Table of Contents

Table of Contents 1
 CHAPTER -XI

DUTIES OF MAINTAINERS

A. TECHNICAL DUTIES OF SIGNAL MAINTAINERS

11.1 . The duties of Signal Maintainer are detailed in various Chapters in this Manual, the most essential being:-

(a) Efficient maintenance and testing of all equipment under his charge such as Mechanical Signalling equipment, Electrical and
Electronic Signalling equipment, Telecommunication equipment, etc., so as to keep them properly adjusted and in good working
condition, in accordance with instructions contained in this Manual and such Circulars or Instructions, as may be issued from time
to time.

Note:- The term electrical signalling equipment includes all types of Block Instruments.

(b) Carrying out works and alterations to the existing installations under the instructions of the SSE/SE/JE (Signal).

(c) Bringing to the notice of the SSE/SE/JE (Signal) any emergency and situation that may be beyond his competence or control by
a message on control phone or by a telegram or by a messenger or personally.

(d) Ensuring that the safety appliances like Safety Belts, lifting tackles and staging, etc., are in good condition and are always
made use of in order to ensure his safety and the safety of staff working under him.

(e) Deploying men for look out duties as and when necessary.

11.2 LOCKING OF INTERLOCKING FRAMES AND INTERLOCKING CIRCUITS

11.2.1 The Signal Maintainer shall not remove the covers of interlocking frames and midway release locks or disconnect or alter
any connection in the interlocking circuits of electrical interlocking systems except with the approval of and in the presence of his
SSE/SE/JE (Signal). Any action, which will vitiate interlocking, shall be done only after disconnection notice has been issued and
accepted.

11.2.2 A Signal Maintainer shall, however, attend to the locking failures promptly to permit safe passage of trains till the arrival of
the SSE/SE/JE (Signal). If the locking is jamming, efforts shall be made to release the jam, as far as possible, by external means,
such as, by tapping and oiling, without opening the covers or making any locking disconnection. If the jam cannot be released in
this manner, he shall suspend all the signals operated or controlled from the interlocking frame before opening the covers or
disconnecting any locking.

11.2.3 A Signal Maintainer shall also ensure that, once the signals have been suspended as per para 11.2.2 normal working shall
not be restored until the locking has been attended to, tested and certified by the SSE/SE/JE (Signal) and the locking trays have
been closed, pad locked and sealed.

11.3 MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

11.3.1 Each Maintainer, as far as possible, adhere to the programme laid down for him by his SSE/SE/ JE (Signal) and shall
maintain a record of his visits on form S&T/MR (Annexure 1).

11.3.2 Signal Maintainer shall not normally leave any gear in disconnected condition and in unavoidable eventuality, a specific
advice to ASM, duly acknowledged by him shall be obtained.

11.3.3 Each Maintainer shall maintain and test all the equipment under his charge at least once a fortnight.

11.3.4 Each Maintainer shall submit a fortnightly report of his maintenance rounds to his Inspector on Form S&T/MR (Annexure 1).

11.3.5 A Maintainer before leaving his Headquartered Station, shall record his movements in the Movement Board kept at the
Station Master's office.

11.4 DISCONNECTION OF APPARATUS

11.4.1 Each Maintainer shall have in his possession a book of Disconnection Notices- Form S&T/DN (Annexure 2). A Maintainer
who is in possession of a Competency Certificate cum Training History book (Annexure 4) only shall independently undertake
works necessitating issues of Disconnection Notices.
11.4.2 Disconnection Notices need not be issued in situations as listed in Annexure-3 provided suitable precautions are taken. In
other situations, when it is necessary to disconnect any equipment in his charge for repairs, replacement or adjustment, the
Maintainer shall advise the Station Master on duty in writing on Form S&T/DN (Annexure 2) and obtain the latter's signature before
work is started and after it has been completed.

11.4.3 When it is necessary to disconnect point equipment switches or signals for repairs, replacement or alteration,
Warner/Distant and Stop Signals governing the lines in question shall be kept in the 'ON' position and made in-operative until the
work is completed.

11.4.4 The Maintainer must seal the equipment opened by him under his competence.

11.5 FAILURES

11.5.1 A Maintainer shall attend to all failures in his section promptly proceeding by the first available means on receipt of
information. Before taking up work, he shall first obtain failure report/ message from SM/ASM in writing in accordance with
provision of G.R.3.68 for each failure recorded in the signal failure register and then issue disconnection notice as per Para 11.4.
He shall make every endeavour to rectify the failures expeditiously and take all possible steps to prevent recurrence. If a gear has
failed on the unsafe side and the ASM has been unable to put the relevant signal to 'ON', the Signal Maintainer shall take steps to
disconnect/disable the relevant signal and bring it to 'ON'.

11.5.2 All failures which are beyond his competence or control must be brought to the notice of the SSE/SE/JE (Signal) incharge
by a message on control phone or by a telegram or by a messenger or personally.

11.5.3 Record of the date and time of rectification and the nature of the fault removed must be recorded in the Signal Incidence
and Inspection Register provided at each interlocked station.

11.6 ACCIDENTS

On receipt of advice about any accident in his jurisdiction, the Maintainer shall proceed to the site of accident by first available
means. He shall not interfere with any equipment on his own but shall act upon the orders given by the senior most officials at the
site of accident.

B. GENERAL DUTIES OF MAINTAINERS

11.7 KNOWLEDGE OF RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS

11.7.1 A Maintainer shall be conversant with rules, regulations and instructions concerning his work contained in the following
books of reference as well as other instructions issued from time to time.

i) General and subsidiary rules;

ii) Signal Engineering Manual;

iii) Safety First Book

11.7.2 A copy of those portions of each of the books mentioned in Para 11.7.1 as also all circulars and instructions concerning his
work, shall be maintained by him for his reference and information. He shall keep them up to date in respect of Correction Slips
issued from time to time.

