RAKE LINK - Operating Guide

Rake Link

The overall high-level plan for rake movements is described in a rake link booklet issued for official use only by a Zonal railway, which has details of the planned rake links, composition, marshalling order, permissible loads and accommodation in Mail / Express & Passenger trains handled by the Zone.

The schedule of the train is drawn by the respective Zonal Railway so as to run to the maximum before taken for the regular maintenance. This is published through a booklet by COM and CPTM. The rake link is drawn up keeping in mind asset utilization and maintenance schedules for the stock. The day-to-day operational schedules are then drawn up with this as the basis and used by the operational staff / marshalling yard staff. The rake link is also used by the reservation staff to determine the sizes and distribution of reserved accommodation quotas.

MARSHALLING OF TRAIN

MARSHALLING OF TRAIN 

Marshalling is attaching of vehicles on a train in a predetermined manner to ensure train safety, provide operational expediency and to maximize customers’ convenience.

Marshalling of Mail/ Express/Passenger trains:

The general principles kept in view while marshalling are:

i) Position of upper class coaches, ladies compartment, dining car, in respect of easy accessibility normally the dining cars or the catering compartments, air conditioned and upper class coaches, shall be marshaled in the middle of the train or as near to it as possible and ladies compartment will be near Guard’s SLR.

Private Number

A Private Number is a number, obtained over the telephone or telegraph from the station master of the station granting Line Clear or requesting points to be set or signals to be pulled off. This number is noted on the paper forms such as the Line Clear Ticket or Conditional Line Clear Certificate and can be verified later at the receiving station (the one granting Line Clear) or requesting the signal or points change. This is an additional safety device.

Abnormal Working in Automatic Section

Abnormal Working in Automatic Section

A. Working of trains during prolonged failure of signals when means of communications are available (S.R.9.12 – 1)

1. In the event of prolonged failure of all signals the ‘Officials concerned of the Signalling Department shall take immediate steps to inform all concerned.

2. Before any train is allowed to enter the affected section, it shall be brought to a stand and the Loco Pilot, Guard, Controller and the Station Master concerned ahead of the affected section shall be informed.

3. The Station Master shall obtain ‘Line Clear’ for the train by one of the following means of communications, viz.

a. Station to station fixed telephones wherever available;

b. Fixed telephone such as Railway auto phones & BSNL / MTNL phones;