How to Ensure Your Railways are Ready for Winter

Cost Effective, Hassle-Free Rail Track Switch Winterization and Maintenance 

Winter is just around the corner, and with it the extreme weather—ice, snow, and rapidly changing temps—that can impact the safety and efficiency of railway operations, making railway heating and maintenance challenging. Among the most vulnerable components of the railway system are track switches that must function optimally in winter conditions to avoid delays, accidents, and costly repairs.

Track Switch Winter Heating and Maintenance Challenges 

One of the biggest expenditures for rail companies is preparing for winter—a sizable portion of the $23 billion plus that railways invest annually is spent to restore, upgrade, and acquire new winter equipment and technology.[i]

Preparing railways for operation during the winter season requires a thorough, detailed inspection to ensure railways and heaters are in good operating order. Before winter sets in, it is essential to inspect all components—including slide plates, switch rods, and mechanisms—and heaters to ensure they are in optimal working condition and ready to tackle winter conditions.

Once the winterization process is complete (typically mid-fall), ongoing operation and maintenance continues throughout the season, presenting its own set of challenges to keep trains free of ice and snow and running smoothly.

The challenges of maintaining track switches in the winter months include:

• Ice and Snow Accumulation: Ice and snow can accumulate in the switch mechanism, preventing it from moving freely. This can lead to switch failures, causing trains to be rerouted or delayed.
• Frozen Components: The cold can cause metal parts to contract and become brittle, making them more susceptible to breakage.
• Reduced Lubrication Efficiency: Lubricants can become less effective in cold weather, leading to increased friction and wear on the switch components.
• Signal Failures: Ice and snow can interfere with the electrical components of the switch, leading to signal failures that can compromise safety.
• Labor, Time, and Resources: Physical inspection of heaters in the winter consumes a tremendous amount of time—and poses additional safety risks—that could be better spent focused on operations. 

Rail Track Switch Winterization and Maintenance Simplified

Winterization is not only a major financial investment, but also a labor-intensive process that traditionally requires crews to go out and visually inspect individual rail track switch heaters—often using an antiquated oil and rag method. Maintenance is no picnic either. For railways without a remote monitoring system, winters can be especially challenging. When a track switch heating issue arises, crews typically have to go out in extreme weather conditions to physically inspect heaters and figure out which one is not functional.

NIBE North America’s patented, dual element track switch electric heating and remote monitoring system, BLUE POINT, simplifies winter prep and maintenance. BLUE POINT is a completely autonomous system that utilizes weather sensors, rail sensors, and predictive services to control the rail heat autonomously.

In advance of the winter season, an operator can simply turn on the heat from the comfort of their office, and view in real time, any switch heater faults or anomalies. Throughout the winter, BLUE POINT’s SCADA system continually monitors track switch heaters, and our 24/7 call center notifies crews immediately if an issue is detected.

The potential cost and labor savings are significant. An automated system means that crews no longer have to inspect each individual switch point at the beginning of the season, and remote monitoring allows operators to focus on what they do best—move trains.

At several major U.S. and European interlockings where our fully automated BLUE POINT Switch Heating Control system has been installed, rail authorities are saving significant time and money. Advantages include:

• Remote heater inspection and monitoring saves enormous amount of time and labor, and helps to ensure the safety of workers.
• Energy cost savings of 90% and higher
• Robust, longest-lasting heater with full 10-year warranty
• The hottest electric rail heating system you can buy—500-600 watts—tackles extreme conditions.
• Pulse width modulated (PWM) dual-element heating enables an operator to dial in the exact wattage required to keep rails free of ice and snow.

And the good news is that our Monel 400 sheathed flat heater—which offers maximum thermal conductivity to the rail—is the only heater available with a 10-year warranty, based upon an exceptional mean time before failure (MTBF) rate of over 250,000 hours. With our automated electric switch heating system, SCADA notification, and long-lived Monel heaters in place, the challenges and risks of winter operation are minimized.

Cost Effective Winter Operation and Maintenance

Because the system applies heat only when and where it is needed, energy savings of 90% and higher have been achieved by several U.S. rail authorities where BLUE POINT has been installed.

In addition to dual element heating, the system provides a level of redundancy so that each heater is electrically isolated, so if one heater fails, it will not propagate to another heater.

BLUE POINT’s SCADA system can be accessed for viewing, control, and/or configuration directly at the enclosure or through a secure cloud. The call center provides 24/7 notifications of any faults or anomalies in the system. If an issue is detected, when in “heartbeat” mode, the system automatically shuts off heat to the affected switch point within 20 minutes.

The autonomous nature of the BLUE POINT control system and remote monitoring provides worry-free operation, free from constant monitoring or supervised control. With the ability to dial in the exact heat needed, pinpoint any failure at a specific junction box, and receive real-time notifications, BLUE POINT enables easier, proactive winter maintenance to keep train operations running smoothly. 

Reduce Winter Prep and Maintenance Costs with Custom-Designed Automated Electric Track Switch Heating System

Winterization of rail track switches is vital to maintaining safe and efficient railway operations during the winter months. By taking proactive measures, such as installing a fully automated, electric switch point heating system with remote monitoring, railway operators can significantly reduce the labor and operating costs of winterization and maintenance.

NIBE helps solve unique rail heating challenges with custom-designed, and USA-manufactured, rail switch heating and monitoring solutions. We’re here to help you create the best rail heating and monitoring solution for your needs to boost your performance indicators, reduce energy costs, and simplify the winterization and maintenance process for hassle-free operation.

How can we help you with your next rail switch heating project? Contact an engineer today to set up a consultation. We look forward to helping you soon.

[i] https://www.aar.org/issue/winter-weather/