 92 505 Dos and Don’ts on Contract Management 98 506 Dos and Don’ts in EPC Contract 98 507 Standard Conditions of Tender And Contract 99 CHAPTER 6 FORMATION DESIGN AND BLANKETTING 601 Design Of Formation 104 602 Soil Exploration and Survey 104 603 Suitability of Subsoil and Ground Improvement 106 604 Formation Width 106 605 Cross Slope of Formation 106 606 Minimum Track Centre Distance on Straight Track 107 607 Minimum Height of Embankment 107 608 Side Slopes of Embankment 107 609 Side Slopes in Cuttings 108 610 Unsuitable Soil for Construction Of Embankment 109 611 Single and Two Layer System of Construction 109 612 Soil Quality Class 110 613 Filter Criteria 110 614 Details of Various Layers in Formation 110 615 Approval of Design of Formation 113 616 Uniform Total Thickness of Formation Layers 113 617 Drainage Arrangements in Embankments and Cuttings 114 618 Erosion Control of Slopes 114 619 Use of Geosynthetics in Railway Formation Construction 115 CHAPTER 7 EARTHWORK IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS 701 Execution of Earthwork In Formation 117 702 Checks on Construction Materials 118 703 Compaction of Earthwork 119 704 Field Compaction Trial 120 705 Compaction Of/Near Side Slopes 125 706 Backfill on Bridge Approaches and Similar Locations 125 707 Sandwich Construction of Embankment With Cohesive Soils 126 708 Methods for In-Situ Dry Density Measurement 126 709 Quality Control for Measures For Earthwork 127 710 Quality Control Records 128 711 Certification for Quality Of Earthwork 130 712 Special Design/Construction Problems 130 713 Permanent Records 130 Para Page No Topic No CHAPTER 8 PLANNING FOR BALLAST PROCUREMENT 801 Introduction 130 802 Minimum depth of ballast cushion 130 803 Calculation of Quantity of Ballast per meter in track 131 804 Specification of track ballast 131 805 Method of sieve analysis 133 806 Condition for submission of Tender 133 807 Collection and Training out of ballast 134 808 Measurement: 135 809 Sampling Frequency 136 810 Supply of ballast in Stacks 136 811 Supply of ballast in Heaps for Loading directly in Wagons 137 812 Checklist for Ballast Supply 137 CHAPTER 9 PART A PLANNING OF BRIDGES 901 Introduction 139 902 Minor, Major and Important Railway Bridges 139 903 Bridge Planning 139 904 Investigations and survey 140 905 Geographical survey 141 906 Survey of Rivers in connection with the location of an Important Bridge 141 907 Plan and Cross Section of Rivers 142 908 Hydrological Investigations 142 909 Factors governing the selection of a Bridge site 143 910 Sub-Surface Investigation 144 911 Seismic Surveys 145 912 Utility Survey 146 913 Overall Length of Bridge 146 914 Substructure 149 915 Bridge Foundations 150 916 Bridge Superstructure 152 917 Bridge Bearings 153 918 River Training Works 157 919 Provision of OHE arrangements 157 920 Provision for Inspection Arrangements for New Bridges 157 921 Preparation and Approval of Drawings 157 922 Preparation of Design Basis Report 157 PART B EXECUTION OF BRIDGE WORKS 923 Introduction 159 924 Setting out a bridge 159 925 Setting out a bridge without a base line 159 926 Setting out a bridge with the help of a base line 159 927 Utilities Shifting 160 928 Selection of Material Source 160 929 Substructure and Foundation 160 930 Construction of RCC Structures 160 931 Construction of PSC Structures 160 932 Steel Superstructure 172 933 Load Test 172 934 Bridge Bearings 173 935 Erection / Launching of Girder 176 936 Safety precautions for Electrified Area 184 Para Page No Topic No CHAPTER 10 GRADE SEPARATOR 1001 Introduction 205 1002 Planning and Design 205 1003 Launching of Girders for Road Over Bridge (ROB) 211 CHAPTER 11 REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE 1101 Cement 216 1102 Aggregates 216 1103 Water 217 1104 Admixture 217 1105 Steel Reinforcement 219 1106 Concrete 219 1107 Concreting Under Special Conditions 222 1108 Strength of Concrete 223 1109 Concrete Mix proportioning 227 1110 Reinforcement Splicing 228 1111 Reinforcement Placing 229 1112 Formwork and Shuttering 230 1113 Sampling, Strength Testing and Acceptance Criteria of Concrete : 231 1114 Frequency of sampling 232 1115 Pumpable Concrete 233 1116 Ready Mixed Concrete 233 1117 High Performance Concrete 234 1118 Self-compacting Concrete 234 1119 Tests for Cement, Aggregates and Concrete 235 CHAPTER 12 BRIDGE FOUNDATION 1201 General 239 OPEN FOUNDATION 1202 General 239 1203 Excavation 240 1204 Founding in soft soil 240 1205 Founding in Rock 240 PILE FOUNDATIONS 1206 General 241 1207 Sub-Surface Investigations 241 1208 Classification of pile foundations 241 1209 Selection of type of piles 242 1210 Spacing of piles 242 1211 Test piles 243 1212 Load carrying capacity of a pile / group of piles (IRBM) 243 1213 Construction of pile foundation 244 1214 Socketing length in Rock 245 1215 Permissible tolerance while driving piles 245 1212 Sequence of piling 245 1217 Concrete in Piles 246 1218 Tremie Concreting 246 1219 Recording of Data 247 1220 Defective piles 247 1221 Load test on piles 248 1222 Standard test Method for Low Strain Pile Integrity Testing 248 1223 Pile Cap 249 Para Page No Topic No WELL FOUNDATIONS 1224 Types of well 250 1225 Components of wells 250 1226 Equipment for construction of well foundation 251 1227 Pitching of the cutting edge and well curb 252 1228 Concreting of steining 252 1229 Sinking of wells in water 252 1230 Floating Caissons 252 1231 Process of open sinking of wells 252 1232 Tilt and shift of the well 253 1233 Pneumatic sinking of well 254 1234 Founding the well 254 1235 Bottom plugging of the well 255 1236 Sand hearting 255 1237 Construction of the top plug 255 1238 Setting out of the piers on the top of well 255 SUBSTRUCTURE 1239 General 255 1240 Abutments 256 1241 Piers 256 1242 Wing Walls 257 1243 Bed Blocks for Abutments and Piers 257 1244 Approach Slabs 257 CHAPTER 13 STEEL GIRDER FABRICATION PART A GENERAL 1301 Introduction 258 1302 Authority for inspection 259 1303 Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) for Fabrication 259 1304 Fabrication Workshop 260 1305 Raw Material inspection 260 1306 Inspection of consumables 264 1307 Fabrication Records 265 1308 Layout and Templating 267 1309 Flattening and Straightening 267 1310 Planning, Shearing and Cutting 267 1311 Edge Preparation / Scalloping, Grinding & Finishing 268 1312 Drilling 269 1313 Tack assembly 269 1314 Welding 270 1315 Initial assembly 280 1316 High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG) Bolts 280 1317 Inspection of trial Assembly 282 1318 Dismantling of Trail assembly 287 1319 Surface Protection 287 1320 Dispatch 279 1321 Assembly at site 290 1321 Codes, Manuals and Specifications referred 290 Para Page No Topic No CHAPTER 14 BUILDINGS AND PASSENGER AMENITIES PART A BUILDNGS 1401 Architecture 293 1402 Development Control Norms 294 1403 Relevant Instructions / Circulars on Construction of Buildings on Railway land 295 1404 Conceptualization & Planning Of The Project 296 1405 Other Important Aspects 297 1406 Clearances/NOCs From Local Authorities/Bodies 299 1407 Amenities to be provided in Buildings 299 1408 Fire Protection 300 PART B PASSENGER AMENITIES 1409 General 301 1410 Categorization Of Stations 301 1411 Minimum Essential Amenities (Mea) 302 1412 Recommended Amenities 307 1413 Desirable Amenities 309 1414 Important Aspects: 311 1415 Facilities for Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) 313 Functional Requirements and Technical Specifications For Materials, 1416 Workmanship And Finishes 317 CHAPTER 15 TRACK LAYING AND ALLIED WORKS 1501 Sanctioned Provisions and Initial Planning 320 1502 Unloading and stacking of p.way material 322 1503 Formation and Fixing of reference pegs 322 1504 Ballast works, Laying of Sleepers and Linking of Normal Track 324 1505 Manual packing & tamping by machines 326 1506 Laying of Points and Crossings 327 1507 Long Welded Rails (LWR) 328 1508 Level Crossings 330 1509 Track Structure on Bridges 332 1510 Aluminothermic (AT) Welding 333 1511 In-situ Glued Insulated Rail Joints 335 1512 Rail Painting 335 1513 P-Way Registers and other records 336 CHAPTER 16 MECHANISATION IN TRACK LINKING IN CONSTRUCTION 1601 Introduction 340 1602 Machines for Miscellaneous work and Ballast spreading 340 1603 Machines for Laying of Plain Track 342 1604 Machines for Laying of Points and Crossing 343 1605 Other Useful Machines for Track Linking Work 344 1606 Small Track Machines useful for Track Linking 346 1607 On Track Machines 348 Para Page No Topic No CHAPTER 17 SIGNALING WORKS 1701 Utility Shifting Involving S&T during Doubling Works in Construction 349 1702 Power Supply 349 1703 Cable Laying Work 351 1704 Integrated Power Supply (IPS) 355 1705 Electronic Interlocking 356 1706 Lightning & surge protection for Signalling Equipments 362 1707 Testing & Commissioning of Relay Interlocking: 363 1708 Data Logger 363 Block Proving by Axle Counter (BPAC) using universal fail safe block interface 1709 (UFSBI) 364 1710 HA-SSDAC 364 1711 Earth Leakage Detector system (ELD) 365 1712 Fire alarm and smoke detector system 365 1713 Automatic Fire Detection & Suppression system 365 1714 Track Circuiting 366 1715 Electric Point Machine 366 Requirements for making Signaling System compatible to RE Standard 25KV 1716 AC 367 1717 Insertion of Points 371 1718 Schedule of Dimensions (SOD) 371 1719 Obtaining Sanction for Works on Lines Opened to Traffic 372 1720 Dispensation 373 1721 Technical System Application Approval (TSAA) of EI Installation. 374 1722 Joint Inspection/Handing Over of new assets 374 1723 Temporary Working Order 374 1724 Non Interlocking 375 1725 Planning, Preparation & Execution of Works: 375 CHAPTER 18 ELECTRICAL AND TRACTION DISTRIBUTION WORK 1801 Definition 385 1802 Scope 385 1803 Works to be executed by the Railway 385 1804 Method of crossing 386 1805 Important aspects for Railway Electrification 388 1806 Principles for Layout Plans & Sectioning Diagrams for 25KV AC Traction 394 1807 General Guidelines for Anti-Theft Charging of OHE 400 1808 High Rise OHE 402 CHAPTER 19 Pre-NI AND NI WORKS AND COMMISSIONING FOR RAILWAY PROJECTS 1901 Planning for BNI & NI Works 404 1902 CRS Inspection for Opening of Sections 408  CHAPTER-1 ALIGNMENT AND SURVEY 101 General: This chapter provides insight into feasibility study, final location survey and few details about modern survey techniques. As per Indian Railways Code for the Engineering Department, Project Development Process consists of: (1) Feasibility Study: As per Railway Board’s Letter No. 2021/W-I/Gen/Gati Shakti dated: 27.07.2022 (Ref. 1.01), RECT (Reconnaissance Engineering cum Traffic) and PECT (Preliminary Engineering cum Traffic) Surveys will be called as feasibility study. Traffic survey is conducted in conjunction with feasibility study. (2) Final Location Survey: Final Location Survey shall be done for the routes so chosen, on the basis of Feasibility study and only after the approval of competent authority. A flow chart showing project development process is as follows: Sequence of Activities INITIATION OF PROPOSAL FOR FEASIBILITY STUDY APPROVAL BY COMPETENT AUTHORITY (DRM/GM/Railway Board) FOR CONDUCTING FEASIBILTY STUDY PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING SURVEY AND TRAFFIC SURVEY – FINALISATION OF FEASIBILTY STUDY REPORT FOR CONSIDERATION OF NETWORK PLANNING GROUP (NPG) IN DIVISION AND ZONAL HQ IF FEASIBILE IF NOT FEASIBILE APPROVAL OF COMPETENT AUTHORITY (DRM/GM/Railway Board) PROPOSAL DROPPED FINAL LOCATION SURVEY, PREPARATION OF DPR SUBMISSION TO RAILWAY BOARD FOR SANCTION CONSIDERATION OF DPR AND SANCTION OF WORK BY RAILWAY BOARD Note: The procedure as detailed in Rly Bd’s L. No. 2021/W-I/Genl./Gati Shakti Dated 28.10.2022 (Ref. 1.02) may be followed. 1 102 Feasibility Study: In Preliminary Surveys detailed investigations are not carried out and only an approximate cost estimation is done. Investigations of this nature are termed "Feasibility Study" which includes Preliminary investigation, Traffic survey, Techno economic study, approximate cost and preparation of feasibility study report. (1) Objective: The main objective of feasibility study is to examine the general characteristics of the area for the purpose of determining the most feasible route, or routes, for further more detailed investigations. It is a rough, quick investigation of an area with a view to determine the technical feasibility and approximate cost of one or more routes for a proposed Railway line with the help of contoured maps and other available material without very detailed investigations of the field. It is done to get approximate distances and heights, using basic instruments. Where suitable aerial photographs/ terrain models are available, field investigation by instruments can be considerably reduced with stereoscopic studies of the photographs and fewer site visits may be required. Adequate data should however be collected, in order to examine feasibility of all possible routes in question, and also to furnish approximate estimates of quantities and costs, so as to decide on the most suitable alternative(s). The investigation should also help in determining any deviation(s) required in basic geometric standards. (2) Terms of Reference: The project Investigator should be supplied by the Railway Administration with approved terms of reference of Railway, and should indicate broadly the category of line, ruling gradient to be adopted, Gauge, Loading Standard, Track Structure, Track Centre, Traction, Traffic facilities etc. The terms of reference should include instructions regarding the scope and nature of the investigations to be carried out, particulars of any railway lines already projected in the area and what undertakings or interests, if any, are involved in the proposal. The terms of reference should also include instructions to the officer-in-charge of the survey to visit the headquarters of the Railway Administration at suitable intervals both during the progress of work in the field and during the period of recess in order to consult the Railway Administration and where necessary have the original terms of reference modified from time to time. (3) Sequence of Feasibility study: It should be conducted in following sequence; Assessment of existing and future needs/requirements; Project formulation, which is to determine the various options to meet the demand; Project investigation which is to examine some selected alternative routes as defined in the terms of reference to the Project Investigator and detailed examination of the selected scheme by conducting a Preliminary survey; Preparation of Feasibility Reports i.e. Techno Economic study reports; Project evaluation which may involve economic analysis, or Social Profitability Analysis, in addition to financial appraisal and Selection of a scheme based on such an appraisal and considering existing facilities. a) Assessment of existing and Future needs/requirements: Traffic survey needs to be conducted to study the existing trade needs and make a forecast of the traffic prospects regarding the setting up of specific industries and consequent growth of traffic requirements for movement of raw materials to and finished products from such industries and to facilitate the projection of the most promising route and the category of line to be constructed in the case of new lines and to assess the quantum of traffic to determine the traffic facilities to be provided on an existing line. While collecting information traffic surveyor should visit all trade centres in the area, consult local authorities and prominent citizens freely, both as regards to trade and industry and the most suitable alignment for the proposed Railway line and study the area from following perspective i.e. Human resources; Agricultural