SWITCH POINT/STOCK RAIL WEAR, MEASUREMENT AND MAINTENANCE STANDARDS

Turnout and switch maintenance are major concerns for the Bay Area Rapid Transit District's (BART) management. Switch components have little tolerance for wear and the rebuilding points by welding is not allowed. Replacing these components places heavy burdens on maintenance budgets and requires a great deal of planning. The time required for replacement is limited by available track occupancy time and support resources. Additionally, these components are not necessarily "off the shelf" items. The lead times for procurement and delivery can be extensive. Excessive wear results in restrictions to revenue operations, an unacceptable option in our environment. Advance planning is crucial to providing the necessary resources for switch maintenance. This paper describes the development of BART's standards for switch point and stock rail maintenance and the tools used for measurement.