In these rules, unless the context otherwise, requires.-
(1) “Act” means the Railways Act, 1989 (24 of 1989);
(2) “adequate distance” means the distance sufficient to ensure safety;
(3) “approach lighting” means an arrangement in which the lighting of signals is controlled automatically by the approach of a train;
(4) “approved means of communication” means any communication equipment or system which is capable of audio or text transmission between controller and stations and train crew and is approved under special instructions;
(5) “approved special instructions” means special instructions approved by the Commissioner of Railway Safety;
(6) “aspect of a signal” means the appearance (colour or light) of a signal as seen by the Loco Pilot of an approaching train;
(7) “authorised officer” means the Director, Operations and Business Development, Dedicated Freight Corridor Railway;
(8) “authority to proceed” means the authority given to the Loco Pilot of a train, under the system of working, to enter the block section with his train;
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(9) “axle counter” means an electrical device which, when provided at two given points on the track, proves by counting axles in and counting axles out, whether the section of the track between the said two points is clear or occupied;
(10) “bad weather impairing visibility” means adverse weather condition whereby normal visibility is reduced to less than 180 meters warranting special measures or extra care for working of trains;
(11) “block back” means to dispatch a message from a block station intimating to the block station immediately in rear on a double line, or to the adjacent block station on either side on a single line, to advise that the block section is obstructed or is to be obstructed;
(12) “block forward” means to dispatch a message from a block station intimating to the block station immediately in advance on a double line that the block section in advance is obstructed or is to be obstructed;
(13) “block overlap” means the adequate distance of not less than one hundred eighty meters beyond the first stop signal of the block station in advance which is required to be kept clear when granting line clear to the block station in rear;
(14) “block proving by axle counter” means to prove complete arrival of train by counting the number of axles in the composition of a train at the entry point and then comparing it with the numbers of axles in the same train at the exit point of a block section;
(15) “block section” means that portion of the running line between two block stations on to which no running train may enter until authorised to do so under the system of working.
In case of absolute block system of working the authority to enter a block section is given only after line clear has been received from the block station at the other end of the block section. In case of automatic block system of working, the authority is automatically given after the line is clear upto an adequate distance beyond the next automatic signal;
(16) “block station” means a station at which the loco pilot must obtain an authority to proceed under the system of working before entering into the next block section with his train.
Block stations are classified differently based on minimum equipment of signals under different system of working;
(17) “caution notice” means a notice attached to or placed in the danger zone of live equipment in electrified lines calling attention to the danger of touching or interfering with such equipment and bearing the words ‘caution-live equipment’;
(18) "caution order" means an order given to loco pilot of a train, whenever , in consequence of line being under repair or for any other reason special precautions are necessary.
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(19) “centralised traffic control” means a system by which the working of trains over a route to which the system applies, is governed by signals remotely controlled from a designated place;
(20) “centralised traffic control operator” means the competent railway servant on duty who may for the time being be responsible for the working of trains on centralised traffic control area;
(21) “clear standing length” means distance between foot of the signal to the fouling mark in the rear of the same line in case of main line and directional loop lines at station yards. In case of common loop at stations, clear standing length shall be the distance between the two starter signals of the opposite direction on the same line".
