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San Rafael, Novato SMART rail warning devices malfunctioning
Author: The Odd Duck
Date: 09-29-2016 - 13:55
San Rafael, Novato SMART rail warning devices malfunctioning
By Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal
[www.marinij.com]
POSTED: 09/28/16, 5:29 PM PDT | UPDATED: 33 SECS AGO 28 COMMENTS
Automatic arms and warning signals at Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit crossings are not working properly, necessitating more work on tracks to correct problems and casting some doubt on whether trains will roll by the end of the year.
The fledgling commuter rail system is working to synchronize a complex array of computerized warning systems with new track and new trains as it readies for passenger service. But there have been issues with warning systems at its 63 crossings and none are completely functional and ready for passenger service, rail officials acknowledge.
“We are getting toward 100 percent, but there are misfires along the way,” said Farhad Mansourian, who heads the rail agency, adding that the testing hiccups are normal in starting a new service.
In some cases crossing arms have come down too early or too late, or have stayed down longer than desired once the train has left a crossing, he said. In some instances trains have failed to engage the safety systems. Flagmen are dispatched to provide for safe crossings for the public.
This week SMART has increased the frequency of its testing from its downtown San Rafael station to the Sonoma County Airport station, the entire length of its 43-mile first phase.
SMART’s testing includes running trains at increased speeds, more frequent testing of railroad crossing gates as well as track conditioning with a rail scrubber, which may be key to getting automatic warning devices to work properly.
Track scrubbing is needed to make sure the wheels make good contact with the rails to engage signals and crossing arms along the route.
When the train wheels make contact with the rail it creates a circuit that helps all the signals to engage and the crossing gates to come down. The rail has negative and positive charges and when a train’s steel wheels cross the tracks an electrical circuit is formed.
Once the circuit is completed it feeds information from the train to computers in housing at crossings. It will tell computers where the train is and how fast it’s going and that allows the gates to come down with a 30-second warning.
When rail comes from the manufacturer it has mill scale — bits of metal — on it, which can disrupt the connection. A grinder was used to remove that mill scale. Now a scrubber — a lighter apparatus — will aim to remove residue from tracks, which may now be the issue.
“One thought is that in some areas there may be materials on the track that act as an insulator and prevent that connection from happening,” Mansourian said.
SMART is operating the scrubber from 8 p.m. to midnight in the San Rafael and Novato areas. In the remote area near the Redwood Landfill, scrubbing will be from midnight to 4 a.m. The rail scrubber will be towed by an on-rail pickup truck to reduce disruption and noise.
SMART’s overall safety testing includes operating trains seven days a week. On weekdays, trains are tested from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On weekends trains will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Rail officials still hope to start service before the year is out, as was stated earlier this year.
“But we are not going to let this train run until it’s 100 percent ready,” said Judy Arnold, SMART board chairwoman and Marin supervisor. “Overall the testing is going well. But we need to do more work, including (scrubbing) of the track. We are still working to have it ready by the end of the year.”
Said Mansourian: “All we can do is try our best.”
With increased train speeds and frequency of train movements, SMART officials continue to warn drivers and pedestrians to be alert and aware at all railroad crossing gates.
Drivers should never stop on the tracks, and never speed through the crossing gates to beat a train. Pedestrians should never walk on the tracks, which is not only dangerous, but illegal.
For more rail safety tips, visit BeTrackSmart.org.
By Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal
[www.marinij.com]
POSTED: 09/28/16, 5:29 PM PDT | UPDATED: 33 SECS AGO 28 COMMENTS
Automatic arms and warning signals at Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit crossings are not working properly, necessitating more work on tracks to correct problems and casting some doubt on whether trains will roll by the end of the year.
The fledgling commuter rail system is working to synchronize a complex array of computerized warning systems with new track and new trains as it readies for passenger service. But there have been issues with warning systems at its 63 crossings and none are completely functional and ready for passenger service, rail officials acknowledge.
“We are getting toward 100 percent, but there are misfires along the way,” said Farhad Mansourian, who heads the rail agency, adding that the testing hiccups are normal in starting a new service.
In some cases crossing arms have come down too early or too late, or have stayed down longer than desired once the train has left a crossing, he said. In some instances trains have failed to engage the safety systems. Flagmen are dispatched to provide for safe crossings for the public.
This week SMART has increased the frequency of its testing from its downtown San Rafael station to the Sonoma County Airport station, the entire length of its 43-mile first phase.
SMART’s testing includes running trains at increased speeds, more frequent testing of railroad crossing gates as well as track conditioning with a rail scrubber, which may be key to getting automatic warning devices to work properly.
Track scrubbing is needed to make sure the wheels make good contact with the rails to engage signals and crossing arms along the route.
When the train wheels make contact with the rail it creates a circuit that helps all the signals to engage and the crossing gates to come down. The rail has negative and positive charges and when a train’s steel wheels cross the tracks an electrical circuit is formed.
Once the circuit is completed it feeds information from the train to computers in housing at crossings. It will tell computers where the train is and how fast it’s going and that allows the gates to come down with a 30-second warning.
When rail comes from the manufacturer it has mill scale — bits of metal — on it, which can disrupt the connection. A grinder was used to remove that mill scale. Now a scrubber — a lighter apparatus — will aim to remove residue from tracks, which may now be the issue.
“One thought is that in some areas there may be materials on the track that act as an insulator and prevent that connection from happening,” Mansourian said.
SMART is operating the scrubber from 8 p.m. to midnight in the San Rafael and Novato areas. In the remote area near the Redwood Landfill, scrubbing will be from midnight to 4 a.m. The rail scrubber will be towed by an on-rail pickup truck to reduce disruption and noise.
SMART’s overall safety testing includes operating trains seven days a week. On weekdays, trains are tested from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On weekends trains will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Rail officials still hope to start service before the year is out, as was stated earlier this year.
“But we are not going to let this train run until it’s 100 percent ready,” said Judy Arnold, SMART board chairwoman and Marin supervisor. “Overall the testing is going well. But we need to do more work, including (scrubbing) of the track. We are still working to have it ready by the end of the year.”
Said Mansourian: “All we can do is try our best.”
With increased train speeds and frequency of train movements, SMART officials continue to warn drivers and pedestrians to be alert and aware at all railroad crossing gates.
Drivers should never stop on the tracks, and never speed through the crossing gates to beat a train. Pedestrians should never walk on the tracks, which is not only dangerous, but illegal.
For more rail safety tips, visit BeTrackSmart.org.
San Rafael, Novato SMART rail warning devices malfunctioning