resources; Mineral resources; Industries located and projected; The pattern of trade and commerce; Existing transport facilities; Tourism and tourist prospects; Banking facilities; National Income; and Planning for economic development of the area by the 2 local Government or by the Central Government. The alternatives should also be get checked through BISAG-N portal for different reports like, intersection report, multimodal report, economic nodes in the zone of influence etc., details about using BISAG-N portal are elaborated in Para 107 (Rly Bd’s L. No. 2021/W- I/Genl./Gati Shakti Dated 28.10.2022. Ref 1.02). Methodology to be adopted in the “Assessment of Traffic prospects and Traffic forecasting and Earnings” is covered under IR Engineering Code. Guidelines for items to be included in Traffic Survey Report is covered in IR Engineering Code. b) Project formulation & Investigation: Based on needs assessed above, various options to be explored duly considering technical features. First of all, study of survey sheets and maps is conducted so as to mark suitable alignments on toposheets. These alignments are further studied in detail to recommend the most suitable alignment. (i) Study of Survey Sheets, Maps etc.: Study of the project area through available maps. The details available from maps currently available in the country are as below: i. Survey of India (SOI) Maps. The most useful maps are the topographical sheets available in the scale of 1:25,000, 1:50,000 and 1:2,50,000. Maps of 1:50,000 and 1:2,50,000 scale are available for the whole of India but map coverage of 1:25,000 is presently available for about half of country’s territory. State maps on scale varying from 1:5,00,000 to 1:10,00,000 for different states. These are useful as index maps or to indicate an overview of the project location and are available for most of the States. Plastic Relief Maps on scale 1: 1,50,00,000: Plastic relief maps are also available for few regions in the country. These three-dimensional maps delineating ridges, valleys, peaks, etc. with contour information, may be useful for alignment planning in very difficult areas. SOI maps procurement: List of SOI offices (from where SOI maps can be procured) and unit price of different maps can be seen and procured at http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in. The SOI maps can also be procured from SOI head office at Dehradun i.e. Map Archive and Dissemination Center (MADC), Survey of India, Hathibarkala, Dehradun. ii. The SOI topographical maps are divided into two types. Restricted (area of strategic importance). Unrestricted (rest of the country). For procurement of SOI sheets, Indent on form No. O.57 (to be downloaded from SOI website http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in/), is required to be submitted, with approval from Engineer-in-charge. After acceptance of Indent by SOI and communication from SOI about details of availability of maps, payment for available topographical maps is required to be ensured. After receiving the payment, SOI will supply the maps to Indenting officer. SOI has now launched Open Series Map portal (http://soinakshe.uk.gov.in/). Unrestricted topographical maps of 1:50,000 can be downloaded from this portal after registration. Paid digital data in other formats (DGN, DEM, ARC, SHAPEFILE, GEOTIFF) can also be bought online through this website. iii. Apart from SOI maps, there are special purpose maps, like Forest Survey of India, Vegetation Maps on scale 1:2,50,00,000 showing orchards, reserve forests, clusters of social forestry areas etc. which may be helpful in special cases in the selection of alignment. Nowadays, many State Govts have digitized 3  their forest maps which can be acquired from respective DFOs/Head offices. iv. Maps prepared by National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS & LUP) indicating information about soil, wasteland, etc. and Geological Survey of India (GSI) Maps (on scale 1:2,50,000 or smaller) with information on geology, geomorphology and changes in drainage, river courses, etc. are available for many areas. GSI has now launched their web portal http://bhukosh.gsi.gov.in/, geological maps of 1:250k and 1:50k can be downloaded in digital format from this website, free of cost. v. Data of Google Earth, Aster DEM, CartoSat -1 & 2 imageries and DEM, LISS etc. can be accessed free of cost. Carto DEM data can be downloaded free of cost, from NRSC’s Bhuvan Portal i.e. https://bhuvan-app3. nrsc.gov.in /data/ download/index.php. List of few open-source digital data websites is as under: Google Earth: https://earth.google.com/web/ Bing Maps: https://www.bing.com/maps Open Street Map: https://www.openstreetmap.org/ Wikimapia: https://wikimapia.org https://www.mosdac.gov.in/ https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/ - paid data site After study of topographical features on the maps, economic/commercial details and details from adjoining existing Railway lines, options are prepared to meet the needs assessed in first step. (ii) Marking of alignment: After study of topographical features on the maps, a number of feasible alignment option are selected and marked on topo sheets after considering approved terms of reference. Following points should be kept in mind while marking alignment on topo sheets: i. The alignment should take into account all the control points and should be the shortest and most economical, compatible with the requirement of gradient and curvature. ii. Shape of the alignment. iii. Avoidance, as far as possible, of marshy ground, steep terrain, unstable hill features and areas subject to severe climatic conditions, floods and inundation. iv. Need to connect important villages and towns. v. Bridging cross drainage and drainage problems. vi. Proper location and orientation of cross drainage structures is an important factor in selection of alignment. For bridges having linear waterway more than 300m i.e. for important bridges, siting of bridge will be the primary guiding factor in route selection. vii. Need to preserve the environment and maintain ecological balance. (iii) Field Survey: i. After the paper alignment is finalized, the alignment is marked in the field with help of instruments such as total station, GNSS/DGPS, RTK Survey etc. Walkie-talkie sets, mobile phones etc. are useful for communication, particularly in difficult terrain. ii. The survey starts with running of a traverse along the selected route, adhering as far as possible to the probable final centre line of the proposed railway alignment. In difficult situations, a secondary traverse connected to 4  the primary one at either end may also be run. In hilly areas, a trace cut 1.0 to 1.2 m side, if required may be made during the survey. iii. The traverse consists of a series of straight lines with their lengths and intermediate angles measured very carefully. In difficult terrains, the alignment may have to be negotiated through a series of short chords, preferably the traverse should be done with Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) like total station and all angles measured with double reversal method. iv. Traversing procedure by Total Station for stacking the alignment: The process of fixing Alignment Centre-line points on the ground using its coordinates is known as staking. The following procedure may be applied during traversing, for staking the co-ordinates in field: Set up the total station on known Ground control point. Then go to survey option in instrument’s control panel and setup the total station by any one of two methods i.e. “known back side” or “resection”. Set up the instrument by giving the coordinates of known point used as station, then feed input of 2nd point coordinates used as back site. Then setup total station. Next go in menu option, search for stakeout function. Select stakeout and enter