Standards Respecting

Railway Clearances
May 14, 1992 (TC E-05)
 STANDARD RESPECTING RAILWAY CLEARANCES

1. APPLICATION OF STANDARD

1.1 This Standard shall apply on all tracks owned or operated on by a railway company.

2. INTERPRETATION

2.1 In this Standard:

Chief Engineer means a person occupying the position of Chief Engineer, or in

companies not having a Chief Engineer the senior official designated for this
purpose.

3. STANDARD CLEARANCES

Subject to section 4:

3.1 (a) every structure over or beside a railway track, except those structures
governed by paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) below, shall afford the minimum
clearances set out in Diagram 1;

(b) all railway bridges, snowsheds and overhead timber bridges shall afford the
minimum clearances as set out in Diagram 2;

(c) all railway tunnels shall afford the minimum clearances as set out in Diagram 3;

(d) industrial sidings shall afford the minimum clearances as set out in Diagram 4,
where required to be different to those set out in Diagram 1;

(e) a lateral allowance for track curvature of 25.4 mm (1 inch) per degree shall be
provided;

(f) all clearance diagrams shall be perpendicular to the plane of the top of rails.

4. LESS THAN STANDARD CLEARANCES

4.1 All existing structures, bridges, snowsheds, overhead timber bridges and tunnels
which met previous clearance requirements, but encroach within the clearance limits
prescribed herein, shall not be considered as having less than standard clearances and
shall be permitted to remain until the restrictive feature is modified or replaced.
4.2 Clearances not meeting the requirements of section 3 above, are permitted in the
following circumstances:

(a) on a track at a main shop, diesel or car shop;

(b) doorways in buildings;

(c) ramps, platforms and similar structures to facilitate loading, unloading, servicing
and maintenance;

(d) permanent structures to provide for or support locomotive and car wash facilities;

(e) temporary restrictions necessary to facilitate construction or repair of overhead

structures, in which case the train crews are to be notified.

4.3 (a) Where circumstances do not permit the standard clearances prescribed in section
3.1, exceptions may be authorized by the Chief Engineer.

(b) Modifications may be made to clearances covered in subsection 4.1 and

subsection 4.2 paragraphs (a), (d) and (e) upon approval of the Chief Engineer.

(c) The construction of a structure creating less than standard clearances shall not
begin until approved by the Chief Engineer.

4.4 At locations described in subsection 4.2 paragraphs (b) and (c) and where the Chief
Engineer has approved a less than standard clearance pursuant to sections 3.1 and 4.3,
a less than standard clearance sign, as shown in Appendix A, shall be erected and
maintained adjacent to the track on which the restriction is located and at an adequate
distance from the restriction. Where physical impediments preclude the erection of
such a sign, the less than standard clearance will be identified in special instructions.

4.5 Requests for approval of less than standard clearances shall be submitted to the Chief
Engineer and shall include the following information:

(a) reasons for less than standard clearance;

(b) if operations over the trackage concerned will be by locomotive, car puller or
gravity;

(c) if locomotives will pass the point of less than standard clearance;

(d) type of cars that will pass the point of less than standard clearance;
 (e) confirmation that trackage cannot be realigned to avoid the less than standard
clearance or that the restricting object cannot be placed where it would no longer
represent a restriction;

(f) if the less than standard clearance will be permanent or temporary;

(g) a drawing showing the relative position of the trackage and the obstruction, with
cross sections at each point of less than standard clearance indicating the vertical
clearance from the top of rail and the horizontal clearance from the centre line of
the track, together with the location of the less than standard clearance sign.

4.6 Employees must not ride the side or above the roof of a moving engine or car when
passing side and/or overhead restrictions.

5. TRACK CENTRES

5.1 Subject to subsection 5.2, all trackage built or rearranged after the coming into force
of this Standard shall, comply with the minimum distances between track centre lines
with due allowance for superelevation and curvature and shall be as follows:

(a) Main tracks 3.96 m (13 feet)

(b) Main and siding tracks 4.27 m (14 feet)

(c) Main or running tracks and parallel yard

tracks 4.27 m (14 feet)

(d) Yard tracks 4.11 m (13 feet, 6 inches)

(e) Ladder and other tracks 4.57 m (15 feet)

(f) Parallel ladder tracks 5.49 m (18 feet)

(g) Freight shed tracks 3.66 m (12 feet)

(h) Team tracks in pairs 3.66 m (12 feet)

(i) Passenger station tracks without

platform between 3.96 m (13 feet)

5.2 (a) Where circumstances do not permit the track centres prescribed in subsection 5.1,
exceptions may be authorized by the Chief Engineer.
 (b) The construction of tracks with less than minimum distances, as provided for in
subsection 5.2 paragraph (a), shall not begin until approved by the Chief
Engineer.

