Analysis of railway ballast contamination in terms of its potential reuse

In light of the ever-increasing need for a circular economy in all sectors, the rail ballast reuse during the railway lines reconstruction can be an important element in the implementation of sustainability principle. However, this activity should be carried out in a responsible way based on environmental risk analysis due to the contaminated ballast may pose a hazard, especially to deterioration for the quality of soil and water. This paper presents new method for environmental risk assessment of the impact of rail ballast reused as a construction material. The proposed method was verified on a real site at five selected point on trans-European TEN-T transport network in south Poland. The obtained results confirm the possibility of direct reuse of ballast at 4 of the 5 analyzed points. The case study highlights the technical feasibility and desirability of using recycled ballast in the reconstruction of railway tracks. Moreover, papier presents a new tool to assess when such a process can be carried out safety for an environmental. Additionally based on the results of presented studies may establish an understanding on relevant processes and environmental risk of railway emissions to soil, drainage water and groundwater.