GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)

INDIAN RAILWAYS
MANUAL OF AC TRACTION
MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION

VOLUME I

General

March, 1994
 FOREWORD

The "A. C. Traction Manual" containing procedures and practices to be followed uniformly
throughout Indian Railways, was published for the first time in 1972.

Considerable experience has since been gained in the operation and maintenance of electric
traction assets. Technological up gradation has also been continuously taking place.
Microprocessor based SCADA systems for remote control of traction power supply have been
introduced with telemetering facilities. Vacuum and SF6 gas circuit breakers have by and
large replaced minimum oil circuit breakers. A pilot project of electrification with 2 x 25 kV
State-of-art technology on Bilaspur-Bina-Katni section has also been taken up. While earlier
supply was being availed at 25 kV from power supply authorities, Railway owned traction
sub-stations and transmission lines have come up.

As regards Rolling Stock, 6-axle WAM4 locos introduced in early 70s have given place to
3900 H. P. WAG5 freight locomotives 5000 HP. WAG7 locos & WAP1/WAP3 locomotives with
speed potential of 140 km/h for passenger services. A sizeable fleet of dual brake locos has
come up to offer better operational flexibility. Thyristors, electronic slip/creep control using
Doppler radar sensors, computerized self-diagnostic fault indicating systems have also been
introduced.

These developments have given rise to a need for updating the Manual, The present Manual
caters to this requirement and is the result of efforts put-in by a number of Electrical
Engineers of Indian Railways. I hope the Manual, in its revised form, will help towards
developing better know-how of the prevalent system in respect of Maintenance and
Operation and thereby improve reliability and safety.

(J. Upadhyay)

Member (Electrical)

Railway Board.

New Delhi

December, 1993
 INTRODUCTION

The "Manual of AC Traction - Maintenance and Operation" covering the maintenance and
operation of 25 kV ac 50 Hz single phase traction installations, electric locomotives and
electrical multiple units and other connected matters including railway electrification - was
issued in 1972.

The Manual is generally procedural in scope and includes essential technical data of use to
the operating and maintenance personnel but does not cover the theoretical and design
aspects of the traction installations and electric rolling stock as these are contained in
documents issued by the RDSO as well as the respective manufacturers.

In the preparation of the Manual all relevant documents, rule books, operating manuals and
standing instructions issued by the electrified railways are considered together with the
knowledge of procedures and practices as observed during inspections of various
installations on the railways as well as discussions with Chief Electrical Engineers of the
Railways and concerned officers and staff as also with RDSO.

In what is considered to be the greatest common measure of agreement in regard to the

maintenance schedules and their periodicity, the forms and registers in use, the availability
of staff and operating conditions obtaining on the Railways the bases have been
standardized, subject, of course to the condition that the Chief Electrical Engineer of the
Railway may, where considered essential, authorize deviations to the prescribed procedures
and practices to the extent necessary.

Over the years since the issue of Manual in 1972 changes have taken place in certain
aspects of the traction installations as well as the electric rolling stock. Keeping these
changes in mind, the Manual has been revised and is brought out in three Volumes as
indicated below though the style has by and large been retained.

Volume I - General is of a general nature and contains descriptions of the traction

installations and electric rolling stock. It indicates the organization for operating and
maintaining the traction installations and electric rolling stock, both in the Headquarters and
Divisional offices of the Zonal Railways, describing the functions at various management
levels. It also contains the rules and procedures for the staff of other disciplines like
Signalling and Telecommunication, Civil Engineering etc. apart from subjects which all
electric traction engineers and supervisors should be familiar with and therefore this volume
would necessarily be an omnibus one.

Volume II - Fixed Installations has been made in two parts. Part I covers the operation and
maintenance of traction installations of fixed installations as well as procedures for
commissioning of new traction installations while Part II contains various guidelines and
procedures issued by the Railway Board and RDSO in connection with fixed traction
installations.

Volume - III - Electric Rolling Stock is exclusive for the maintenance and operation of
electric rolling stock - locomotives and multiple units.

In the get up of this Manual the paragraphs are numbered with 5 digits. The first digit
indicates the Volume number, the next two digits indicate the Chapter number and the last
two digits the specific paragraph number.
It will be appreciated that in a Manual of this nature, it will not be feasible to include
material to cover each and every contingency that may arise in the course of working of the
traction installations and the electric rolling stock, though efforts have not been spared to
make it as comprehensive as possible. In the event of any contingency that might arise
requiring supplementing what is contained in this Manual so as to suit the conditions on a
particular Railway, the Chief Electrical Engineer of the Railway may issue necessary
instructions/orders for the purpose. It would be good practice to copy such
instructions/orders to other Railways as well for their benefit. However, the provisions in
this Manual, the Codes/Manuals issued by various authorities, the General and Subsidiary
Rules and any other statutory regulations in force shall not be contravened.

Any comments or suggestions for improving this Manual as well as any advice in regard to
errors or omissions if any requiring correction may be sent to the Railway Board.

The making of this revised Manual has been an arduous work and for the efforts put in by a
number of senior officers as well as staff of Railway Board, Railways, RDSO/Lucknow and
RITES, New Delhi to bring this out, no amount of words of appreciation and gratitude to
them will be adequate for the purpose.

It is hoped that the Manual will serve the needs for which it has been made.

NOEL LOBO PRABHU

Adviser (Electrical)

Railway Board

New Delhi

February '94