(22) “commissioner of railway safety” means a commissioner of railway safety appointed to exercise designated functions under the act, and includes the chief commissioner of railway safety;
(23) “competent railway servant” means a railway servant duly qualified to undertake and perform the duties entrusted to him under these rules;
(24) “connections” when used with reference to a running line, means the points, crossings and other appliances for connecting such lines with other lines or to cross it;
(25) “controller” means a railway servant on duty who, for the time being is responsible for regulating the working of traffic on a section of a railway provided with communication equipment between the control, stations and train crew;
(26) “danger notice” means a notice attached to dead electric equipment and its switches or cut off fuses to warn that the equipment should not be made live so long men are working and bearing the words ‘danger - men working’;
(27) “danger zone” means the zone lying within two meters of any live equipment in the twenty five kilo volt alternating current traction system where there is danger to life or injury from shock, burn, fire or explosion, attendant upon transmission, transformation, conversion, distribution or use of electrical energy, and in which no work is permitted when the equipment is live;
(28) “day” means from sunrise to sunset;
(29) “direction of traffic” means-
(a) on a double line and multiple line, the direction for which the line is signalled;
(b) on a single line and twin single line, the direction for the time being established, under the system of working, to allow trains to move in that direction;
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(30) "Director, Operations and Business Development" means a person who (the head of traffic department of Dedicated Freight Corridor Railway) is the responsible for transportation of freight trains appointed as such by a special order of the railway board;
(31) “distributed powering” means an arrangement to synchronise powering of two or more locomotives distributed along the length of the train which in the rear are remote controlled from the leading locomotive through radio transmission;
(32) “electrified line” means track provided with overhead equipment;
(33) “electrical way and works” means the traction installations including overhead equipment and other connected works provided on the electrified sections of the railway;
(34) “railway emergency call” is the highest priority group call in global system for mobile communication (railway) based mobile train radio communication system which can be initiated by a mobile radio or controller's or man-machine-interface user in case of any railway operational emergency and is routed to pre-defined users i.e. loco pilots, station masters, controllers & other railway personnel related to operations, located within a predefined geographical area;
(35) “end of train telemetry” means end of train telemetry, constituting a rear-end electronic device of approved design mounted on the rear coupler of the rear most vehicle of a train, and communication through radio signal with compatible device on locomotive for brake application , monitoring continuity, last vehicle check and other functions. the rear end electronic device also has a flashing red light to work as tail lamp, and an amber flashing light which can be switched 'on' and 'off' by the loco pilot or is automatically switched 'on' in case of parting of train";
(36) “facing and trailing points” - points are facing or trailing in accordance with the direction of a train or vehicle moving over them. points are said to be facing points when by their operation a train approaching them can be directly diverted from the line upon which it is running to another line;
(37) “feeding post” means an electric supply control post, where the incoming feeder lines from grid sub-station are terminated;
(38) “fixed signal” means a colour light signal, for use by day and night, provided at a fixed location indicating a condition affecting the movement of trains;
(39) “fog safe device”- is a device meant to pre-warn the loco pilot of an approaching train, the locality of a signal. It is installed in the locomotive cab for use during bad weather impairing visibility;
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(40) “fouling mark” indicates location beyond which infringement of standard moving dimensions occurs, where two lines cross or join one another;
(41) “gateman” means a competent railway servant posted at a level crossing for working the gates;
(42) “goods train” means a train (other than a material train) intended solely or mainly for the carriage of animals or goods;
(43) “guard” means the railway servant or any other railway servant who may for the time being be performing the duties of a guard under the loco pilot;
(44) “inspector of electric way and works” (senior executive electrical or executive electrical) means a railway servant who is, for the time being, responsible for construction or maintenance of electric way and works, provided in a section and at stations or other works connected with overhead equipment, and includes any other person who may for the time being be performing the duties of inspector of electric way and works;
(45) “inspector of permanent way or works” (senior executive civil or executive civil) means a railway servant who is, for the time being responsible for construction or maintenance of permanent way, points, gates, bridges provided in a section and at station or other works connected therewith, and includes any other person who may for the time being be performing the duties of permanent way inspector;
(46) “interlocking” means an arrangement of signals, points and other appliances operated from a panel or video display unit at a station or a centralised location so interconnected by mechanical or electrical or electronic means so that their operation must take place in a proper sequence to ensure safety. Interlocking ensures that the signal for the line it protects cannot be taken off unless the route is set, facing points are locked and if line is track circuited it is also clear of obstruction;
(47) “intermediate block post” means an unmanned class 'c' station on a double line, remotely controlled from the block station in rear;
