Document Number: NIPR-2705

PROCEDURE Date of Issue: 19/10/2009

Revision Number: 02

Inspection and Assessment of Clearances

Purpose This Standard defines requirements for inspection and assessment of structure
clearances.

Scope The Standard applies to all infrastructure managed by V/Line Infrastructure under the
Regional Infrastructure Lease (RIL).

History Replaces revision 01. Revision 01 replaced Freight Australia Document Number
2705 Revision 1.0 – Inspection and Assessment of Operating Standard for
Clearances.

Definitions Please refer to the V/Line Passenger Corporate Dictionary for abbreviations and
terms used in this Standard. Other terms used are:
Critical As defined in VRIOGS 0001, Structural Gauge Envelopes –
Clearances Minimum clearances for Infrastructure adjacent to the Railway,
Section 8.1.
PM Preventative Maintenance Work Order (Cyclic)

Responsibility Unless otherwise specified by the Maintenance Manager, Track and Civil
responsibilities are:
 Track Supervisors are responsible for clearance inspections of track centres;
 Structures Inspectors are responsible for clearance inspections of structures,
including platforms;
 Senior Track Maintenance Engineer is responsible for reviewing clearance
inspections of track centres, ensuring appropriate actions are taken where
necessary and updating the Structure Clearance Register and PM in Maximo;
and
 Structures Engineer is responsible for reviewing clearance inspections of
structures, ensuring appropriate actions are taken where necessary and
updating the Structure Clearance Register and PM in Maximo.

Process 1. GENERAL
Clearance requirements are specified in NIPR: 2617 – Transit Space
Clearances. and VRIOGS 0001, Structural Gauge Envelopes – Minimum
clearances for Infrastructure adjacent to the Railway.
Allowance shall be made for curve and cant effects for normal operations.
On dual gauge tracks the standard gauge centreline is to be used on the
common rail side and the broad gauge centreline is to be used on the dual rail
side.

Approved By: General Manager, Infrastructure | Printed copies are uncontrolled Page: 1 of 8
 Document Number: NIPR-2705
PROCEDURE Date of Issue: 19/10/2009
Revision Number: 02

Inspection and Assessment of Clearances

2. INSPECTIONS
General
Inspection types and frequencies are specified in NIPR: 2701 – Track and Civil
Technical Maintenance Plan and NIPR: 2701.1 – Track and Civil Technical
Maintenance Plan Schedule.
The purpose of clearance inspections is to identify clearance infringements,
changes to critical clearances and to report any structure or adjacent track that
is damaged, unsound or has changed geometry that may lead to a reduction of
clearances.
Track Patrols
Track patrols shall keep a lookout for structure clearance infringements and
conditions that may affect train operations (ie. indicators of an infringement)
including the following;
 Track obstructions.
 Visible markings or damage to structures due to strikes by Rolling Stock.
 Horizontal and vertical alignment of structures.
 Leaning and misalignment of structures.
 Changes in track or structure location or appearance since previous
inspection.
 Other obvious defects that may affect clearances
General Clearance Inspections
General Inspections for clearances shall be carried out on the following
locations and are to be listed on the Structure Clearance Register and
clearance inspection PM are to be created in Maximo.
 Structures, including platforms, with lateral clearance of less than 2200
mm on tangent track and less than 2200 mm plus the allowances
specified in VRIOGS 0001, section 3.4 7 on curve track.
 Structures with vertical clearance on:
 Tangent track which infringes VRIOGS 0001, envelope D1; or
 Curve track which infringes VRIOGS 0001, envelope D1 plus
allowance for cant and the allowances specified in VRIOGS 0001,
section 3.4 7.
 Structures with an air gap of less than 300 mm to the Kinematic Rolling
Stock Outline (Maximum) of approved over dimensional rolling stock or
loading.
 Parallel tracks with track centres of less than 3760 mm or less than 3760
mm plus allowances for curve and cant effects on curve track with radius
less than 1300 m or cant greater than 80 mm.