the coordinates of the points to be stake out. As the coordinates of point to be staked, are entered, total station will give the direction and distance of point. Rotate the total station to the staking direction. Bring the reflector (prism- pole) in the line of sight. Measure the point. Total station will display deviations in the present reflector position and the position of point to be staked. Shift the reflector to the display deviation. Again, measure the point. Repeat the procedure until desired accuracy of 5-10 mm is achieved. The same procedure may be followed for further completion of the survey. v. Distance between two consecutive transit stations, depends upon directional changes in the alignment, terrain conditions and visibility. The transit stations should be marked by means of stakes and numbered in sequence and if possible, co-ordinates of permanent structures should also be recorded. These should be protected and preserved till the final location survey. vi. Physical features such as buildings, monuments, burial grounds, cremation grounds, places of worship, posts, pipelines, existing roads and electric lines, stream/river/canal crossings, cross drainage structures etc. that are likely to affect the project proposals should be located by means of offsets measured from the traverse line. Where the survey is for doubling of an existing railway line, measurements should also be made for existing railway line, railway land boundary and location and radii of horizontal curves. In case of railway alignment in rolling and hilly terrain, the nature and extent of grades, ridges and valleys and vertical curves should necessarily be covered. The width of land to be surveyed will depend on the terrain and other related factors. vii. Generally, the survey should cover the entire proposed corridor with adequate provision for possible shifting of the centre line from the traverse line. viii. Levelling work during a feasibility study is usually kept to the minimum. Generally, fly levels are taken along the traverse line at 50m intervals and at all intermediate breaks in ground. To draw contours of the strip of land 5  surveyed, cross sections should be taken at suitable intervals, generally 100 to 250m in plain terrain, up to 50m in rolling terrain, and up to 20m in hilly terrain. To facilitate the levelling work, bench marks, either temporary or permanent, should be established at intervals of 250 to 500m. The levels should be connected to GTS datum. Fly level can be taken with the help of Total Station. ix. Field notes of the survey should be clear and concise, yet comprehensive enough for easy and accurate plotting. x. Apart from traverse survey, general information about soil, drainage should be collected while the traverse is being run. xi. DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) using GNSS (Global Navigational Satellite System) is also very useful and appropriate for feasibility study. The DGPS will give location coordinates at all necessary points on the traverse. DGPS is very fast, reasonably accurate equipment for feasibility study and is computer friendly for data transfer. Control pillars in cement concrete should be fixed at suitable interval (ranging from 500m to 2kms) to have control on accuracy. It also helps in repeating the survey, if required, within the control pillars. Advanced techniques in Survey Digital Terrain Model (DTM) may be prepared, by digitizing 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 scale toposheets for various features viz contours, roads, rivers, streams etc. Readymade digital formats are also available these days, free of cost. Since toposheets supplied by Survey of India may be quite old, these are required to be updated for various ground features. This updation is done through satellite imageries/ DEM available with NRSC, Hyderabad. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) from CARTOSET is available free of cost at BHUVAN website. Study of project area should preferably be done on the digital interface instead of paper maps. This can be done by visualizing the project area in Google Earth, Terra Explorer etc. As per approved TOR, three or more tentative feasible alignments are marked on Google Earth, without providing engineering parameters at this stage. These alignments are then transferred to Auto-CAD or Bentley Open Rail Designer where engineering parameters to these alignments are provided on the surface/contours generated from the available DEM of the project area (DEM may be opened as base layer while performing the job). Most of the alignment software are able to open Google Earth in the background for better visualization. Generally, three alternatives are first marked and with the help of available software, detailed analysis is carried out to find out the best economical, feasible option. Best alignment option is finally selected based on various technical & commercial criteria. The alignment file can also be superimposed on the vector maps of the area where layers of Road, River, streams, structures etc. are available. Open-source vector maps can be obtained from https://www. Openstreetmap.org. These vector maps along with DEM are very useful in finalizing planning of structures like ROB/RUB, Bridges etc. during the development of alignment and further estimating the cost of construction. The quantity of earthwork, list of gradients, curves, viaducts, tunnels and other relevant data can directly be extracted from this software. The set of co-ordinates (X,Y,Z) or KMZ file of the alignments is extracted and verified in the field using GNSS or Total station. The co-ordinates are required to be checked at all important locations like crossing of roads, major/important bridges and every 500m apart in accessible area. Effort should be made to fix permanent bench marks/ control points in field at every 5 KM using GNSS. (iv) Final Details for alignment After confirmation and suggestion from the field, the alignment is rectified and finalized. 6  The final report as described below are prepared. General description of Area, Topography, Climate indices (viz Humidity, Temperature, Wind) etc. Alignment & L-section in Scale of 1:50,000 for horizontal and 1:1,000 for vertical. Index Map in Scale of 1:2,50,000 and General Map in Scale of 1:25,00,000. The proposed route or routes being marked on them in red, and all towns and places referred to in the report clearly shown therein. Other details finalised are: i. Conceptual Yard Plan/Line Diagram ii. List of Gradients iii. List of Curves iv. List of ROBs/RUBs/LHS v. List of Stations vi. List of Quarters vii. Land details showing area of land to be acquired, the type of land (Rural/Urban, Agriculture/Forest etc.). viii. Estimate for Earthwork/Blanket ix. List of Electric & Telephone Crossings x. List of Bridges indicating size, waterway, height and type of foundation. xi. List of Major Bridges xii. List of Tunnels xiii. List of RAW if any xiv. List of SSP xv. Standard of Interlocking/PI/SSI. (v) Preparation of Detailed Engineering Estimate Project cost is then prepared which includes cost of Civil Engineering, Electrical, TRD and S&T works required in the project. The unit rates for cost estimation of civil engineering works are obtained from latest LARs or rates circulated by Zonal headquarter. Detailed Project Estimate is framed by compiling sub-estimates of all concerned departments, in formats available in IR Engineering Code. c) Preparation of Feasibility Reports i.e. Techno Economic study reports: Feasibility Study Reports based on Preliminary Engineering-cum-Traffic Surveys for new lines and traffic facilities etc. may be compiled under chapters as indicated below as per provisions of IR Engineering Code: Chapter No. Title - Executive summary (Synopsis) I. Introduction II. Characteristics of Project Area III. Standards of Construction