(48) “intermediate block signalling” means an arrangement of signalling on double line in which a long block section is split into two portions, each constituting a separate block section by providing an intermediate block post;
(49) “Indian railway junction stations” means a station worked by Indian Railways having connection with dedicated freight corridor railway lines;
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(50) “isolation” means an arrangement, secured by the setting of points or other means approved under special instructions, to protect the line so isolated from the danger of obstruction from other connected line or lines;
(51) “interrupter, isolator switches” - means switches provided for shutting 'off 'or switching 'on' power supply to overhead equipment in electrified line;
(52) “last stop signal” means the stop signal of a station controlling the entry of trains into the next block section;
(53) “last vehicle check device” means a device which automatically checks the complete arrival of the train at a station;
(54) “level crossing” means the intersection of road with railway track at the same level;
(55) “level crossing gate” means any form of movable barrier, including a chain or metallic wire rope or other device capable of being closed and locked across the road for blocking the path of road vehicles at the level crossing; it does not include a wicket gate or a turnstile which is for the use of pedestrians;
(56) “line clear” means the permission from a block station to a block station in rear for a train to leave the latter and approach the former, or the permission obtained by a block station from a block station in advance for a train to leave the former and proceed towards the latter;
(57) “lineman” means a railway servant authorised to inspect and work on the electric overhead lines and switches in relation therewith and includes such other person as is for the time being responsible for the duties of a lineman;
(58) “loco pilot” means locomotive driver or any other competent railway servant for the time being in charge of driving a train or a self-propelled vehicle;
(59) “main line” means the line ordinarily used for running trains through and between stations;
(60) “material train” means a departmental train intended solely or mainly for carriage of railway material when picked up or put down or for execution of works, either between stations or within station limits;
(61) “mobile train radio” means any digital wireless based secured means of communication equipment between train crew or control or stations. this digital wireless communication system will provide " duplex point to point voice call", simplex "voice group call" and "simplex emergency calls ";
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(62) “multiple-aspect colour light signalling” means a signalling arrangement in which signals display at any one time any one of the three or four or more aspects and in which the aspect of every signal is pre-warned by the aspect of the previous signal or signals;
(63) “multiple unit train” or " long haul train” means a train consisting of two or more single unit trains coupled together and operated as one train;
(64) “neutral section” means a short section of insulated and dead overhead equipment on electrified line which separates the areas fed by adjacent sub-stations or feeding post;
(65) “night” means from sunset to sunrise;
(66) “obstruction” and its similar expression includes a train, vehicle or obstacle on or fouling a line, or any condition which may be potentially dangerous to running of trains;
(67) “on board safety device” means a device which ensures automatic application of brakes on a train as and when- (a) a train is on a collision course, or (b) a stop signal is passed at "on", or (c) train speed exceeds the prescribed limit, or (d) loco pilot is not found attentive; some of these devices are anti-collision device, train protection & warning system, vigilance control device etc.;
(68) “over head equipment” means the electrical conductors over the tracks together with their associated fittings, insulators and other attachments, by means of which they are suspended and secured in position for the purpose of electric traction;
(69) “pantograph” means a collapsible device mounted on and insulated from the roof of an electric locomotive or motor coach and provided with means of collecting current from the overhead equipment;
(70) “point and trap indicators” are not signals but are appliances fitted to and working with points to indicate by day or by night the position in which the points are set;
(71) “power block” means blocking of a section of line to electric traffic only;
(72) “private number booklet” means a booklet containing a series of private numbers used in train operation by the railway servant on duty. the booklet must be kept in the personal custody of the users and it will be the responsibility of the custodian that no one but himself or herself shall have access to it;
(73) “rail-cum-road vehicle” is a specially designed vehicle, capable of plying both on road as also on rails and is used for inspection and maintenance work. The rail-cum-road vehicle will normally run on road and would run on rails only on the section where some work is required to be done. it is treated as a 'train' when running on rails;
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(74) “railway” means railways as defined under clause (31) of section 2 of the Railways Act, 1989 (24 of 1989) and includes government and non-government railways;
(75) “railway administration”, in relation to, –
(a) a government railway, means the General Manager of a Zonal Railway;
(b) a non-government railway, means the person who is the owner or lessee of the railway or the person working the railway under an agreement; and in case of dedicated freight corridor railway, means “board of directors” of dedicated freight corridor railway,
(c) for dedicated freight corridor railway, means " authorised officer " of dedicated freight corridor railway;
(76) “running line” means the line governed by one or more signals and includes connections, if any, used by a train when entering or leaving a station or when passing through a station or between stations;
(77) “railway servant” means staff of the government railways, dedicated freight corridor railway, and any other non-government railways; on whom any definite responsibility is entrusted by these rules;
