A good sleeper should meet the following requirements:
- The initial cost and the maintenance cost of the sleepers should be low.
- The fittings required for fixing the rails on to the sleepers, should be simple which can be easily adjusted during the maintenance.
- The crushing strength of the sleepers should be more with moderate weight.
- They should be able to maintain a perfect alignment, gauge and levels of the rails and should afford efficient adjustment and maintenance.
- They should provide sufficient bearing area to hold the rail seats and for the ballast to be supported on, to resist the crushing due to movement of heavy axle loads.
- The sleeper spacing should be such as to remove and replace the ballast during regular maintenance operation.
- They should be capable to resist the shocks and vibrations caused due to fast moving vehicles at high speeds.
- They should provide insulation facilities for track circuiting in the electrified sections.
- The sleepers should be strong enough to withstand the pressure during packing process.
- The sleepers should be of such a design that they remain in their positions and do not get disturbed due to movement of trains.
- The material used for the sleeper be such that it does not attract the sabotage and the theft qualities.