Approved By: General Manager, Infrastructure | Printed copies are uncontrolled Page: 2 of 8
 Document Number: NIPR-2705
PROCEDURE Date of Issue: 19/10/2009
Revision Number: 02

Inspection and Assessment of Clearances

A General Inspection shall also be carried out if clearance infringements are

suspected following either;
 Evidence of rolling stock striking any infrastructure especially platforms
and platform copings
 Work affecting the location of the tracks and structures that reduces
existing clearances.
 Patrol inspections.
The General Structure Clearance Inspection shall include the following:
 Clearance measurements between track and structure at locations
specified above.
 Where the clearance measurement varies vertically or horizontally, the
height above rail or horizontal measurement from the track at which
clearance measurement was taken.
 Distance between track centre-lines (including fouling clearances at
turnouts).
 Track superelevation
 Track curvature
 Check for changes from previous inspection.
General Inspections shall identify locations of clearance infringement requiring
remedial action or ongoing management and shall be used to determine the
need for a Detailed Structure Clearance Inspection.
Detailed Structure Clearance Inspections
Where General Inspections have identified changes in the clearance
infringements over time that require ongoing management, a Detailed
Structure Clearance Inspection shall be undertaken.
The Structures Engineer is to review General Structure Clearance Inspection
records to determine the requirement for Detailed Inspections and the required
frequency of inspection. The inspection requirement and frequency shall take
into account the associated level of risk at the clearance location.
Consideration is to be given to:
 Locations where tight clearances exist (ie. Identified Structures as
specified in VRIOGS 0001, section 8.1, Critical Clearance, reduced track
centres or complex alignment geometry etc);
 Locations in the vicinity of changes in alignment geometry (including
transition curves);
 Locations in the vicinity of Turnouts and Crossing work;
 Platforms; and
 Locations where Permanent Structure Infringement exist associated with
curves with track cant greater than 80mm or curve radii less than 1300m.

Approved By: General Manager, Infrastructure | Printed copies are uncontrolled Page: 3 of 8
 Document Number: NIPR-2705
PROCEDURE Date of Issue: 19/10/2009
Revision Number: 02

Inspection and Assessment of Clearances

Detailed Structure Clearance Inspections are to be listed on the Structure

Clearance Register and recorded in Maximo with PM created for clearance
inspections.
Unless otherwise approved by the Structures Engineer the Detailed Structure
Clearance Inspection shall include survey to establish fixed datum points and
measurement of the following:
 Clearance from fixed datum points to specified locations on the structure.
 Distance between track centre-lines (including fouling clearances at
turnouts).
 Track superelevation if specified from fixed datum points.
 Track curvature if specified from fixed datum points.
 Any other measurement deemed relevant to the specific clearance issue.
Alternative methods may include a laser scan of the envelope.
Clearance Inspection of Platforms
Clearance and height measurements are to be taken at each end and at least
every 10m. along the platform face using a platform gauge. At platform with
curvature less than 1300 m, additional clearance requirements are applicable
as specified in Attachment 1, VRIOGS 002 Section 5.5, Clearances at Curved
Platforms or Metrail Design Manual, Fig 11.6 until VRIOGS 002 is finalised.
Where Detailed Structure Clearance Inspection is specified, permanent survey
plaques shall be established at 10m intervals on the platform face [at rail level].
A survey plaque shall be established at each end of the platform.
The following information shall be recorded on the platform survey plaque;
 Station, platform number, survey plaque number and km.
 Horizontal offset distance between the nearest rail and platform coping
 Horizontal offset distance between the nearest rail and platform face.
 Vertical distance between the nearest rail and platform coping.
 Track cant.
Along the full length of platforms, offsets between the track and the platform
shall be measured with the measured values compared to the dimensions on
the survey plaques.

Approved By: General Manager, Infrastructure | Printed copies are uncontrolled Page: 4 of 8
 Document Number: NIPR-2705
PROCEDURE Date of Issue: 19/10/2009
Revision Number: 02

Inspection and Assessment of Clearances

Clearance Inspection After Track Maintenance

Clearances are to be checked to verify that they have not altered following
track maintenance or renewal activities at locations where:
 Critical Clearances exist, as defined in VRIOGS 0001 Section 8.1; or
 There is a risk of infringing VRIOGS 0001, Figure 4, Structural Gauge
Envelopes – For Existing Infrastructure adjacent to or in the air space
over, Track; or
 There is a risk of infringing the Kinematic Rolling Stock Outline
(Maximum) plus 200mm where V/Line Passenger has approved the
operation of over dimensional Rolling.
Clearance Inspection of New Construction
Following the construction of new infrastructure, the Project Manager is to
arrange for clearances to be checked to confirm they comply with the design
and VRIOGS 0001, Figure 1 or Figures 2 and 3.
The minimum vertical and horizontal clearances are to be reported to the
Manager, Asset Management to be recorded in Maximo.
2. ASSESSMENT AND RESPONSE
Assessment
 The results of inspections are to be assessed against the minimum
Structure Outline for the corridor with allowance for curve and cant
effects. Refer to NIPR: 2617 – Transit Space Clearances, Section 5.3.2.
Maintenance Limits for Clearance
Clearances shall be managed and maintained as follows;
 Maintenance Intervention Clearance Limit is where the Air Gap is less
than 200mm.
 Critical Clearance Limit is defined where the Air Gap is less than
100mm(except platform copings) or the minimum Structure Outline,
VRIOGS 001, Figure 4, is infringed.
Response
Where clearances have deteriorated so that the Maintenance Intervention
Clearance Limit is infringed or a permanent infringement of the Maintenance
Intervention Clearance Limit has deteriorated:
 Maintenance Supervisor and the relevant Engineer are to be advised.
 Corrective action to restore the clearances is to be determined, where
possible, in consultation with the relevant Engineer and managed in
accordance with NIPR: 2606 – Management of Inspection Outcomes.
 The infringement is to be added to the Structure Clearance Register and
recorded in Maximo with PM created for clearance inspections.

