Tramway track

When there is no need for pedestrians or road vehicles to traverse the track, conventional flat-bottom rail is used.

Highway authorities often made tramway companies pave the rest of the road, usually with granite or similar stone blocks, at extra cost.

Failure to clear the grooves can lead to a bumpy ride for the passengers, damage to either wheel or rail and possibly derailing.

If the weight is carried by the roadway subsurface, steel ties are needed at regular intervals to maintain the gauge.

[1] A modern version of the grooved block rail has a lower mass and is inserted into a prefabricated spanning concrete girder such as the LR55 [2] without web but fully supported by noise reducing polyurethane grout or a girder rail such as P-CAT City Metro [3] is embedded.

The prefabricated units if used with ultra light trams can be embedded into existing road base with possibly a reduced requirement for underground services diversions.

Unfortunately these systems all failed due to the problem of reliability and not always turning off after the tram had passed, resulting in the occasional electrocution of horses and dogs.

[citation needed] Since 2003, a new system of surface contact has been installed in the Bordeaux tramway by Alstom.