IV. Route Selection/Project Description V. Project Engineering and Construction Schedule VI. Estimation of cost, phasing and investment schedules VII. Traffic Projection VIII. Map IX. Analysis of Alternatives X. Environment and Rehabilitation assessment XI. Financial and Economic Appraisal XII. Recommendation (i) Executive Summary: A synopsis of the salient features of the project along with clear recommendation should be provided in the Executive Summary. The following information to be included: i. Alignment and Length of the line 7  ii. Number of stations and important cities connected. iii. Area covered state-wise and district-wise. iv. Principal items of goods traffic. v. Quantum of goods traffic year-wise projections in tonnes. vi. Coaching traffic year-wise projection of passengers with break-up of local and interchange figures. vii. Number of trains (Goods, Coaching) viii. Gross earnings per year. Goods Coaching ix. Working expenses (Operation and maintenance). x. Net earnings. xi. Economic benefit due to network effect xii. Cost of the project. Civil Engineering. Signal and Tele-communication. Electrical. Rolling Stock. xiii. Financial result. xiv. Working capital. xv. Investment schedule. xvi. Ruling gradient adopted. xvii. Standard of construction. xviii. Maximum degree of curvature. xix. Speed potential of the line. xx. Cost per Kilometre. (ii) Estimation of cost, phasing and investment schedules: The Feasibility Study Report should also be accompanied by the Project features including the following items as per the provisions of IR Engineering Code. i. Curve Abstract ii. Gradient Abstract iii. Bridge Abstract iv. Important Bridges v. Station Machinery vi. Stations and Station Sites Estimation of Cost- The methodology adopted in the computation of quantities for earth work, bridges and buildings may be indicated. For estimation of cost, construction estimates as per IR Engineering Code together with Abstract Cost of Project and Abstract Estimate of Junction Arrangements in the case of projects relating to construction of New Line, Gauge conversion, doubling etc. should be prepared and appended to the Report. Estimation should be detailed in the format (Similar to Final Location Survey) based on the preliminary engineering survey. Similar estimation for Signal and Telecommunication, Electrical & Rolling stock to be made and added in the cost. Working capital if any should also be added to the project cost. Investment Schedule- In addition to the project abstract cost, an investment schedule for the various years of construction programme should be furnished. If any phasing of work is required, the extent of such phasing with reasons thereof and the investment levels for such phasing may be indicated. (iii) Maps: The reports and estimate should be accompanied by a map of the area on a scalee of 25 Km to 1 cm, index map on a scale of 2.5 Km to 1 cm and by an index plan & section on a scale of 0.5 Km to 1 cm horizontal and 10 m to 1 cm vertical, the proposed route or routes being marked on them in red, and all towns and 8  places referred to in the report clearly shown therein. (iv) Analysis of alternatives: The Analysis must indicate the alternative schemes, their approximate cost, the time required for their execution, the additional capacity they will create, their merits and demerits. Financial returns must be worked out for the important alternatives and the one giving the best return may be generally adopted except when there are other overriding reasons in favour of the costlier alternative. The alternatives should also be get checked through BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics) portal for different reports like, intersection report, multimodal report, economic nodes in the zone of influence etc. (v) Environment and Rehabilitation Assessment: Climatic conditions, rainfall characteristics, existence of air pollution which may cause corrosion etc. may be brought out. Details of communications facilities available like access roads, availability of water, human activity in the area and human settlements (townships squatter settlements etc.) may be furnished. This aspect is of considerable importance since the location of terminal facilities or yard facilities close to squatter settlement with attendant problem like pilferage etc., has to be borne in mind in the choice of selection of alternative sites. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Resettlement and Rehabilitation Action Plan (RAP) should normally be prepared wherever required. (vi) Financial and Economic Appraisal: i Financial Rate of Return (FIRR): Financial Rate of Return of the project is to be calculated based on various inputs like traffic, earning etc. For calculation of FIRR Railway Board’s latest Circular No.2022/Gatishakti/TF/01 Dated 20.03.2023 (Ref. 1.03) is to be followed. ii. Economic Rate of Return (EIRR): Economic Rate of Return of the project is to be calculated based on economic cost and economic benefits. For calculation of EIRR Railway Board’s latest Circular No.2022/Gatishakti/EU/49 Dated 19.08.2022 (Ref. 1.04) is to be followed. (vii) Selection of most preferred alignment: A detailed techno-commercial analysis is done to select the most technically feasible and economically viable alignment from among the alternatives. A multi-criteria analysis is done for the purpose of selection of most preferred alignment. A weightage is decided for all the factors which are taken into consideration and rating is given to each factor for every alignment. A combined score is calculated for all the alternatives and the best alternative is finalized. The main factors which are taken into consideration are the following: i. Cost Consideration. ii. Ease of Construction Consideration. iii. Serviceability Consideration. iv. Geological Consideration. v. Environmental and Social Impact Consideration. Further studies like geological mapping, geophysical & geotechnical survey, hydrological studies, design of structures etc. are done on the selected alignment and further refinement of alignment is done based on these studies. After getting most appropriate alignment, required investigations such as detailed geological survey, geotechnical investigations are planned which may further can cause the change of alignment depending upon the output of various investigation (viii) Recommendation: A clear recommendation should be made by officer in charge of Feasibility Survey as regards to the feasibility and best possible alternative for the proposal. 9 103 Approval of Feasibility Report: Feasibility report prepared as above will be examined by NPG (Network Planning Group) and submitted to Competent Authority for approval DRM/GM/Railway Board as applicable (Railway Board’s Letter No. 2021/W-I/Gen/Gati Shakti dated: 27.07.2022 (Ref. 1.01)). 