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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(For Official Use)

DC TRACK CIRCUIT MAINTENANCE

CAMTECH/S&T/S/2009/P/DCTC/2.0
March 2009

Contact address: Director (S&T)

Indian Railways, Centre for Advanced Maintenance
Technology , Maharajpur, Gwalior – 474 005
: 0751-2470185, FAX: 0751-2470841
e-mail: camtech_snt@yahoo.com
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Disclaimer
It is clarified that information given in this folder does not supersede any
existing provisions laid down in S.E.M., Rly. Board and RDSO
publications. This document is not statutory and instructions given in it
are for the purpose of guidance only. If at any point contradiction is
observed, then S.E.M., Rly. Board and RDSO guidelines or Zonal Rly.
instructions may be followed.

DC TRACK CIRCUIT MAINTENANCE

1. DC Single Rail Track Circuit
1.1 Introduction
In AC RE area, track circuits in which one of the two
track rails carry traction earth return current paths and
other rail use used for track circuit. This type of track
circuit is mostly used on Indian Railways.

Fig.1: DC Single rail track circuit arrangement

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1.2 Components
1. Battery charger 110 V/2-10 V DC.
2. Feed battery (1 to 4 cells).
3. Fuse and link.
4. Regulating resistance (adjustable) 0-30 Ohm.
5. Type ‘B’ choke (R=3 Ohms & Z=120 Ohm).
6. Track lead cable (2X2.5 sq. mm. copper).
7. Track lead J.B.
8. Track lead steel wire ropes.
9. Transverse bonds.
10. Block joints.
11. Track Relay (ACI).

2. Precautionary measures for a DC track Circuit in RE

area
• Only AC immunized Track relay (shelf type, QTA2
type or QBAT type) shall be used.
• QSPA1 relay only shall be used as repeater for
QTA2 or QBAT track relay. For shelf type relay any
AC immunized relay can be used as repeater.
• With shelf type ACI track relay, track feeding shall
not be done directly from a rectifier, without a
battery in parallel. Whenever battery is
disconnected, rectifier shall also be automatically be
isolated from the track.
• A 'B' Type protection chock of (3 ohm resistance
and 120 ohm impedance for 50Hz) shall be
connected in series with track feed to the un-
insulated rail.
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• A similar choke shall be connected in series with the

relay also for its protection.
• A 5A 250V rated fuse and a 0-30 Ohm Regulating
resistance for minor adjustments in track feed
voltage are also provided at the feed end.
• Before starting any maintenance work, a surge
discharge shall be connected across the track at the
site of work.

3. Maintenance Instructions
• Note down the track relay voltage on each visit.
Specified value:
For shelf type relay <= 250% of pick-up voltage.
For plug-in-type relay <=300% of pick-up-voltage.
• Check the condition of following bonds on every
visit:
Cross bond, Transverse bond, Structure bond and
Longitudinal bond.
If found loose / broken missing, take remedial
action/inform OHE deptt.
• Clean the insulation joint with
a brush to remove iron
filing/powder.
• Check the point rodding,
stretcher and gauge tie plate
insulation, once in three months.
• Check the battery condition regularly. Measure the
voltage of each cell after switching off the charger.
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• Check the operating characteristics of track relay

once in two years.
• Check the intactness of jumper connections. If found
loose / broken missing, take remedial action.
• Check the sudden voltage drop on a portion of failed
track circuit to find the most likely fault around
there.
• Ensure the proper drainage of water and mud for
improving the ballast resistance and reliability of
track circuit.
• Check the resistance between
Fish plate-rail, Fish plate-
bolt and Fish plate-fish
plate regularly.
• Check the conditions of
track leads of feed/relay end
and +ve jumper.

4. Precautions
• Ensure that the ends of the nylon insulation joints
are square
and smooth.
• Check the
track relay
voltages just
before the onset of monsoon and at the end of the
monsoon for tuning up of track circuit within the
permissible limits for better performance.
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• Ensure that anti-tilting arrangement is provided with

the shelf type track relay.
• Fish plate holes/rail holes in nylon insulation joint
should not be staggered so that longer bolts can be
easily inserted. Steel bushes must be used to prevent
puncturing of nylon bushes.
• Ensure that better drainage is maintained for
maximum ballast resistance.
• Ensure proper packing up-to 3 sleepers on either side
of the insulation joint to improve its reliability.
• Ensure that the clearance
between ballast and
bottom of the rail is not
less than 50 mm.
• End post joint should fall
between two adjacent
sleepers.
• Cut burr at the rail table at insulation joint regularly
to avoid short circuiting.
• Check and tighten jumper connections in TLJB and
track leads at feed end and relay end.
• Check battery charger charging current and specific
gravity of track battery weekly and maintain its
history card.
5. Do’s
• Joint inspection by JE/SE/SSE(Signal) with
JE/SE/SSE (P.Way), once in six months.
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• Carry out track shunt test every quarter and every

time the track circuit is adjusted or any alteration is
made.
• Keep the track circuit history card up-to-date.
Record the readings every six months.
• Megger the tail cables once in six months. Replace if
the insulation resistance is less than 1 mega ohm.
• Prefer to provide track lead junction box vertically to
avoid water accumulation in the junction box.
• Apply glue/epoxy on the rail and fish plate of those
joints, which are shorting due to iron filings and iron
powder.
• At the time of replacing the insulation joint apply
quick drier paint on the rail and fish plate.
• Replace the insulation joint on age cum condition
basis.
• Use J Pandrol clip to avoid touching of pandrol clip
with the fish plates.
6. Don'ts
• Bypass the regulating resistance at any time.
• Tamper with the track relay at the time of track
circuit failure.
• Disturb the anti-tilting arrangement of track relay.
• Forget to give disconnection memo to on-duty
ASM/CASM at the time of attending failure.
• Adjust the track circuit beyond the limit of track
circuit parameters given earlier.
• Forget to clean the insulation joint on every visit.
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• Permit relay end voltage to be lesser than 125 % of

pick up voltage of relay.
• Forget to replace rack relay before its overhauling
date.
7. Testing of track circuit
• Relay end voltage, should be less than 250% of its P.U.
value at min. ballast resistance and not less than 125% of its
rated P.U. value with min. ballast resistance.
• Shunt the track at F/E and R/E with 0.5 Ohm TSR and
ensure that relay voltage is less than 85% of its D.A. value.
• In case of point track circuits, shunt the track at F/E, R/E
and at relay terminals and ensure track locking is effective.
• Shunt the adjacent track circuit at the time of measuring
voltage and if any variation is observed, then replace the
block joints.
Important parameters for DC Track Circuits
Minimum permissible T.S.R
0.5 Ω with wooden sleeper & 0.25 Ω with concrete sleeper
Minimum permissible ballast resistance for wooden sleeper track
circuits.
(i) 2 Ω per km track length within station section; and
(ii) 4 Ω per km track length - outside the station section.
Minimum permissible ballast resistance for concrete sleeper track
circuits.
(i) 1Ω per km - in Non-RE areas (both within and outside station sections)
(ii) 0.6 Ω per km - in RE areas (both within and outside station sections).
Minimum permissible resistance of a concrete sleeper.
In Non - RE and AC RE area
(i) 500Ω after 6 months from the date of manufacture, and
(ii) 200 Ω at the manufactures shop within 15 days of its manufacture.
Glued Joints Insulation Resistance :
In dry condition: >/=25 Megohms and in wet condition >/=3 kilo Ohms
when a meggering with 100V DC megger.