Why Connect Several Wires Between The Steel Rails Of The Railway

When the high-speed rail has not yet been built in large numbers, many people will travel by train. The train needs to follow a predetermined track. Generally, the rails of the train are connected by sections of steel rails, and there will be a small gap at the connection of the steel rails.

This is mainly to avoid the distortion or breakage of the steel rails caused by thermal expansion and contraction. If you observe carefully, you will also find where the steel rails is connected. Not only steel plates are used, but several wires are connected.

Why connect a few more wires? What use do they have? Let me talk about the reasons for this today.

The first thing to understand is the track circuit. The track circuit is mainly used to detect whether this section of the line is occupied by a locomotive. Each railway will be divided into many closed sections, separated by track insulation joints to form independent track circuits.

Then set up colored signal lights at the starting point of each section, and the signal will light up green when no train is passing. If a train is passing, the signal lights up because the circuit is shorted by the train wheel pair. The rear trains are reminded to enter the section, and the rear trains are prohibited from entering, thereby ensuring the distance and safety between trains.

Therefore, the traffic lights in the closed section do not need artificial control. In addition, this design can also detect whether the railway track is accessible. If the steel rails breaks, no current will be generated because of the section. As a result, the signal will display red to prevent trains from entering this zone, so the iron wire is used to ensure the conductivity of the steel rails.