104 Final Location Survey: After approval of feasibility report of the work by competent authority, FLS and preparation of DPR will be initiated. Final Location Survey (FLS) for improving mobility/improving throughput/improving loading/coal connectivity/port connectivity/cargo loading/new line /doubling/ Gauge Conversion works is done by concerned executing unit as decided by Railway administration (Rly Bd’s L. No. 2021/W-I/Genl./Gati Shakti Dated 28.10.2022 (Ref. 1.02)). (1) Objective: The purpose of FLS is to lay down and mark center line of alignment in field based on the alignment selected in the design office and after feasibility study to collect necessary data for the preparation of working drawings. The completeness and accuracy of the project drawings and estimates of quantities depend a great deal on the precision with which this survey is carried out. The accuracy of the survey should be scrutinized by senior Railway officers. This will also help in assessing precise land acquisition requirement. FLS is generally a post-sanction decision for investigation & preparation of accurate working details. Principal difference between FLS and feasibility study is that the alignment finally selected during FLS is fully staked on ground with an Electronic Distance Measuring Instrument (Total stations etc.). In addition to above, Satellite Imagery, Drone photogrammetry and LiDAR technology may also be used. Detailed plans and sections are developed after FLS. This also includes preparation of Site plans marking loco sheds/ EMU car sheds, maintenance depots, control office, repeater stations, staff quarters, land acquisition plans etc. (2) Terms of Reference: The project Investigator should be supplied by the Railway Administration with approved terms of reference of Railway, and should indicate broadly the category of line, ruling gradient to be adopted, Gauge, Loading Standard, Track Structure, Track Centre, Traction, Traffic facilities etc. The terms of reference should include instructions regarding the scope and nature of the investigations to be carried out, particulars of any railway lines already projected in the area and what undertakings or interests, if any, are involved in the proposal. The terms of reference should also include instructions to the officer-in-charge of the survey to visit the headquarters of the Railway Administration at suitable intervals both during the progress of work in the field and during the period of recess in order to consult the Railway Administration and where necessary have the original terms of reference modified from time to time. (3) Sequence of activities: Main activities in FLS are the staking out of final center line of proposed Railway alignment by means of a continuous survey and detailed leveling, preparation of detailed plan and L-section of alignment, preliminary design & drawings of structures and assessment of nearly accurate project cost and preparation of Detailed Project Report. FLS is basically Pre-construction Survey. a) Staking Out Final Center Line: (i) The center line of the proposed Railway alignment, as determined in the design office and after feasibility study, is transferred on the ground by means of continuous transit survey and staking of the center line as the survey proceeds. Double reversal method should be adopted at all horizontal intersection points (HIP) and intermediate points of transit (POT) on long tangents. The horizontal intersection points should be fixed on hubs driven flush with the ground and suitably referenced so that they may be readily located. Usually, these should be 10  serially numbered for easy identification and shall be defined by coordinates. On long tangents, the intermediate transit points should also be fixed on hubs in the case of new roads with proper referencing. (ii) The reference points should be so located that these will not be disturbed during construction. Description and location by coordinate of the reference points should be noted for reproduction on the final plan drawings. (iii) All the curve points, namely the beginning of transition curves (TTP), beginning of circular curve (TP), end of circular curve (TP) and the end of transition (TTP) should be fixed and referenced in the same manner as for POTs described earlier. (iv) The final center line of the proposed Railway alignment should be suitably staked. Stakes should be fixed at 50m intervals in plain and rolling terrain, and 20m intervals in hilly terrain. The stakes are intended only for short period for taking levels of the ground along the center line and cross section with reference thereto. (v) Distance measurements along the final center line should be continuous following the horizontal curves where these occur. (vi) The traverse in case of proposed Railway alignment would be open and should be controlled by establishing control points to be established by GNSS/DGPS survey or by astronomical observations or Total Station or by running cut- off lines between intermediate stations. (vii) At road crossings, the angles which the intersecting roads make with the final center line should be measured. b) Establishment of Permanent Control Points / Bench Marks: The permanent control points or Benchmarks are established along the final alignment for purpose of construction. These permanent control points are also called Ground Control Points (GCP) and should be established in a pair of two RCC pillars (minimum) at one location preferably 100m to 300m apart because any new point to be established during the construction stage with the help of total station needs at least two known points. The X & Y coordinates of GCPs can be established with the help of GNSS/DGPS or Total Station by taking reference from known SOI GCPs. The Z coordinate of the GCP is derived by carrying out levelling survey using Auto level/Total station from known SOI GTS benchmarks. Reference points for POTs and HIPs, could also be used as bench marks. It is particularly important that a single datum, preferably WGS-84 & GTS/MSL datum, should be used to tie up all the points. For bench mark levelling, check levels should be run over the entire line back to the first bench mark. c) Longitudinal Sections and Cross-Sections (i) Levels along the final center line should be taken at all staked stations and at all breaks in the ground. (ii) Cross-sections should be generally taken at 50-100m intervals in plain terrain and 50-75m in rolling terrain depending on the nature of work. (iii) Center line profile should normally be continued at least 200m beyond the limits of the project. d) Proper Protection of Points of Reference (i) FLS is considered complete when all the necessary information is available and ready for the designer to be able to plot the final proposed Railway alignment profile and prepare the project drawings. (ii) At the time of execution, all construction lines will be set out and checked with reference to the final center line established during the final location survey. It is therefore important, that not only all the points referencing the center line should 11  be protected and preserved but these are so fixed at site that there is little possibility of their being disturbed or removed till the construction is completed. e) Soil and Material Surveys: Soil investigation and other materials survey is carried out with respect to sources and availability/suitability of materials. Additional investigations in respect of landslide or avalanche prone locations may also be carried out at this stage. Detailed investigation at important locations viz. high embankments, deep cuttings, major/important bridges, tunnels, weak subsoil, marshy land etc. may also be conducted. RDSO’s, “Comprehensive Guidelines and Specifications for Railway formation”, No. RDSO/2020/GE: IRS-0004(D), September-2020” should be referred for conducting soil survey. Design of formation should be finalized after comprehensive study of all related technical reports/ specifications issued by RDSO (with latest amendments) regarding earthwork, blanketing, sub-grade, slope stabilization, geosynthetics, drainage etc. Soil and materials survey is required: (i) to determine the nature and physical characteristics of soil and soil profile for design of embankment. (ii) to determine the salt content in soil in areas known to have problems or where the composition of the design crust requires such testing. (iii) to determine proper method(s) of handling soils (iv) to classify earthwork involved into various categories such as rock excavation, earthwork in hard soil etc. (v) to gather general information regarding sub-soil water level and flooding. (vi) to locate sources for aggregate required for ballast, concrete and to ascertain their suitability for use. (vii) To locate source of good quality water suitable for use in construction. f) Study of Available Information (i) Soil and materials survey should