{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.permanent-way","code":"thing-q3566293","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q3566293/","name":"permanent way","alternateNames":["Colonial Railway","ballastless track","Ladder track"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.BLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The finished track of a railway on which trains run: the rails, sleepers or slab, fastenings, ballast or ballastless base and the formation beneath, together with switches and crossings, built to a gauge and maintained to tolerances of alignment and level; the term distinguishes the permanent track from temporary construction lines.","purpose":"Let an agent explain the permanent way and its components, relay gauge, standards, inspection and maintenance rules from infrastructure managers and safety authorities, and separate track from signalling, electrification and rolling stock.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Fixed track structure, not temporary","Rails held to gauge on sleepers or slab","Ballasted or ballastless","Maintained to geometry tolerances"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"components","name":"Components","description":"What the track consists of.","layers":[{"id":"parts","name":"Parts","description":"Rails, sleepers, ballast.","findings":[{"id":"parts-finding","name":"Parts","description":"Parts.","questions":[{"text":"What are the components of the permanent way, and what does each do?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about track, signalling, electrification or rolling stock?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"types","name":"Types","description":"Ballasted and ballastless.","findings":[{"id":"types-finding","name":"Types","description":"Types.","questions":[{"text":"How do ballasted and slab track differ, and where is each used?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific track type?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"standards","name":"Standards","description":"Gauge and geometry.","layers":[{"id":"gauge","name":"Gauge","description":"Gauge.","findings":[{"id":"gauge-finding","name":"Gauge","description":"Gauge.","questions":[{"text":"What gauge and rail profile does the line use, and what standards apply?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which entry fits track gauge?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"geometry","name":"Geometry","description":"Geometry tolerances.","findings":[{"id":"geometry-finding","name":"Geometry","description":"Geometry.","questions":[{"text":"What geometry tolerances apply to alignment, level and gauge, and how are they measured?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which standard sets them?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"maintain","name":"Maintain","description":"Inspection and maintenance.","layers":[{"id":"inspection","name":"Inspection","description":"Inspection.","findings":[{"id":"inspection-finding","name":"Inspection","description":"Inspection.","questions":[{"text":"How is track inspected, by patrol, recording vehicles and ultrasonic testing?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits railway safety?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"maintenance","name":"Maintenance","description":"Maintenance.","findings":[{"id":"maintenance-finding","name":"Maintenance","description":"Maintenance.","questions":[{"text":"What maintenance and renewal work keeps the track in service, and what safety rules protect workers?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the question about a specific site, which needs the infrastructure manager?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"History and engineering.","layers":[{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did track develop from early plateways to continuous welded rail and slab track?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"engineering","name":"Engineering","description":"Design.","findings":[{"id":"engineering-finding","name":"Engineering","description":"Engineering.","questions":[{"text":"How is track designed for loads, speed and drainage?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits railway engineering?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Monitor track geometry, rail wear and ballast condition for the infrastructure manager.","Report defects such as broken rails or faulty switches at once."],"mustNot":["Enter or work on the permanent way without a safe system of work and possession.","Clear a section of track for traffic after maintenance without authorisation.","Tamper with switches, signals or fastenings.","Hide or delay reporting a defect that could derail a train."],"requiresHuman":["Closing or reopening a line.","Setting temporary speed restrictions."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Track defects cause derailments that kill passengers and track workers.","Track workers are at risk from passing trains."],"affectedParties":["Passengers","Track workers","People living near the line"]},"owners":{"steward":"The railway infrastructure manager that owns and maintains the track.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Railway infrastructure asset registers"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q801765","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"track body","type":"related","note":"the built structure"},{"target":"railway line","type":"related","note":"the whole route"},{"target":"train","type":"related","note":"the vehicles"},{"target":"railway signalling","type":"related","note":"a separate system"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.permanent-way","Wikidata: Q3566293 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3566293)","track gauge: mm defines compatibility","rail profile: such as 60E1 European standard profiles"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["standard gauge: 1435 mm - most common; broad and narrow gauges exist","rail mass: 40-70 kg per metre - by line class","ballast depth: about 250-350 mm - under sleepers on main lines"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Rails, sleepers, fastenings and ballast or slab","Gauge between the rails","Overhead wires, signals and trains are other systems","Two steel rails on sleepers in ballast, or on a concrete slab, running on a prepared formation with drainage."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the components and their functions","relay gauge and track standards","explain inspection and maintenance regimes","distinguish ballasted from ballastless track"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Rail breaks and buckling in heat","Track geometry faults causing derailment","Ballast fouling and drainage failure","Worker safety during maintenance"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["EN 13674 rail standards and related European norms","Infrastructure manager track standards and inspection rules","National railway safety regulations","EU technical specifications for interoperability"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Carrying and guiding trains safely.","ballasted track","ballastless or slab track","continuous welded rail and jointed track","switches and crossings","track for tramways, metros and high-speed lines","historical and narrow gauge track"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q3566293: permanent way","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3566293","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia (de): Oberbau (Eisenbahn)","url":"https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberbau_%28Eisenbahn%29","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should switches and crossings be a separate entry?","How should national standards be linked?","The registry entry has merged aliases for a historical railway and specific track types; should they be split off?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q3566293/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q3566293/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T20:06:18Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-08T19:09:53+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}