{"data":{"id":"us/49-cfr-213.103","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"49 CFR 213.103","heading":"Ballast; general.","body":"Unless it is otherwise structurally supported, all track shall be supported by material which will—\n(a) Transmit and distribute the load of the track and railroad rolling equipment to the subgrade;\n(b) Restrain the track laterally, longitudinally, and vertically under dynamic loads imposed by railroad rolling equipment and thermal stress exerted by the rails;\n(c) Provide adequate drainage for the track; and\n(d) Maintain proper track crosslevel, surface, and alinement.","path":["Title 49—Transportation","Subtitle B—Other Regulations Relating to Transportation","CHAPTER II—FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION","PART 213—TRACK SAFETY STANDARDS","Subpart D—Track Structure"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-49.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:26:34Z","sha256":"1b4d66d8292327b32040faaf54617f6b863543885b7efcac9c5174ac96d3b1c5","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/49-cfr-213.101","next":"us/49-cfr-213.109"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}