What Are Fixtures in Railway? Track Components Explained

Railway fixtures and fastenings are the essential components used to connect rail ends together and secure rails to sleepers, ensuring track stability, gauge retention and safety. They manage loads, prevent rail creep and absorb vibrations. The fixture family includes fish plates, spikes, bolts, chairs, keys, base plates, clips, pads and insulators, and they are specified under GB, EN, UIC, DIN 536, JIS, AS, BS and AREMA/ASCE standards depending on the rail system.

Main Fixture Types and Their Functions

Fixture	Function
Fish plates (joint bars)	Connect rail ends, allowing for thermal expansion and contraction while transferring wheel loads across the joint
Bearing plates / chairs	Positioned between the rail and sleeper to distribute the load and reduce wear
Spikes and bolts	Secure rails, chairs or plates to wooden or concrete sleepers
Keys and clips	Lock rails into chairs or fasten them to the sleeper elastically
Anchors / anti-creepers	Prevent longitudinal movement (creep) of the rails
Insulators	Used in concrete sleeper track to prevent electrical signaling interference

Typical Joint Bar Configurations

Joint bars (fish plates) are the primary fixtures at rail joints. The table below lists common transition and repair configurations supplied for AREMA, UIC and BS rail sections:

No.	Type	Material	Unit Weight (kg/pc)	Remark
1	136RE to 115RE	55#	27.5	4 pcs per set
2	136RE to 132RE	55#	26.7	2 pcs per set
3	141RE to 136RE	55#	26.7	2 pcs per set
4	141RE to 132RE	55#	26.7	2 pcs per set
5	100-8, 1/8in vertical offset	55#	15.6	2 pcs per set
6	100-8, 3/8in vertical offset	55#	15.6	2 pcs per set
7	UIC60 to P50	55#	23	2 pcs per set
8	BS80A to 115RE	55#	20	2 pcs per set
9	UIC60 thermit welded joint	55#	18	2 pcs per set

Material and bar length can be customized upon buyer request.

Do You Need to Purchase Rail Fastening as a Complete Set?

Rail fastening components do not have to be purchased as a complete set: they can be sourced individually based on maintenance or specific project needs. However, purchasing them as a complete, matched set - clips, pads, insulators, shoulders and bolts together - ensures compatibility, optimal performance and structural stability. The two approaches serve different purposes:

Buying Components Separately

For maintenance, only the broken or worn parts need to be replaced, not the entire fastening assembly.

For trial assemblies or small repairs, individual clips, spikes, baseplates and washers can be ordered in small quantities.

Buying a Complete System

For new installations, a complete engineered system is generally safer, because all parts are matched to the rail profile, sleeper type and required toe load.

A complete set from one fastening system guarantees that clips, pads, insulators and bolts work together to maintain gauge and safety.

Customization allows mixing and matching components to suit specific rail types and sleeper designs, with the supplier verifying compatibility.

The Purpose of Rail Fixing

Rail fixing, or the rail fastening system, securely anchors rails to sleepers to maintain gauge, prevent lateral and longitudinal movement (creep), and ensure structural integrity. It stabilizes the track, absorbs vibrations and provides electrical insulation. These functions are critical for safe train operation: they prevent track buckling, sideways and vertical displacement of rails, and keep the consistent distance between rails that the train wheels depend on. The system must withstand and distribute vertical, lateral and longitudinal forces from heavy trains while providing the elasticity and damping that reduce dynamic loads, vibration and noise.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between a fixture and a fastener in railway track?

In practice the terms overlap. Fasteners are the parts that clamp the rail (clips, spikes, bolts), while fixtures is the wider term covering all the components that complete the track structure, including plates, chairs, keys, pads and insulators alongside the fasteners themselves.

2. Which fixtures are needed on wooden sleeper track?

Wooden sleeper track typically uses screw spikes or dog spikes to hold the rail or tie plate, bearing plates under the rail foot, and rail anchors to control creep. Keys or clips are used where the rail sits in a chair.

3. Which fixtures are needed on concrete sleeper track?

Concrete sleeper track uses elastic clips with cast-in or bolted shoulders, rail pads, insulators and gauge blocks. The clip, shoulder and pad must be a matched set from one fastening system.

4. Why is DIN 536 mentioned for crane rail fixtures?

DIN 536 is the crane rail standard covering the rail sections used on crane runways. Fixtures for crane rail, such as baseplates, clips and bolts, are designed around the DIN 536 rail profile and its height and foot geometry.

5. What is an anti-creeper and when is it needed?

An anti-creeper (rail anchor) grips the rail base and bears against the sleeper to stop longitudinal rail movement caused by traction, braking and thermal effects. It is used on lines with steep gradients, heavy braking or where joints and CWR transitions need protection.

6. How are fixtures supplied - loose or as sets?

Both. Fixtures can be supplied loose for maintenance, or as complete matched sets (clips, pads, insulators, bolts) for new construction. For turnouts and bridges, joint bar sets with bolts and washers are typically packed per set for easy site control.