Stray Current Guidebook for Rail Transit and the Lessons Learned

摘要

Stray current is a major concern for the track, utility and infrastructure owners in the vicinity of the direct current (dc) powered rail transit system. Stray current leakage and the corrosion caused by these currents is more of an issue in low resistivity soils and embedded tracks that require the rail to be continuously isolated. The absence of specific national stray current control and/or mitigation standard in the U.S., necessitates the need to produce contemporary standards and guiding principles for the transit providers and corrosion consultants to match the advancements made in other sectors of the rail transit system. The author thus prepared a guidebook for the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)~((1)) documenting best practices for those seeking guidance on design, maintenance, and testing of stray current control for dc powered rail transit systems. This guidebook includes the study of both national and international transit agencies. This paper discusses "Lessons Learned" on the problems of surveying the transit industry, and how they were overcome. The paper also discusses results of a case study on issues related to stray current affects from one of the transit agencies that were used in preparing these consolidated guidelines and recommendations.