The railway infrastructure is a complex technical and operational complex. Its content involves a wide range of mechanical support tools that require careful monitoring and maintenance. The slightest violation can lead to an accident or even disaster with unpredictable consequences. For this reason, transport organizations strictly adhere to the rules of technical operation (PTE). What sets up this document? First of all, it is focused on preventive measures that allow ensuring the reliability of the use of the technical base of the railway infrastructure at the moment, as well as extend the working life of its components. These tasks are achieved by performing special servicing activities.
What is included in the railway infrastructure?
A component list of facilities that are involved in servicing railways may vary depending on specific operating conditions and the load on the transport line. But there are basic elements included in this complex. First of all, these are the railway lines at stations, which are a direct continuation of transport links. The infrastructure also includes wagons of various types that can be used to transport goods or people. A very responsible facility is the block section. This is the functional part of the inter-station stage, the list of tasks of which includes the organization of communication and signaling.
It should be noted that automatic means of signaling belong to the objects that are most strictly regulated by PTE. What sets the rulebook in this part? This is support for the proper operation of the signaling support, monitoring of the functioning parameters and regular verification operations. At modern stations, electronic control systems for block sections are increasingly being used, which, on the one hand, saves personnel from unnecessary work, but on the other hand imposes a great responsibility on employees who are obliged to maintain the correct functioning of the equipment.
General responsibilities of staff
Maintenance and operational maintenance of the infrastructure is carried out by authorized persons directly from the organization providing the railway transportation, or employees of third-party companies who have assumed the relevant responsibilities under the contract. The personnel’s tasks include ensuring safe conditions for maneuvering equipment within a specific railway sector. This means the continued maintenance of the technical components of the infrastructure, the prevention of accidental dangers and threats.
In the normal mode, station employees must also service railway transport. The rules also require them to take timely measures to eliminate the malfunctions that have arisen. In particular, the most common contingencies include road blocking. In such cases, workers are required to send appropriate signals to the serviced trains and to make efforts to eliminate the problem by cleaning the railway line.
Routine inspection of infrastructure components
The rules require service personnel not only to deal with emergency abnormalities, but also to pre-fix the risks of their occurrence. This set of measures is being implemented with the help of a regular inspection of the railway with adjacent facilities. For example, technological structures, control points with automated equipment, devices and office buildings, as well as non-public railway tracks, are inspected. An important feature of such an inspection is the differentiation of access rights in relation to different categories of personnel performing PTE. What sets the standard in this part? The rules indicate that the owner of the serviced infrastructure should determine the members of the commission who inspect in the prescribed manner. Based on the audit data obtained, documentation is compiled indicating the state characteristics of the entrusted objects.
Organization of repair conditions
An important role in the organization of repair operations is played by planning the schedule and conditions for their implementation. In particular, in advance, the head and the commission determine the technological windows in which work can be done. These intervals can last an average of 1-2 hours. Moreover, each event of this kind involves enhanced support for alarm systems that will monitor what is happening on the job site. As prescribed by the rules for the technical operation of railways, employees are required to establish a radio or telephone connection between the workers, the control room and the manager. Direct construction work can be performed by specialized brigades, machine complexes, and mechanized columns. In normal operation, regular work is carried out on artificial structures, railways, contact networks, locking and centralization devices.
Creating conditions for closing and opening the haul
The need for more extensive contingency construction and repair work also requires compliance with the regulations. The closure of public railways requires an appropriate order from the head of a specific railway infrastructure. In time, such a regime can last 1-2 days with the obligatory notification of the federal railway department. In this case, the notice must be sent 10 days before the closing date. In addition, the requirements of the PTE note that the signal for closing non-public roads can only come from the federal railway department. In turn, the opening of the stage restores the operation of signaling devices, interlocking and centralization systems, power supply and communication in accordance with the administrative order.
Approval of infrastructure components for operation
The input of each unit of technical equipment, mechanized complex, automated equipment or equipment is carried out only after a thorough examination and testing. These works are also entrusted to a special commission, after which acceptance by the operating staff is carried out. By the way, the participants of the service team themselves must have access to work with specific infrastructure facilities. Equipment conservation is also practiced, on the resources of which rail transportation and auxiliary technological operations are carried out. For such work, regulations apply that are already prescribed by manufacturers of specific units. After the expiration of the preservation period, a comprehensive check of the equipment's operability and its compliance with the intended use tasks is also performed.
Maintain distance between paths
One of the most important conditions for the stable and safe operation of the railway complex is to maintain optimal track location parameters. In particular, the gap between the axles on double-track spans in a straight line should be 410 cm. This indicator increases if we are talking about four-way lines that fall on the center lines of the second and third order. In this case, the distance can already reach 500 cm. As the shortest interval, the PTE rules establish the distance between the axles calculated for reloading goods from wagon to wagon - it is 360 cm.
Organization of the lighting system
The organization of lighting is also of great importance in the process of maintenance and operation of railways. Light is needed for work when receiving and sending trains, during loading and unloading operations, etc. Modern floodlights are used to organize such systems. In order to save money on electricity, many stations and car service centers are transferred to LED devices, which also have a high technical resource. Another thing is that Russian Railways PTE prohibit the use of separate models of lighting devices that can adversely affect the visibility of signal lights.
Infrastructure Monitoring Systems
A considerable part of the functional equipment of the railway infrastructure falls on automated components and assemblies, as well as on the aforementioned lighting systems. At the disposal of the responsible employee of the office premises there is a means for remote control of disconnectors, monitoring devices for the technical condition of trains, signaling and radio communications. In accordance with the PTE of the railways, the set of automatic controls should be strictly taken into account. There should not be any extraneous devices in the office building of management, and people who do not meet the requirements for an operator position in this industry are not allowed to work with regulatory equipment.
Safety measures for passengers
Places of operation for passengers include buildings, terminals, platforms and transitional facilities of the railway complex. Even at the design stage of these structures and structures, specialists lay down the characteristics necessary to ensure the safe movement of people. For example, maintaining crossings in the form of bridges and tunnels on the same level with tracks involves the inclusion of special pedestrian flooring, signs and warning signs corresponding to the PTE. What sets this standard in the modern code of rules? In addition to security measures, standards also prescribe the organization of a comfortable stay for passengers. For this purpose, recreation centers, pavilions, automatic service points, etc. are also organized.
Conclusion
The state of Russian railways as a whole is at a satisfactory level, although not all regions show the proliferation of high-tech equipment, apparatus, and the same signaling devices. At the same time, changes in the PTE of railways are oriented precisely on the introduction of advanced solutions in terms of mechanized maintenance and in terms of innovative control systems. For example, adjustments are made to the regulations regarding the organization of interaction between employees of different stations. Mobile devices appear in the lists of possible means of communication, but traditional solutions also remain relevant, which often outperform more technologically advanced counterparts in terms of reliability of function performance.