NEXT month Metronet Rail will complete the installation of 30 arc suppression ramps which have been developed to cut the number of track fires in tunnels on three London Underground lines.
The ramps are designed to minimise the duration of arcing on the conductor rails at locations where fires have occurred. Scientific Services developed a prototype ramp, and further examples have been built by public-private partnership contractor Metronet Rail. Any arcing which still occurs should be small, and will be extinguished within a chamber in a synthetic filler piece forming part of the ramp.
The first ramps were fitted in November and their performance is being monitored. Metronet expects to install them at further sites if they are successful.
Metronet Rail, UK