Approved By: General Manager, Infrastructure | Printed copies are uncontrolled Page: 5 of 8
 Document Number: NIPR-2705
PROCEDURE Date of Issue: 19/10/2009
Revision Number: 02

Inspection and Assessment of Clearances

Where, following a detailed clearance assessment, it is proposed to make an

infringement of the Maintenance Intervention Clearance Limit permanent,
approval is required from the Maintenance Manager, Track and Civil and the
infringement is recorded in the Structure Clearance Register.
Where the Critical Clearance Limit is infringed or Critical Clearances are
reduced:
 Train operations are to be restricted immediately or action is to be taken
to restore the clearances prior to the next train;
 Maintenance Supervisor and Maintenance Manager, Track and Civil are
to be advised immediately.
 Corrective action to restore the clearances is to be determined in
consultation with the Maintenance Manager, Track and Civil and
managed in accordance with NIPR: 2606 – Management of Inspection
Outcomes.
 The infringement is to be added to the Structure Clearance Register and
recorded in Maximo with PM created for clearance inspections.
Where, following a detailed clearance assessment, it is proposed to make an
infringement of the minimum Structure Outline permanent, SAPR: 013 - Rail
Safety Management of Change approval is required to include this
location/structure as a Critical Clearance on the Identified Structure Register in
VRIOGS 001.
Structure Clearance Register
The Structure Clearance Register is to include locations with Critical
Clearances and locations where clearances are marginally outside the
structure outline. These are defined in the section on General Clearance
Inspections.

Approved By: General Manager, Infrastructure | Printed copies are uncontrolled Page: 6 of 8
 Document Number: NIPR-2705
PROCEDURE Date of Issue: 19/10/2009
Revision Number: 02

Inspection and Assessment of Clearances

Information contained in the Structure Clearance Register shall include the

following;
 Description and location of assets
 Sufficient measurements to define any infringement.
 Clearance envelopes infringed, generally N (Critical clearance), D1
(Desirable minimum) or M (High platforms), refer to VRIOGS 0001,
Structural Gauge Envelopes – Minimum clearances for Infrastructure
adjacent to the Railway.
 Length of track affected by clearance infringement
 Type of infringement (temporary or permanent).
 Rolling Stock affected by clearance infringement. Structure
infringements may be relevant to only a particular type of rolling stock
[eg. Rolling stock defined by Special Rolling Stock Outlines].
 Management strategy, such as, signage, listed in the Network Service
Plan.
 Type of inspections required (general or detailed), frequency or event
which triggers additional inspections.
 Dates (date found, dates for management plan actions undertaken,
review date)

Related NIPR-2606 – Management of Inspection Outcomes

Documents NIPR-2617 – Transit Space Clearances
NIPR-2701 – Track and Civil Technical Maintenance Plan
NIPR-2701.1 – Track and Civil Technical Maintenance Plan Schedule.
SAPR-013 - Rail Safety Management of Change
External Issue VRIOGS 0001, Structural Gauge Envelopes – Minimum clearances for Infrastructure
Documents adjacent to the Railway

Attachment: VRIOGS 002 Section 5.5, Clearances at Curved Platforms or Met Rail Design
Manual, Fig 11.6 until VRIOGS 02 is finalised.

Approved By: General Manager, Infrastructure | Printed copies are uncontrolled Page: 7 of 8
 Document Number: NIPR-2705
PROCEDURE Date of Issue: 19/10/2009
Revision Number: 02

Inspection and Assessment of Clearances

(Attachment 1 – Clearances at Platforms)

METHOD OF USING PLATFORM

GAUGE

Before the Platform Gauge is used,

the track is to be corrected to level/
or specified cant.

Not to scale

________________
Chief Civil Engineer

Fig. 11.6

Approved By: General Manager, Infrastructure | Printed copies are uncontrolled Page: 8 of 8