include study of all available information such as geological maps, data published by various authorities regarding availability of suitable construction materials and information available with ground water authorities regarding depth of water table. Soil maps prepared by local agricultural department and records of existing highways may also provide useful information. A study of these data, if available, will be of great help in the planning and conduct of further surveys and investigations. This information should be perused in conjunction with general information gathered during the feasibility study. (ii) After studying the available information, detailed programme of survey can be drawn up. Points needing attention during detailed soil survey are highlighted further on. g) Soil Investigations for Low Embankments (i) The first operation in the detailed soil survey is to demarcate the possible borrow areas. (ii) The general character of material excavated from test pits should be recorded and tests conducted on it in the laboratory for required properties. Where the type of material varies in a single pit, the tests should be conducted on each type of soil separately and the horizon of occurrence noted. Similar tests as listed below should be carried out on material from cuts for ascertaining the suitability of its use in the embankment. i. Gradation test (IS:2720 Part IV) 12  ii. Liquid limit and Plastic limit (IS:2720 Part V) iii. Density and optimum moisture content (IS:2720 Part VII or Part VIII as relevant) iv. Deleterious constituents (only in salt infested areas or where presence of salt is suspected) (IS:2720 Part XXVII). However, in case of highly plastic, poorly draining and unstable soils, some additional soil tests (e.g. shrinkage limit test) may also need to be performed before accepting the borrow. h) Special Investigations for High Embankments The basic objective of investigations in such cases is to obtain engineering data for soil and rock necessary for a quantitative design of embankment at the chosen sites. Generally, for checking stability against slip failures, the basic properties to be investigated are shear parameters, unit weight and moistures conditions. i) Soil Investigations for Cuttings In the same manner as described in preceding paras for embankment material, soil in cut sections along the center line of the proposed Railway alignment at an elevation corresponding to the design subgrade level should be tested for the following general properties: (i) Gradation (ii) Atterberg limits (iii) Field density and moisture content (iv) Proctor density. j) Special Investigations in Landslide-Prone Areas Information collected during feasibility study would normally identify the landslide prone areas along the alignment and every effort would have been made to avoid these while fixing the center line of proposed Railway alignment. However, in case where the same is not feasible, further investigations would be required to study the extent of the problem and plan appropriate remedial measures. For this purpose, services of geologist or soil specialist may often be needed. k) Geological Investigations Before starting the work, particularly in hilly terrain, geological investigations are required for finding out the location of various thrusts/faults if any, coming in the proposed alignment. Such surveys are being done by Geological Survey of India (GSI) and other Govt/Pvt agencies. The study of underground sub-structures is most important for design & construction of tunnels. Avalanche prone areas are also required to be identified in snow-clad mountains. Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), Chandigarh/Manali conducts avalanche studies. l) Hydrological Studies for Important Rivers Hydrological studies may also be conducted to find out the design discharge, highest flood level (HFL), lowest water level (LWL), afflux, free board, scour depth and waterway requirement for important rivers which are required to be passed by alignment. RDSO guidelines should be followed for conducting hydrological studies. m) Other Relevant Legislation These should be also considered during survey (i) Environmental (protection) Act, 1986 (ii) Wild life (protection) Act, 1972 (iii) Forest (conservation) Act, 1980 (iv) Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981 (amended 1987) (v) Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981 (amended 1987) 13  (vi) Coastal Zone Regulation n) Preparation of Maps & Drawings After collecting all details from the site, the following detailed drawings are prepared as per provisions of IR Engineering code: (i) General Map of the country traversed by project scale about 25 Km to 1 cm. (ii) Index Map, scale about 2.5 Km to 1 cm. (iii) Index Plan and Sections. (iv) Detailed Plans and Sections. (v) Plans and Cross Section. (vi) Plans of Station Yards. (vii) Detailed Drawings of Structures. (viii) Plans of Junction Arrangements. (ix) OHE and substation plan in electrified territory. o) Engineering Annexures Engineering Annexures as described below are prepared in formats prescribed in IR Engineering Code: (i) List of Gradient (ii) List of Curves (iii) List of ROBs/RUBs/LHS (iv) List of Stations & Station sites (v) List of Station Machinery (vi) List of quarters (vii) Land details showing area of land to be acquired, the type of land Rural/Urban/Agriculture/ Forest land etc. (viii) Estimate for Earthwork/Blanket (ix) List of Electric & telephone crossings (x) List of Bridges indicating their size, waterway, depth and type of foundation. (xi) List of major Bridges (xii) List of tunnels p) Preparation of Detailed Engineering Estimate Project cost is prepared as per formats available in IR Engineering Code. This includes the cost of Civil Engineering, Electrical, TRD and S&T works required in the project. q) Financial and Economic Appraisal: (i) Financial Rate of Return (FIRR): Financial Rate of Return of the project is to be calculated based on various inputs like traffic, earning etc. For calculation of FIRR, Railway Board’s Circular No.2022/Gatishakti /TF/01 Dated 20.03.2023 (Ref. 1.03) or any revised guidelines issued subsequently has to be followed. (ii) Economic Rate of Return (EIRR): Economic Rate of Return of the project is to be calculated based on economic cost and economic benefits. For calculation of EIRR Railway Board’s Circular No.2022/Gatishakti/EU/49 Dated 19.08.2022 (Ref. 1.04) or any revised guidelines issued subsequently has to be followed. r) Detailed Project Report (DPR) A Detailed Project Report is prepared after Final Location Survey as per Railway Board's Letter No. 2022/W-I/Gen/DPR proforma dated 02.09.2022 (Ref. 1.05). The DPR has to be prepared in two volumes: (i) Volume-I of DPR should contain: Chapter-1: Executive summary Chapter-2 Traffic Survey Chapter-3 Engineering Survey Chapter-4 Land Requirement 14  Chapter-5 Permanent way Chapter-6 Formation, Tunnels & Bridges Chapter-7 Station & Yards Chapter-8 Service Buildings Chapter-9 Residential Buildings Chapter-10 Shifting of Utilities Chapter-11 Electrical Traction & General Chapter-12 Signal & Telecommunication Chapter-13 Environmental Assessment & Social Impact Assessment Chapter-14 Statutory Clearances Chapter-15 Cost Estimates Chapter-16 Traffic earning Projections Chapter-17 Non fare revenue Chapter-18 Financial Analysis Chapter-19 Economic Analysis Chapter-20 Risk Analysis (ii) Volume-II should contain detailed estimate of project as per IR Engineering code. Detailed Project Report (DPR) is submitted to Railway Board with a covering letter signed by SAG and above officer. The covering letter should contain following details, brief details and justification of project; Pink book reference/FLS reference; table showing total cost and department wise cost; basis of rates and certification about estimated cost at current price level; validation of alignment on BISAG-N portal; completion period; summary of projected freight and passenger traffic, projected earning, FIRR & EIRR and mention about finance concurrence and approval of GM. 105 MODERN SURVEYING Revolutionary changes have taken place in last few years in the field of topographical surveying. With rapid advancement in the technology like GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), Aerial Photogrammetry from aircraft/ UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) etc., there has been drastic improvement in the manner of determining dimensions and contour of the Earth’s surface. Sophisticated equipment like total station & digital auto level has made the traversing & levelling much faster & more accurate. The use of seismic & electromagnetic waves (geophysical survey) to interpret the lithology of the area has vastly increased the pace & reduced the cost of survey & design works by reducing the need of geotechnical investigation. Similarly, there are lot of Modern Surveying advancements and few of them are listed below for guidance purpose: SN Modern Surveying Advancements 1. