Electrical Earthing & Bonding in The Melbourne Underground Rail Loop
Electrical Earthing & Bonding in The Melbourne Underground Rail Loop
Electrical Earthing & Bonding in The Melbourne Underground Rail Loop
ELECTRICAL
L1-CHE-SPE-033
Owner: Engineering
Authored by:
Andrew Russack
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ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION ELECTRICAL
EARTHING & BONDING IN THE MURL
Approval
Amendment Record
Approving Manager: Head of Engineering - Electrical Approval Date: 12/05/2016 Next Review Date: 12/05/2019
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ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION ELECTRICAL
EARTHING & BONDING IN THE MURL
Table of Contents
1 Purpose .............................................................................................................................. 4
2 Scope ................................................................................................................................. 4
4 Definitions .......................................................................................................................... 4
6 Responsibilities ................................................................................................................. 5
7 Requirements..................................................................................................................... 6
7.1 MURL Earthing & Bonding Principles..................................................................................... 6
7.2 Earthing System - Tunnel and Station Structures .................................................................. 6
7.3 Track Insulation ...................................................................................................................... 7
7.4 Connections to the Running Rails .......................................................................................... 8
7.5 Cross-bonding of Tracks in the Tunnels................................................................................. 9
7.6 Melbourne Central Tie Station ..............................................................................................10
7.7 Insulation of Underground Station Platforms near the Trains ..............................................10
7.8 Insulation of Melbourne Central and Flagstaff Station Roof Structures from Tram Tracks .10
8 Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 11
MURL Schematic Earthing and Bonding Diagram ..............................................................................11
Cross-bonding of Running Tracks at Underground Stations ...............................................................11
Approving Manager: Head of Engineering - Electrical Approval Date: 12/05/2016 Next Review Date: 12/05/2019
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ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION ELECTRICAL
EARTHING & BONDING IN THE MURL
1 Purpose
To set out the electrical earthing and bonding requirements within the underground portion
of the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop.
This document is based on and supersedes the document entitled “Protection of Structures
and Personnel from Leakage Currents from Train and Tram DC Traction Systems”,
developed as part of the MURL project. (Refer Section 5. ‘Referenced Documents’ for
further details)
2 Scope
This specification sets out the electrical earthing and bonding requirements within the
Melbourne Underground Rail Loop. It applies only within the underground sections,
including the tunnel ramps and underground station areas.
This specification does not cover the earthing and bonding requirements for the above
ground section of the MURL, also known as the Overpass or Through Suburban Lines
between Flinders Street and Southern Cross Stations.
4 Definitions
Bonding The electrical connection of conductive materials to form a
(electrical) continuous electrical conductor. Bonding is generally applied to
1. maintain electrically conductive materials at the same
potential; and/or
2. Manage the return path of fault currents; and/or
3. Manage the path of traction power return currents.
Earth The general mass of earth; or
The electrical connection between an electrically conductive
piece of infrastructure to the general mass of earth.
Earthing The action of making an electrical connection between
electrically conductive infrastructure and the general mass of
earth.
MURL Melbourne Underground Rail Loop is defined as the tunnels,
stations and the overpass completing the loop between Flinders
and Southern Cross Stations carrying the Through Suburban
Lines.
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ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION ELECTRICAL
EARTHING & BONDING IN THE MURL
MURL Overpass Bridge and viaduct structures carrying the Through Suburban
Lines between Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations. Also
known as the ‘new viaduct’.
RODES System for the remote de-energisation of the OCL system in the
MURL, primarily to expedite emergency recovery activities in a
safe manner.
Tunnel Any section of the MURL that is below ground level, including
the whole of the ramps leading into the tunnel proper from
normal ground level.
Should Is used as the descriptive word to express a requirement that is
recommended in order to achieve compliance. The term ‘should’
can also be used if a requirement is a design goal but not a
mandatory requirement.
5 Reference Documents
Electricity Safety Act 1998
Electricity Safety (Installations) Regulations 2009
AS3000: 2007 Electrical Installations
EN50122-1:2011 Railway Applications – Fixed Installations – Electrical Safety, Earthing
and the Return Circuit – Part 1: Protective provisions against electric shock
EN50122-2:2010 Railway Applications – Fixed Installations – Electrical Safety, Earthing
and the Return Circuit – Part 1: Protective provisions against the effects of stray currents
caused by d.c. traction systems
L1-CHE-STD-015 MEST 000002-06 Electrical Networks Principles and Performance
L1-CHE-STD-010 MEST 000002-03 MTM Railway Bridges - Electrical Protection and
Bonding Standard
L1-CHE-STD-016 MEST 000002-05 Track Bonding For Signalling and Traction Return
Current
Melbourne Transit Authority - Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Administration: “Protection
of Structures and Personnel from Leakage Currents from Train and Tram DC Traction
Systems”, John Connell-Mott, Hay and Andersen, Hatch, Jacobs. Ref: 0268J. October,
1985
6 Responsibilities
Head of Engineering – Electrical is responsible for the content of this document.
