The purpose of this guideline is to provide railway companies with recommended elements to be considered in the development of internal procedures regarding the use of a rail previously in service as a replacement rail to ensure it is free of defective conditions that could compromise rail safety.
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Introduction
The Rules Respecting Track Safety, commonly cited as Track Safety Rules (TSR), require that the railway company inspect track at frequency and by such a method as to ensure the line of track is compliant with the TSR and is safe for all movements at the authorized speed.
As part of maintenance activities, railway companies routinely remove a section of rail and install a replacement rail as a corrective or preventive measure. This replacement rail can be a new rail or a rail previously in service.
Replacement rail that has not been verified as being free of rail defectsFootnote 1 may have the unintended consequence of introducing risk to rail safety. Railway must verify that replacement rail is free of rail defects and determine that it is appropriate for the intended location.
Replacement Rail Procedures
It is recommended that railway companies take into consideration, at a minimum, the following elements in rail replacement procedures:
- Rail Handling: Proper care is taken while handling the rail, to ensure that rail handling and/or storage do not introduce defects to the replacement rail.
- Ultrasonic Testing: Replacement rail - which will be installed at locations where TSR Part II Subpart F Sections 5 and 9 require rail flaw inspections - is ultrasonically tested and verified to be free of any rail defects before being put back in service.
- Rail Selection: Replacement rail is visually inspected, to ensure that the rail is appropriate for the intended location, before being put back in service. Rail cross section, rail metallurgy, rail defects, rail wear, track geometry, track class, and tonnage are some of the factors that are considered in establishing the appropriateness of the replacement rail for the intended location.
- Restrictive Measures: Emergency circumstances may require use of replacement rail without ultrasonic testing verification or consideration for the appropriateness of the replacement rail for the selected location. Under such circumstances railway companies should establish appropriate restrictive conditions for safe rail operations until proper verification is completed.
- Maintaining Records: Railway companies should maintain records to ensure that the rail replacement procedures are followed. These records should include the origin of the replacement rail, whether it was previously tested, and the date of ultrasonic testing verification should be marked on an appropriate location, such as the web of the rail.
For additional information on this guideline, please communicate with Transport Canada’s Rail Safety Head Office.
OTTAWA HEAD OFFICE
Transport Canada - Rail Safety
427 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1410
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5
Phone: 613 998-2985
Fax: 613 990-7767
E-mail: railsafety@tc.gc.ca
https://tc.canada.ca/