(78) “reversing handle” means a handle which controls the forward and reverse running of the traction motors and is fitted in such a manner that it can only be removed when the master controller is locked ‘off’;
(79) “running train” means a train which has started under an authority to proceed from a station or yard and has not completed its journey;
(80) “secured means of communication” means an approved means of communication where identification of the caller and the called is distinctly established and each conversation is either followed by exchange of private number or recorded to establish authorisation, authentication and non repudiation of action taken between the two;
(81) “shunting” means the movement of the vehicle or vehicles with or without a locomotive or of any locomotive or any other self-propelled vehicle, for the purpose of attaching, detaching or transfer or for any other purpose;
(82) “shunting key” means key which when taken out from a block instrument constitutes authority for performing shunting in the block section which the loco pilot keeps in his possession. until returned the block instrument provided for taking or granting line clear remains locked and cannot be operated;
(83) “signal inspector” (senior executive signal or executive signal) means a railway servant who is, for the time being, responsible for design, construction or upkeep of signalling ¹Hkkx IIµ[k.M 3(i)º Hkkjr dk jkti=k % vlk/kj.k 151 equipment, or other works connected therewith, over a given station, and includes any other person who may for the time being be performing the duties of signal inspector;
(84) “signal overlap” means the adequate distance not less than one hundred twenty meters beyond the next stop signal which is required to be kept clear in order to take ‘off’ a stop signal;
(85) “signalling equipment” at a station shall mean to include fixed signals, block instruments, interlocking, track circuits, axle counters, connected gears, cables and relays, junction boxes, data logger, panel instruments, point machines, gate panel and interlocking gears including boom and its interlocking with gate signals and any other related equipment or connection or software used for interlocking or any warning board or marker used for signalling purposes in these rules, and such other item as may be prescribed by the special instructions;
(86) “special instruction” means instruction issued from time to time by the authorised officer in respect to particular case or special circumstances;
(87) “station” means any place on a line of railway at which traffic is dealt with or at which an authority to proceed is given under the system of working;
(88) “station limits” means the portion of a railway which is under the control of a station master and is situated between the outermost signals of the station or as may be specified under special instructions;
(89) “station master” means a person on duty who is for the time being responsible for the working of traffic within station limits, and includes any person who is for the time being in independent charge of the working of any signals and responsible for working of trains under the system of working in force;
(90) “station section” means that section of station limit, at a class ‘B’ station provided with multiple aspect colour light signals, which is included, –
(a) on a double line, -
(i) between block section limit board and the last stop signal for each direction, or
(ii) between outermost facing point and the last stop signal for each direction, if there are no block section limit boards; or
(b) on a single line, -
(i) between the advanced starters, or
(ii) between outer most facing points, if there are no advanced starters;
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(91) “subsidiary rule” means special instruction issued by authorised officer which are subservient to the general rule to which it relates and shall not be at variance with any general rules;
(92) “supervisor or official in-charge” means the railway servant who may, in addition to his duties, be responsible to ensure that the railway servant working under him as notified by railway administration perform their prescribed duties and the term shall include traffic inspector, signal inspector, inspector of electrical ways and works, and inspector of permanent way and works;
(93) “system of working” means the system adopted for the time being for the working of trains on any portion of railway;
(94) “terminal station” means station or yard or part of the yard, specially declared so by the authorised officer, where normally no train runs through and trains originate or terminate or continue its onward journey after change of crew or locomotive or issue of caution order and such station or yard or part of the yard can be alternatively provided with stop boards instead of stop signals at a place where trains normally come to a stop. Signal overlap is not required at such station or yard;
(95) “track circuit” means an electrical circuit provided to detect the presence of vehicle on a portion of track, the rails of the track forming part of the circuit;
(96) “tower wagon” means a self-propelled vehicle which is used for the maintenance and repairs of overhead equipment in electrified line;
(97) “traction power controller” means a competent railway servant who may for the time being be responsible for the control of power supply on the traction distribution system;
(98) “traction power distribution system” refers to system for distributing electrical energy for traction purposes;
(99) “traffic block” means blocking of a particular portion of line against movement of all traffic except movement of trains or vehicles required for carrying out the work for which block is being operated;
(100) “train” means a locomotive with or without vehicles attached, or any self-propelled vehicle with or without a trailer or vehicles attached, which cannot be readily lifted off the track;
(101) “train examiner” means a railway servant duly qualified to examine trains and certify their fitness for safe running and includes any other railway servant who may for the time being be performing the duties of a train examiner;
(102) “unit train” is a train which can be accommodated in standard clear standing length of Indian Railways.
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CHAPTER II RULES APPLYING TO RAILWAY SERVANTS GENERALLY