Any changes to the configuration or disconnection of the earthing and bonding system in
the MURL shall not be made until approved by the Head of Engineering – Electrical.
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ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION ELECTRICAL
EARTHING & BONDING IN THE MURL
7 Requirements
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ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION ELECTRICAL
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2. Box-tunnel reinforcement.
The box tunnel sections are each fitted with exposed steel plates near each end which
are connected electrically by welding to the steel reinforcement therein for stray current
measurement purposes. These 'monitoring points' are positioned so that adjacent box
section plates and hence their internal steel reinforcing, can be easily connected
together by short rods to provide electrical continuity of the reinforcement throughout all
Box sections. In practice, this was achieved by the parallel earthing cables, connecting
one monitoring point of each Box section direct to one of these cables.
3. All 1500 volt DC traction power Insulator pins.
4. All steady arm brackets and supports and anchor brackets.
5. All transformer and generator 'star' points and alternator neutrals.
6. All earths required for the 1500V DC, 400/230 volt AC and other power supplies.
7. All metallic air lines, water pipes and the metallic jackets or sheaths of all
incoming/outgoing services to/from the stations and tunnels having exposed metallic
jackets or sheaths. All such services however have been and shall continue to be
provided with insulated joints in their jackets or sheaths at their points of entry or exit to
the Tunnel system, whether at the stations, Tunnel portals, emergency exits, draught
relief or ventilation shafts, etc.
As a prevention against corrosion and electrolytic action, no copper earth plates or rods
shall be used.
Where copper/copper-alloy to steel/iron connections are proposed to be installed,
consideration must be made for management of the interface between the two metals of
different electronegativity.
All steel racks, brackets and the like shall be hot-dipped galvanized.
All metal-sheathed, bare copper cables and bars, cable racks and brackets shall be
mounted so that there is an air space of at least 20mm between all such bare cables
and bar, cable racks and brackets and the tunnel walls.
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The double sleepers are further insulated from the invert by four or more rubber discs
350mm diameter by 15mm thick beneath each and a side pad at each end 300mm long,
150mm wide and 50mm thick. In addition, each double sleeper is insulated from its
neighbouring sleepers by two spacer pads 300mm long x 150mm wide x 65-83mm thick (as
required) along each side.
The RS-STEDEF sleepers are insulated from the rigid invert by two rubber boots, each of
which encompasses the lower half of one of the two concrete blocks forming each sleeper.
Any train stops, pin-point detectors and other equipment connected to the rails shall also be
satisfactorily insulated from the sleepers and/or the rigid invert. Particular attention shall
also be paid to the elimination of metallic paths to such devices per medium of wire-
reinforced air connections and electrical conduits, etc.
For the safety of buried structures it is important that the weekly inspections by patrolmen
during routine track patrols and the yearly and two-yearly tests outlined in the schedule
appended, be undertaken to ensure that the desired standard of rail insulation is maintained
and above all, that the rails are not accidentally, or otherwise, 'earthed' by pipes, crow-bars,
maintenance tools, drink cans, brake dust, ground water or other conducting liquids or
materials.
The minimum resistance to earth of each pair of running rails in parallel with all signalling,
communications and safety equipment connected to them, should be maintained above
5 000 ohms per lineal metre at all times. To facilitate testing, insulated joints are provided in
the eight running rails at each end of the tunnels near the top of each ramp.
The 'bridges' across the insulated joints, which are essential during train operations for the
traction power return currents to return to the substation negatives, shall only be removed
collectively when the relevant overhead sections are de-energised. These ‘bridges’ must be
replaced before the overhead sections are re-energised.
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ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION ELECTRICAL
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Spark gaps shall not be installed between the rail and any structure as the breakdown of a
spark gap could remain undetected and permit heavy currents to flow from the rails into the
steel structures and onto the general mass of earth, causing accelerated electrolytic
corrosion.
RODES control panels and short circuit switch cubicles are bonded to traction return.
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7.8 Insulation of Melbourne Central and Flagstaff Station Roof Structures from Tram
Tracks
As the tram tracks in La Trobe Street are virtually laid on the roof structures of Melbourne
Central and Flagstaff Stations, stray currents from the tram rails into these structures are
being controlled in each case by the installation of a high resistance Fortecon membrane
between the tram tracks and the roof structure. This membrane, which is in addition to two
layers of Hyload 50 pitch-polymer sheeting for water-proofing/insulation purposes, covers
the entire roof structure and extends down the wall structures for about 150 millimetres.
The control of the stray currents from the tram tracks is also assisted by the use of an
elementary form of overhead multiple balanced negative feeders. Refer Yarra Trams for
further information.
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ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION ELECTRICAL
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8 Appendices
MURL Schematic Earthing and Bonding Diagram
Cross-bonding of Running Tracks at Underground Stations
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EARTHING & BONDING IN THE MURL
[under development]
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