5.3 The minimum distance between track centre lines shall be increased to account for
curvature and superelevation as follows:

(a) 50.8 mm (2 inches) per degree of curvature of track;

(b) where the curve elevation of the outer track exceeds the elevation of an adjacent
inner track, an additional 63.5 mm (2-1/2 inches) per 25.4 mm (1 inch) of
difference in curve elevations between the adjacent tracks.

6. SIDING AGREEMENTS

6.1 Siding agreements shall contain a clause setting out the requirements of this
Standard.

7. WIRES AND CONDUCTORS

7.1 Canadian Standards Association Standard C22.3 shall be used for minimum
clearances.

8. NOTIFYING THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT

8.1 The Minister of Transport will be notified, in writing, of:

(a) clearances pursuant to subsection 4.2 paragraphs (b) and (c) and subsection 4.3
paragraph (a);

(b) deviations of track centres specified in subsection 5.1 paragraphs (a), (b) and
(c).
 Diagram 1: All Structures Over or Beside the Railway Tracks (Scale 1:75)

WHERE NO MAINTENANCE WHERE MAINTENANCE

ROAD IS REQUIRED ROAD IS REQUIRED
5486 (18 - 0) 7925 (26 - 0)

1479 4007 (13 - 1 3/4) 6446 (21 - 1 3/4) 1479

(4 - 10 1/2) 1829 2546 (4 - 10 1/4)
(6 - 0) (8 - 4 1/4)
1035 1753
1645

1645
(3 - 4 3/4) (5 - 9)
(5 - 4 3/4)

(5 - 4 3/4)
L OUTSIDE
TRACK
1168
(3 - 10)

451 1435 FACE OF

FACE OF
ABUTMENT
(1 - 5 3/4) (4 - 8 1/2) ABUTMENT
6706 (22 - 0)
7010 (23 - 0)

OR PIER OR PIER
AT TOP OF RAIL MINIMUM

SL
AT TOP OF RAIL MINIMUM

1219
(4 - 0)
FOR NON-ELECTRIFIED LINES
CONSTRUCTION CLEARANCE

EN OPE
CL CRO NOT
EA AC TO
RA H
NC ON SUB-BALLAST 70 (2 3/4)
GAUGE LINE

GAUGE LINE
ED
IAG
R AM
127
(5)

BALLAST TOP
Notes: OF RAIL

- Solid lines indicate minimum standard clearances

- Broken lines indicate required clearances, where approved by the national transportation
 Diagram 2: All Railway Bridges, Snowsheds and Overhead Timber Bridges (Scale 1:75)

4878
(16 - 0)
1372
(4 - 6)
1721
(5 - 7 3/4) 1067
(3 - 6)
1035
(3 - 4 3/4) L TRACK
(5 - 0)
1524

1753
(5 - 9)
DISTANCE ABOVE TOP OF RAIL

1651
(5 - 5)
6706 (22 - 0)

1168
(14 - 0)
4268

451 (3 - 10)
(1 - 5 3/4)
1435
(4 - 8 1/2)

(1 - 9)
533
Nominal
GAUGE LINE

GAUGE LINE
(3 - 0)

(1 - 3)
(2 3/4)
914

381
127

70
(5)

2045
(6 - 8 1/2)
TOP
2439 OF RAIL
(8 - 0)

Note: Broken lines indicate minimum clearances that may be used when authorized by the chief engineer.
 Diagram 3: All Railway Tunnels (Scale 1:75)

4878
(16 - 0)

L TRACK
1721 2439
(5 - 7 3/4) (8 - 0)

-0 9
(8 243
)
R=
DISTANCE ABOVE TOP OF RAIL
6706 (22 - 0)

1168
(3 - 10)
451 1435
(1 - 5 3/4) (4 - 8 1/2)
Nominal
GAUGE LINE

GAUGE LINE
127
(5)

(2 3/4)

TOP
70

OF RAIL
 Diagram 4: Industrial Sidings (Scale 1:75)

4878
(16 - 0)

L TRACK

2439
(8 - 0)
1721 1067
(5-7 3/4) (3 - 6)
1372
(4 - 6)
(5 - 0)
1524

451
DISTANCE ABOVE TOP OF RAIL

1829 610
(1 - 5 3/4) (6 - 0) (2 - 0)
6706 (22 - 0)

3963 (13 - 0)

1111 1168
(3 - 7 3/4) (3 - 10)
1435
(4-8 1/2) 661
Nominal
(2 - 2)
GAUGE LINE

GAUGE LINE

127
(5 )
(4 - 0)
MAX.
1219

(2 3/4)
70

TOP
OF RAIL
 Appendix A: Standard Restricted Clearance Sign

- Possible Methods of Erecting Sign

- Elevation of Sign

Reflecting Material Specifications: 62-GP-11M

Reflectivity: Level 1
Sheeting Material: Reflective yellow sheeting to cover the entire surface