Precautions - while Working in Track Circuited Areas

Precautions to be taken while working in track circuited areas are as under –

(1) The Permanent Way Inspector should instruct the staff not to place across or touching two rails in the track, any tool or metal object which may cause short circuiting.

(2) All gauges, levels, trollys and lorries used on the track circuited length should be insulated.

(3) Steel or G.I. pipes used for carrying water/ gas under the track should be run sufficiently below the rails to prevent any short circuiting.

(4) While carrying out track maintenance, care should be taken to see that no damage of track circuit fittings like rail bonding wires, lead wires to rails, boot leg, jumper wires etc., takes place.

(5) Use of steel tapes should be avoided in track circuited section.

(6) Pulling back of rails should be done in track circuited areas in the presence of S&T staff, where signaling connections are involved.

(7) Proper drainage should be ensured so as to avoid flooding of track, during rains, particularly in yards, where watering of coaches is done and in water columns and ash pits. It would be desirable to provide washable concrete aprons on platform lines at originating stations, in track circuited areas.

(8) Ballast must be kept clean throughout the track circuited section and care should be taken to see that the ballast is kept clear of the rails and rail fastenings. The clearance from the foot of the rail should not be less than 50mm. During every packing this point should be taken note of.

Other Precautions to be taken while working in track circuited areas are as under -

1) No work shall be done within a distance of two metres from the live parts of the O.H.E. without a ‘permit-to-work’.

2) For work adjacent to overhead equipment the Engineering Inspector shall apply to the proper authority sufficiently in advance for sanctioning the traffic and power block required.

3) "No part of the tree shall be nearer than 4 mts from the nearest live conductor.

4) No fallen wire or wires shall be touched unless power is switched off and the wire or wires suitably earthed.

5) For inspection of roofs and sides of a tunnel, the overhead equipment shall be rendered ‘dead’.

6) As far as possible closed wagons shall be used for material trains.

7) When unloading rails along tracks, care shall be taken to ensure that rails do not touch each other to form a continuous metallic mass of length greater than 300 metres.

8) Permanent way staff are advised to keep clear of the tracks and avoid contact with the rails when an electrically hauled train is within 250 m.