SIN119 stands for special inspection notice 119. It is the survey of signalling functional supply points sites to identify sites that require additional electrical safety provisions to prevent electric shocks to railway workers and members of the public.
SIN119 was created by Network Rail as they were instructed by the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) to physically verify railway signal location cases (LOCs) are correctly earthed and that exposure to any live parts is mitigated.
What does SIN119 rail upgrades include?
Earthing of railway location cases (LOCs)
Network Rail have instructed groups to survey signal LOCs particularly those containing equipment running off 650V, to ensure that they are correctly earthed. This is to reduce the risk of electrocution to workers and the general public.
Earth rods are being installed into railway LOCs and Perspex coverings being put in place in order to improve their safety and meet the target earth resistance values.
The integrity of the earth connection and resistance must be compliant against NR/L2/SIGELP/27418 & NR/L3/SIGELP/27420.
Upgrade of 650V to Class II
Traditionally, rail signalling power supplies have consisted of a Class I 650V feeder cable with an earth return so that a person is protected from an electric shock should there be a fault. It is a costly system which requires robust earthing arrangements to maintain safety and uses a lot of copper. Systems have been compromised in recent years with a huge rise in the number of cable thefts having been recorded which could result in more serious injuries or deaths to workers and/or the general public due to electrocution.
In recent years the requirement for signalling power has evolved, with the introduction of Class II. Class II electrical equipment is double insulated and designed not to require a safety connection to an earthing point. This means that no single fault can cause dangerous voltage to become accessible and potentially cause electric shock. Class II systems also mean greater reliability for the rail network as signalling isn’t tripped by a single cable fault.
Part of the survey was to identify the sites where the installation of Class II double insulated switchgear and transformers was required as an upgrade to 650V power, in order to provide full SIN119 compliance to Network Rail Class II Specification NR/L2/SIGELP/27409.
SIN119, what has been done so far?
One of the key drivers behind the upgrade of existing legacy location cases is the allowance for the modification of existing layouts. This makes it much more cost-effective as complete redesign is not required. So, what has been done so far since SIN119 was published in 2015?
states that it has carried out the following work towards SIN119 compliance:
- 600 Safe Works Packs Planned and Created
- 1600 Location Surveys Completed
- 230 Class II Installations
- 800 Earth Rod Improvements
- 500 Remedial Works
What are RSP doing to help with SIN119 rail upgrades?
Rail Signalling and Power offer a wide range of Network Rail approved products which comply with the Special Inspection Notice 119 (SIN 119) requirements, facilitating the upgrade of legacy signalling installations to make our railways safer.
RSP’s product range covers all installation requirements – from a legacy changeover of a single piece of switchgear to a fully populated annex mounted externally to a location case.
- We are the UK’s only supplier of 2BA terminal block covers which are SIN119 compatible.
- We supply our functional supply points (FSPs) in our own Class I and Class II PADS approved enclosures.
- Our Auxiliary Supply Points are designed for both Class I and Class II networks.
Contact our team to find out how we can help you upgrade to be SIN119 compatible.