A double-cross sleeper for a gravel-mounted structure on railways, the double-cross sleeper comprising:
- (a) a cross member extending along a sleeper longitudinal axis, said cross member comprising first and second cross member side faces;
- (b) a first longitudinal member extending along a first longitudinal mid-axis at a right angle to the sleeper longitudinal axis, said first longitudinal member comprising a first top face, a first bearing on the first top face, first, second and third mounting devices on a first side of the first longitudinal mid-axis, fourth, fifth and sixth mounting devices along a second side of the first longitudinal mid-axis, a first bottom face, a first stepped design in the direction of the first bottom face at the first topped face at a first end region, a third stepped design in the direction of the first bottom face at the first topped face at a third end region, and first and third longitudinal projections extending out along the first longitudinal mid-axis beyond the first and second cross member side faces respectively in a first intersecting region between the first longitudinal member and the cross member;
- (c) a second longitudinal member extending along a second longitudinal mid-axis at a right angle to the sleeper longitudinal axis, said second longitudinal member comprising a second top face, a second bearing on the second top face, seventh, eighth and ninth mounting devices on a first side of the second longitudinal mid-axis, tenth, eleventh and twelfth mounting devices along a second side of the second longitudinal mid-axis, a second bottom face, a second stepped design in the direction of the second bottom face at the second topped face at a second end region, a fourth stepped design in the direction of the second bottom face at the second topped face at a fourth end region, and second and fourth longitudinal projections extending out along the second longitudinal mid-axis beyond the first and second cross member side faces respectively in a second intersecting region between the second longitudinal member and the cross member;
- and
- (d) first and second sleeper end regions along the sleeper longitudinal axis lateral to the first and second longitudinal members respectively, said first sleeper end region comprising a first extension transverse to the first longitudinal member, said second sleeper end region comprising a second extension transverse to the second longitudinal member;
- wherein said first end region and said third end region lie opposite to each other across the sleeper longitudinal axis;
- wherein said second end region and said fourth end region lie opposite to each other across the sleeper longitudinal axis;
- wherein each mounting device is for an associated rail fixing element, the rail fixing elements associated with the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth mounting devices retaining a first rail element on the first longitudinal member, the rail fixing elements associated with the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth mounting devices retaining a second rail element on the second longitudinal member;
- wherein the respective rail element can be mounted on the first and second longitudinal members, respectively, by the first and second bearing, respectively, to extend above the first and second longitudinal members, respectively;
- wherein at least one of the mounting devices is disposed transversely offset with respect to the sleeper longitudinal axis;
- wherein the first longitudinal member has a first width;
- wherein the second longitudinal member has a second width;
- wherein the first bearing has a first bearing length;
- wherein the second bearing has a second bearing length;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first bearing length and the second bearing length is at least ⅔ of the first longitudinal member width or the second longitudinal member width, respectively.