TRACK CIRCUITS FOR MODERN RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS

Track circuits have been used in American Railroads for over a hundred years. Although the basic idea (use of rails as part of detection circuit) remains the same, changes in implementation have been made constantly to meet new requirements and to take advantage of advances in technology. In modern rapid transit applications track circuits must meet certain requirements in performing their function of train detection and broken rail protection. The track circuits must operate reliably without insulating joints and with lightweight cars using disk brakes. As modern rapid transit systems use chopper controlled propulsion systems the track circuits have to be designed for operation without interference from chopper harmonics. Track circuits without insulating joints result in problems which must be solved for safe and reliable operation.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contributed by the Intersociety Committee on Transportation for presentation at the Intersociety Conference on Transportation, Denver, Colo., Sept. 23-27, 1973.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • KALRA, P
• Publication Date: 1973-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 8 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Interference; Rapid transit; Signaling; Thyristors; Track circuits
• Old TRIS Terms: Thyristor control
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00051558
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Report/Paper Numbers: 73-ICT-62 Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 9 1982 12:00AM