Track With Joints Laid Square

Staggered joints have not always been universal practice. Especially in early times, laying joints square was done for the advantage of reducing the rocking effect on railroad rolling stock. India Railways used the square joint practice at least for some period in history. References say that India Railways laid track with square joints on straight track and staggered joints on curves because square joints on curves would develop track kinks. There was also a historical compromise practice of laying track with joints slightly staggered as opposed to fully staggered or square.