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and High-Resolution Satellite Imagery: Ground control Points are identified qualitatively on raw satellite images. Which is further used in GNSS survey. 2 GNSS (Global Navigational Satellite System) Survey: It is done to measure X&Y coordinates very precisely. 3 Remote sensing studies: These studies help to interpret vegetation type, lithology, alluvial plains etc. Moreover, 3D stereo features reflect the feature of terrain, lineaments/fractures, slope, aspect, drainage pattern, geohazards etc. and this data is very helpful for selection of railway route. Remote sensing analysis is done in GIS software like ERDAS LPS, ARCGIS, QGIS, PCI Geomatica etc. 4 LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): LiDAR uses light in the form of a pulsed laser/ point cloud to measure distance to the Earth from LiDAR equipment. These light pulses combined with other GPS data recorded by the airborne/terrestrial system generate precise, three- dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics. 5 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)/ Drone survey: Drone surveys have number of applications these days like surveillance, Forestry management and planning, Flood modelling, Pollution 15  modelling, Urban planning, Coastline management, Oil and gas exploration, Archaeology etc. 6 Pre-Assessment of the geology using GIS maps and Bhukosh website. 7 Geophysical Survey: This is non-destructive, indirect, cheap and quick technique carried out to measure physical properties of medium for subsurface characterization, ground water condition, geological structures etc. The results of geophysical survey can later be verified by doing geo-technical investigations. 8 Hydraulic studies: a) Modelling by HEC-RAS (Hydrological Engineering Center – River Analysis System) for hydraulic modelling of the river reach to estimate water surface profiles for various return periods. b) Graphic Modeler Software for Assessment of Catchment Area Properties: For calculating “Design Discharge” for any Bridge location, can be utilized for assessment of catchment area properties using GIS techniques. c) Design Discharge Calculation using Flood Estimation Reports of CWC: The catchment area properties obtained above through GIS techniques have to be utilized for feeding in Excel Sheets for Calculating “Design Discharge”, for all the hydro meteorological Zones of India. For details visit IRICEN’s website. 106 Design of Alignment: Design of alignment is most important output of all survey procedures. It is the most preferable route between two obligatory points considering all the terms of reference. The shortest path is the direct straight connection, but due to topographical, strategic, commercial and geological constraints, alignment deviation is done with the help of introduction of curves. The first step while designing the alignment is the marking of all the obligatory points (locations which are mandatory to connect) on the Google earth or Orthophotos. The minimum distance requirement between two obligatory points (stations) is calculated based on their elevation difference & ruling gradient on the section. If the Crow fly distance is more than the calculated distance based on gradient requirement, then crow fly distance is the minimum distance between two stations. On the basis of varying terrain, it can be divided into number of sections if needed. The obstructions in the form of natural & manmade features are avoided by introduction of permissible curves. The viaducts & tunnels are introduced at the required locations. All possible efforts should be made to design the alignment along the contours to have minimum cut/fill along the alignment. Large viaducts, long tunnels and geologically unstable areas/ geohazards should be avoided as far as possible. Minimum three alignments should be studied before the finalization of route based on the technical parameters such as Gradient, Degree of Curve etc. and later most appropriate alignment is decided. The important items to keep in mind while design of alignments are the following: (1) Minimum Cut and Fill (2) Tunnel Length (in case of Hilly Terrain) (3) Habitation (4) Bridge Length and Height (5) Safety and Comfort (6) Accessibility for ease of construction (7) Geological Constraints (8) Environmental Impact All the different alignment alternatives are designed in software like, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Bentley Open Rail etc. Horizontal curvatures are first set at required locations by keeping orthophotos/ google earth in the background. Thereafter profile is created by generating 3D surface in software with the help of Contour data or DEM or directly though the topographical survey data. The alignment is modified accordingly to minimize the cut/fill, tunnel length, bridge length/height and keeping suitable locations of station yards. 16  Surface Image created in AutoCAD The final grade lines are then marked for all alignment alternative and Cross- sections are generated at the required interval. Earthwork quantity is also calculated directly through the software. Profile View 107 National Master Plan & Utilization of BISAG-N Portal: PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan has been developed as a Digital Master Planning tool by BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics) and has been prepared in dynamic Geographic Information System (GIS) platform wherein data on specific action plan of all the Ministries/Departments have been incorporated within a comprehensive database. Dynamic mapping of all infrastructure projects with real-time updation will be provided by way of a map developed by BISAG-N. The map will be built on open-source technologies and hosted securely on Meghraj i.e. GOI cloud. It will use Satellite imagery available from ISRO and base maps from Survey of India. The digital system is a software where individual Ministries will be given separate user identification (login ids) to update their data on a periodic basis. The data of all the individual Ministries will be integrated in one platform which will be available for planning, review and monitoring. The Logistics Division, Ministry of Commerce will further assist all the stakeholders through BISAG-N for creating and updating their required layers in the system and update their database through Application Programming Interface (APIs). The portal developed by BISAG-N will help during project development process as follows: (1) Comprehensiveness: By including all the existing/ planned initiatives of various Ministries/ Departments covering various Infrastructure Ministries & Ministries involved in development of Economic Zones with 200+ layers with 01 c