PTS PTS - Personal Track Safety Railway Hazards and Terminology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'cess' refer to in railway track terminology?
- The ballast layer beneath the sleepers
- The land alongside the track between the rails and the boundary fence (Correct answer)
- The space between two adjacent tracks
- The drainage channel running under the track
Correct answer: The land alongside the track between the rails and the boundary fence
The cess is the area of ground alongside the track, typically between the running rails and the boundary fence or wall.
Question 2: A 'trap point' on a railway is designed primarily to:
- Slow down approaching trains automatically
- Derail runaway vehicles to prevent them entering a main line (Correct answer)
- Switch trains between two routes
- Alert signallers to an unauthorized track entry
Correct answer: Derail runaway vehicles to prevent them entering a main line
Trap points (also called catch points) are intentionally set to derail runaway or unauthorized vehicles before they can enter a main running line.
Question 3: What hazard does 'formation failure' present to track workers?
- Electrification of the rail surface
- Sudden collapse or subsidence of the ground supporting the track (Correct answer)
- Rail fracture due to thermal expansion
- Signal failure causing unplanned train movements
Correct answer: Sudden collapse or subsidence of the ground supporting the track
Formation failure is the collapse of the sub-grade or ground beneath the track, which can cause sudden, unexpected ground subsidence hazardous to workers.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes a 'low rail' hazard in curved track sections?
- The rail on the inside of a curve that sits lower due to cant (Correct answer)
- A rail that has worn below the minimum acceptable head profile
- A rail that lacks adequate fastening at the base
- A temporary rail used during maintenance possessions
Correct answer: The rail on the inside of a curve that sits lower due to cant
On curved track, cant (superelevation) means the inner (low) rail sits lower than the outer rail, creating a trip and footing hazard for workers.
Question 5: What is the primary danger of working near a 'toe' of a switch rail?
- High electrical voltage concentration at that point
- Risk of entrapment of feet or tools between the switch rail and stock rail (Correct answer)
- Increased ballast instability at that location
- Reduced sighting distance for approaching trains
Correct answer: Risk of entrapment of feet or tools between the switch rail and stock rail
The toe of a switch rail is the thin, movable end that can trap feet or tools in the gap between it and the stock rail.
Question 6: In PTS terminology, what is a 'flangeway'?
- The gap in the rail surface that allows wheel flanges to pass through (Correct answer)
- A designated safe walking route through a station
- A passage cut through ballast for drainage
- The groove on a wheel that grips the rail head
Correct answer: The gap in the rail surface that allows wheel flanges to pass through
A flangeway is the groove or gap cut into rail or road surfaces at crossings to allow the wheel flanges of a train to pass through.
Question 7: Which term describes the sudden, violent movement of a rail caused by extreme temperature increase?
- Rail creep
- Sun kink (Correct answer)
- Thermal fatigue
- Head check
Correct answer: Sun kink
A sun kink (or thermal buckle) occurs when continuous welded rail expands rapidly in heat and buckles sideways without restraint.
PTS PTS - Personal Track Safety Railway Hazards and Terminology 3
What does the term 'cess' refer to in railway track terminology?