Railway Infrastructure

and Train Controlpresented to - CE 433University of Kentucky

Raymond J Rumsey, PE

Assistant VP C&S

Norfolk Southern Railway

October 24, 2012

OUTLINEPurpose of signal systemsBlocksTrack Circuits-insulated rail joints, relays,

shuntFixed SignalsAutomatic Block signals

OUTLINEInterlockingControl PointsSwitches, crossover, diamond and trackworkDetectorsNext generation train control – PTC

SIGNALS AND TRAIN CONTROL

SAFELY MAXIMIZE TRACK

UTILIZATION

SIGNAL SYSTEMS

Locate Trains

Inform Motorists

Highway Crossing Warning

Inform Other Trains

Block Signals

Control & Verify Switch Position

Lock Switches and Signals

Control & Verify Signal Position

Inform Trains

Interlocking

SIGNALS The signal system is set up in

blocks. Limits defined by insulated joints Based on the track circuit

Rails Battery Relay

INSULATED RAIL JOINTS

Insulated joints are the means by which a track circuit is limited or defined. The insulated joint prevents current from flowing between the adjacent ends of two adjoining rails.

There are different kinds of insulated joints, made out of different materials but the concept is the same. The joint bars are metal. They are insulated from the rail wherever there is contact by pieces of insulation.

The pieces of insulation are head and base pieces.

RELAYS

SHUNTA device which allows an electrical current to pass around another point in that circuit.

A shunt is also a wire consisting of two metal "C" clamps which complete an electrical circuit between rails, simulating track occupancy during banner checks.

FIXED SIGNAL

A signal of fixed location indicating a condition affecting the movement of a train or engine.

SIGNALS

Color Light SignalPosition Light Signal

Color Position Light Signal

SIGNALS – POWER CONSIDERATIONS

SIGNAL ADDITIONS

Flashing Light

Number Plate

Letter Plate

Semaphore Arm

AUTOMATIC BLOCK

The block signal automatically indicates track condition and block occupancy.

CAB SIGNALS

A signal located in the operating compartment of the controlling locomotive indicating track occupancy or condition

INTERLOCKINGAn arrangement of signals and signal appliances so interconnected that their movements must succeed each other in proper sequence. They are found at a crossing of two railroads, a drawbridge, a junction, or entering or leaving a terminal or yard.

INTERLOCKINGAn arrangement of signals and signal appliances so interconnected that their movements must succeed each other in proper sequence. They are found at a crossing of two railroads, a drawbridge, a junction, or entering or leaving a terminal or yard.

CONTROLLED POINT

A station designated in the timetable where signals are controlled from the control station

CONTROLLED POINT

A control point can define the limits of a junction of separate lines.

SWITCHESSwitch and turnout are the terms used to describe the

arrangement of rails that allows junctions to be made in the track. Turnout is commonly used by track engineers, while switch is

more common among signal employees.

CROSSOVER

Two turnouts in which the track between the frogs is arranged to form a continuous passage between two nearby and generally parallel tracks.

DIAMOND

An intersection of two sections of track. The term refers to the diamond shape the four connected frogs make when one track crosses another

FROG

Term for the track component of a crossover or a diamond which allows the wheel flanges ways to cross diverging tracks.

HAND-THROW SWITCH

DUAL CONTROLLED SWITCHA power operated switch that is also equipped for hand-throw operation.

SWITCH GAP

The term used to describe the space between the switch point and the rail that allows the wheels of the rolling equipment to travel the route for which the switch is lined.

SPRING SWITCH

A switch equipped with a spring mechanism arranged to restore the points to normal position after having been trailed through.

TRAILING POINT MOVE

The movement of a train over the points of a switch which face the direction in which the train is moving.

ELECTRIC SWITCH LOCK

Their function is to keep unauthorized people from tampering with equipment and to keep a train on a siding or spur from pulling out on the mainline in front of an oncoming train.

ELECTRIC SWITCH LOCKWhen a train wants to come out of the siding, the trainman activates the ESL.

Once the ESL is activated, the protecting signals for the siding turn red. At the same time, the timing device electronically associated with the ESL is activated. A set amount of time has to elapse before the trainman can complete the operation to unlock switch points.

UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE DETECTORSThese devices can be connected to or a part of the signal

system. Their purpose is to detect unusual occurrences on the rail. They include:

Dragging Equipment / Hot Box / Hot Wheel Detector High water detectors Slide fences Earthquake detectors Remote control locomotive zone limiting devices Slump / Ballast Movement / Slide / Avalanche Detectors High/Wide Load Wheel Impact Load Detector Scour Detectors

HOT BOX DETECTOR

A heat sensitive device installed along railroad main line track at strategic locations for measuring the relative temperatures of passing journal bearings

SLIDE FENCEPart of a railway signaling system, a slide fence is a fence whose purpose is to prevent trains from being derailed by rock slides in mountainous areas where rock slides may occur without warning.