11.8 A Maintainer shall not permit any artisan or Class IV staff to do any adjustment to the gear in use except under his personal
supervision and he shall ensure that the staff under him clearly understand this rule.

11.9 MAINTENANCE OF MUSTER SHEETS ETC.

11.9.1 A Maintainer shall mark his own attendance and that of his staff on the muster sheets received from the SSE/SE/JE (Signal)
before starting his work. Erasing and over-writing is not permitted. Loss of muster sheet shall be brought to the notice of the
SSE/SE/JE (Signal) at the earliest.

11.9.2 A Maintainer shall work to the duty rosters provided and see that the staff under him also works according to the roster.

11.10 MATERIALS AND TOOLS AND PLANT

11.10.1 A Maintainer shall, where necessary, get his requirements of materials for maintenance and repair work from the
SSE/SE/JE (Signal), giving full particulars of station, location and the gears to be replaced. Released materials shall be returned to
the SSE/SE/JE (Signal) immediately. There shall absolutely be no wastage of any material.
11.10.2 A Maintainer shall always take his tools with him when on duty. All tools shall be kept in a condition fit for immediate use.

11.11 CO-OPERATION BETWEEN ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SIGNAL MAINTAINERS:

11.11.1 Electrical and Mechanical Signal Maintainers shall co-operate in testing all signals operated mechanically and controlled
electrically.

11.11.2 Electrical and Mechanical Signal Maintainers shall extend full co-operation to each other in their day to day work.

FORM NO. S&T/MR

Annexure 1
Para Nos. 11.3.1 & 11.3.4

SIGNAL & TELECOMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

MAINTAINER'S REPORT

Day/Night Duty for Week/Fortnight/Month ending....................

Name of Maintainer................................... Hqrs. of Maintainer..................

Section................................

Date of Visit Name of Station/Cabin Train No. and time Train No. and time Maintenance Work
arrived departed Done
1 2 3 4 5

Signature of Maintainer

Date................................

Annexture 2
 Annexure 3

Para 11.4.2

Situations in which disconnection notice need not be issued provided suitable precautions are taken:

A.3.1 CLEANING AND/OR LUBRICATING /GRAPHITING WITHOUT AFFECTING ANY PHYSICAU ELECTRICAL
DISCONNECTION

i) Lever frame basement.

ii) Relay Room & Battery Room.

iii) Apparatus case/battery boxes/Goomty.

iv) Lifting barrier mechanism including winch.

v) Lever lock and circuit controller without opening cover.

vi) Inspection and cleaning of inside equipment by opening the covers of point machines, signal motors, reversers, apparatus
cases and detectors,

vii) Point, facing point lock and lock bar.

viii) Cranks, compensators, pullies, wheels, roller stands, counterweights & levers,

ix) Power supply equipment,

x) Insulation joints,

xi) Lens/roundels of signal, point indicator, trap indicator & shunt permitting indicator provided phantom indication to driver of an
incoming train is prevented by covering lenses.

A.3.2 TESTING OF

i) Track locking, approach locking, back locking, indication locking, route release.

ii) Checking various parameters of axle counter without disconnecting the equipment.

iii) Power supply equipment.

iv) Lever frame, SM's control frame, signal operation, point operation, level crossing gate & slot circuits.

v) Point by obstruction test for lock only.

vi) Checking and testing of track circuit parameters when the track is unoccupied,

vii) Focussing of colour light signal provided phantom indication to driver of an incoming train is prevented by covering lenses.
A.3.3 ADJUSTMENT OF

i) Wire transmission except double wire operated point transmission.

ii) Tightening of terminals using insulated tools without causing any shorts on adjacent terminals.

A.3.4 REPLACEMENT OF

i) Electric signal lamp provided phantom indication to driver of an incoming train is prevented by covering lenses.

ii) Bond wire, one at a time,

iii) Plug-in relay in case traffic condition permits,

iv) Indicator lamps,

v) Push button/switch/key of panel,

vi) Lock bar clips/bar stop, one at a time,

vii) G. D. tubes,

viii) Fuse, one at a time.

ix) Pulley, bottom roller/ top roller in wire and rod transmission one at a time and split pins,

x) Batteries /cells without affecting disconnection of supply to main equipment.

Annexure 4

Para 11.4.1

.................................Railway

SIGNAL AND TELECOMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

Competency Certificate cum training History book

Certificate number..................

This is to certify that

Shri .
S/o Shri .
Designation .
Staff No. .
Station .
Division .

who has undergone training in....................................has been examined in the relevant rules and instructions pertaining to his
duties stipulated in the Signal Engineering Manual & General and subsidiary rules and he is competent to undertake independently
such work which may necessitates disconnection of signalling and interlocking gear in service under open line conditions.

This certificate is valid upto............................................

He is also qualified to work on the following block instruments and is competent to disconnect and restore working (Tick the
appropriate)
 1 Double line block instrument .
2 Single line token block instrument .
3 Single line push button block instrument .
4 Single line handle type block instrument .
5 . .
6 . .

Date:................ Place:..................

Principal
S& T Training centre

..................Railway

RENEWALS OF COMPETENCY CERTIFICATE

Date Renewed upto Block Instruments Signature

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REFERESHER COURSE

S. No. Course No.
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Last attended
From
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Next Due Signature and Date
To . .
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EQUIPMENT AND OTHER COURSE ATTENDED

S.No. Date Name of course From TO Signature

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