CHAPTER XI
POWER SUPPLY AND TRACTION ARRANGEMENT
72. Switching on, and off, of traction and power supply distribution –– (1) All traction and power distribution systems shall remain live at all times and shall only be switched off when necessary for maintenance of the equipment or protection of other maintenance activities.
(2) Traction supplies shall be switched on and off as per instructions of the Traffic Controller: Provided that in case of emergency after giving information to the Traffic Controller, Traction Power Controller shall be authorised to switch off the power.
(3) All traction and power distribution systems which have been switched off shall be adequately earthed before any maintenance or repair work is undertaken.
(4) All maintenance work on high tension distribution network shall be undertaken with the permission of the Traction Power Controller who shall ensure maintaining adequate power supplies for the operation of the Metro Railway network under the condition prevailing at that time.
(5) Emergency Trip System, where provided –
(a) The Emergency Trip Switches will be used for switching off the traction power supply on the line of the particular sections near the Emergency Trip Switch in case of any emergency;
(b) The Emergency Trip System switches are installed at each end of platform in stations, at station control rooms and at cross passages in tunnels. After activating an Emergency Trip System an individual signal is sent to Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition system, and according to a tripping scheme and logic provided, the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition system shall switch off relevant circuit breakers and send signals to indicate that the track section is de-energized.
73. Access –– (1) All points of potential access by the metro railway employees or public to high voltage equipment shall be kept locked and suitable warning notices displayed therein.
(2) All switch gear and other high voltage equipment shall be fenced off and shall be accessible only to authorised staff and access to the live equipment shall only be permitted when the equipment has been switched off and earthed as laid down under special instructions.
(3) No person shall work on high voltage equipment, or DC traction equipment or switch such equipment by local control unless he is properly trained and certified to perform such duties and possesses a valid certificate of competency and he shall also obtain the permission of the traction power controller before undertaking such work and the procedure for obtaining; granting and cancelling of such permission shall be laid down in special instructions.
(4) No person shall work closer than two meters to a live conductor.
74. Arcing and Fire –– (1) If any member of staff observes fire, smoke, arcing or fusing in the vicinity of the overhead line equipment or third rail equipment, as the case may be, he shall inform the Traffic Controller or Station Controller as quickly as possible and request power to be switched off from the section of the line.
(2) The Traffic Controller shall instruct the Traction Power Controller to switch off the power to that section of line before taking further action to investigate the occurrence.
(3) The Traffic Controller shall also instruct the Station Controller at the nearest station to check if the fire or arcing has been extinguished.
(4) On the basis of report of investigation and confirming rectification of the fault, Traction Power Controller shall re-energise the section and may advise the Traffic Controller to resume train services.
75. Inspection and maintenance of electrical way and works –– The electrical way and work shall be inspected and maintained regularly in accordance with the provisions of the Metro Railway Traction Manual and special instructions, by official nominated for the purpose and in accordance with the duties assigned to them.
76. Issue of Caution Order –– In case of breakdown of overhead equipment, or third rail equipment, as the case may be, when it is necessary for a train to proceed cautiously, the Traction Power Controller shall arrange for issue of caution order in accordance with the procedure in force.
77. Protection of the trains in case of Traction system failure or breakdown –– Whenever a Train Operator finds that his train cannot proceed further on account of Traction system failure or breakdown the Train Operator shall follow instructions laid down in sub-rule (2) of rule 50.
78. Permit to work adjacent to or involving Electrical equipment –– (1) Works adjacent to electrical equipment or involving any parts thereof shall be carried out only by authorised employee of the Metro Railway.
(2) No works under sub rule (1) shall be undertaken unless an authorised electrical person has given a permit to work and in addition, nominated a qualified representative of the electrical branch of Metro Railway, where necessary, in accordance with the Special Instructions, which shall lay down the detailed procedure of obtaining, granting and cancelling of the permit to work ensuring utmost safety.
(3) The Authorised Electrical Person shall not issue such permit to work without the consent of the Traction Power Controller who in turn, shall keep the Traffic Controller informed when train movements are affected. Whenever such work is likely to affect any other installations, the work will be carried out as per Special Instructions.
(4) Before commencing any work within two meters of Overhead Equipment or Third Rail or its associated cables and equipment, a permit to work shall be obtained from an Authorised Electrical Person.
(5) The maintenance and operation of Electrical Traction Installations in emergency conditions shall be carried out after obtaining permit to work as per procedure contained in Special Instructions.
79. Work on service building and structures in the vicinity of live equipment –The Metro Railway employee required to carry out work on service buildings and structures in the proximity of Overhead Equipment shall exercise special care to ensure that tools, measuring tapes, materials are not placed in a position from which they are likely to fall on
or make contact with electrical equipment.
80. Sectioning and siding switches –– (1) Sectioning and siding switches installed in the Traction system shall be operated only by such officials as are authorised to do so by the in charge of the Traction system.