DERAIL

A track device designed to guide equipment off the rails at a selected location as a means of protection

Collision of Metrolink Train 111 with Union Pacific Train LOF65–12 Chatsworth, California, September 12, 2008 Roadway Workers Struck by Amtrak Acela Train 2154, Providence, Rhode Island, March 13, 2008 Rail Grinder Derailment on Union Pacific Railroad, Baxter, California, November 9, 2006 Derailment of CSX Transportation (CSX) freight train Q380-09 in Painesville, Ohio, October 10, 2007 Collision of Amtrak Passenger Train 371 and Norfolk Southern Railway Company Freight Train 23M Chicago,

Illinois, November 30, 2007 Passenger Fatality on Long Island Rail Road, Queens, New York, August 5, 2006, (DCA-06-FR-009) BNSF Railway Company Remote Control Locomotive Switching Operation Fatality Stockton, CA August 30, 2007 Derailment of CSX Transportation Train No. Q39010, Oneida, New York, March 12, 2007 Collision of Two Union Pacific Railroad Trains, Bertram, California, November 10, 2007 Derailment of Norfolk Southern Railway Company Train 68QB119 with Release of Hazardous Materials and Fire

New Brighton, Pennsylvania October 20, 2006 Collision of Two Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Trains, Abington, PA, July 1, 2006

Collision of Norfolk Southern Freight Train 192 With Standing Norfolk Southern Local Train P22 With Subsequent Hazardous Materials Release at Graniteville, South Carolina, January 6, 2005

Just some highlights…..

FIRST CAME THIS

NEXT GENERATION TRAIN CONTROL - PTC

Locomotive centric train control system with:Onboard (on the locomotive) equipmentWayside signal equipmentCommunications (data)Back office servers

WHAT DOES A PTC SYSTEM DO?

Delivers movement authorities to onboard display

Uses track data, GPS and locomotive systems to identify location and track

elements

Warns train operators of unsafe operations

Automatically enforces movement authorities and speed restrictions, and

Sends thousands of messages across a secure, reliable communication

system

39

WORKZONE 25 MPH

PASSING SIDING

INDUSTRY SIDING

GPS

CADI-ETMS BOS

The Track Database, Train Clearance, Bulletins and Track Authorities are sent electronically for display to the engineer. This data is used by PTC to generate Warnings and Enforcement.

TRAIN DATA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TRAINDATA

What Does PTC Do- Electronic Delivery

PTC SEGMENTS

Locomotive Segment

Monitored Control Points

PTC Back Office Server

Asset Tracking System

M03

Dispatch

CommunicationsSegment

MessageRouter Monitored

Switches

Other Monitored Devices

Wayside Segment

Office Segment

PTC COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

PTC RADIOS

Locomotive Radio74VDC / 50W

Base Radio24/48 VDC / 75W

Wayside Radio12VDC / 30W

GIS FOR PTC

NS Internal

Critical Features• Signals• Points of Switches• Clearance Points• Mile Markers• Limits of Road Crossings at Grade• Limits of Permanent Speed

Restrictions• Sign locations + 200 attributes of these and other features

44 NS Internal

Per the FRA approved PTCIP, NS will need to deploy PTC on 10,904 miles of its railroad

Where Is PTC Going?

All main lines Carrying > 5MGT

traffic, any amount of TIH*

Over which any passenger or commuter travels

* TIH traffic 2012 NPRM

COST

Railroad PTC investment through 2011

ARR $29,000,000

BNSF $482,481,000

CN $43,435,000

CP $37,000,000

CSX $333,000,000

KCS $32,500,000

NS $265,000,000

UP $335,000,000

Total $1,557,416,000

$20 cost to RR for every $1 safety benefits

Alternative risk reduction: Areas ripe for benefits at lower costs

Track caused accidents account for 34% of mainline accidents

Equipment caused accidents account for 26% of mainline accidents

Estimated

$13B total

RR INDUSTRY – WHY PTC?

A BNSF coal train collided with the rear end of a standing BNSF MOW train near Red Oak, Iowa. Both the engineer and conductor of the coal train were fatally injured. Contributing to the accident was the absence of a positive train control system that identifies the rear of a train and stops a following train if a safe braking profile is exceeded. "Humans are fallible and make mistakes and operational accidents can be prevented with positive train control," NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said.

Railway Infrastructure and Train Control

presented to - CE 433University of Kentucky

QUESTIONS?