(2) No switch affecting the feed to main running line or loop line shall be closed or opened without permission of the Traction Power Controller and the detailed procedures for opening and closing of sectioning and isolating switches shall be as per the Metro Railway Traction Manual.
(3) All operations of section or isolating switches, when completed, shall be reported to the Traction Power Controller in all cases.
81. Warning to staff and public –– (1) All electrical equipment shall be regarded as being live at all times and consequently dangerous to human life, save and except in cases where the electrical equipment has been specially made dead, isolated and earthed as per instructions contained in the Metro Railway Traction Manual.
(2) caution notices, as specified in Schedule I appended to these rules, shall be prominently and permanently fixed near all vulnerable places to warn staff and public to exercise due caution.
(3) No person shall climb on the top of rolling stock, or go under the rolling stock in case of Third Rail DC Traction, when these vehicles are located beneath the Overhead Equipment or adjacent to the Third Rail except when the Overhead Equipment or Third Rail is made dead and earthed in accordance with Special Instructions and the person required to climb on the roofs of passenger cars or to go under the same, shall obtain a permit to work as per rule 78.
82. Alterations to Track –– Before any alteration to alignment or level of electrified tracks is commenced, due notice shall be given to those responsible for the Overhead Equipment or the Third Rail, as the case may be, so that the Overhead Equipment or Third Rail may be adjusted using specified gauge to conform to the new conditions of track.
83. Additional rules for electrified Sections ––Special Instructions, if any, for working of trains on electrified sections shall be issued .
84 Rules applicable to Overhead AC Traction Equipment only – (1) Tripping of circuit breakers of Train in Neutral sections –
(i) Unless otherwise allowed by special instructions, the Train Operator shall coast through the neutral section, duly switching off power and necessary indications boards as specified in Schedule II appended to these rules, wherever required, shall be provided to guide the Train Operator to switch off and switch on the power.
(ii) The Indication boards shall be provided at five hundred meters and two hundred and fifty meters in advance of the neutral section and additional boards shall be provided just short of and immediately after the neutral section to indicate to the Train Operator the points where he shall open and re-close the circuit breaker on the electrical multiple unit.
(2) Tower Wagon or Catenary inspection Car ––
(i) The movement or working of tower wagon or inspection car or any other vehicle with pantograph raised shall be as per the Special Instructions.
(ii) No tower wagon or inspection car shall be driven except by an authorised person and no person shall be so authorised, unless he has knowledge of the section on which tower wagon or inspection car is to operate in addition to being conversant with the operation of tower wagon or inspection
car.(3) Working of ladder trollies ––
(i) Ladder trollies shall be considered as work trains and their movement on the main line track shall be governed by rule 33.
(ii) The ladder trollies shall work during Engineer’s Possession only and their operation shall be supervised by a suitable traction distribution official as prescribed in Special Instructions.
85. Rules applicable to DC Traction Third Rail equipment only – Switching ‘OFF’ and ‘ON’ of Traction power. – (1) Traction power shall ordinarily remain ‘ON’ and shall be switched ‘OFF’ during traffic hours for a specified section by the Traction Power Controller or through the Authorised Employee immediately after informing the Traffic Controller in emergencies, like:–
(a) to stop serious arcing or fusing;
(b) to stop train in unusual circumstances; and
(c) when flood water overflows the drains.
(1)The Traction Power Controller shall issue emergency power block as per prescribed procedure, to the Authorised Employee. The Traffic Controller shall also inform all concerned that train movements on the affected section have been stopped.
(2) When the cause of ‘Switching OFF’ is over, the employee who has taken emergency power block will inform Traction Power Controller to that effect and cancel the emergency power block.
(3) Before switching ‘ON’ the current, the Traction Power Controller shall obtain the permission of Traffic Controller who shall confirm from the Engineering and Signaling officials that the track is safe and free from any obstructions before permitting energisation of third rail. Thereafter, traffic controller will resume the traffic.
86. Procedure for preventing admission of electric rolling stock into or over sections of track with dead or earthed overhead lines or third rail –– (1) In order to prevent electric rolling stock from being admitted into a track or a crossover for which overhead equipment or third rail equipment, as the case may be, is made dead or for which a permit to work is to be issued, suitable measures shall be enforced to block setting of such routes.
(2) The levers or slide or push buttons of signals and points governing movement of electric rolling stock shall be suitably protected and if the points and signals are locally operated they shall be clamped and padlocked in their normal position and the keys shall be kept with the Station Controller or Depot Controller as the case may be.
(3) These protective measures shall not be withdrawn until the Station Controller or the Depot Controller, as the case may be, receives a message from the Traffic Controller and acknowledges the same, and the Traffic Controller shall not issue a message unless he has received a message from the Traction Power Controller cancelling the power block.