Connectwell Terminal Blocks Solve Haramain Railway’s Corrosion Problem
June 2019
The Haramain high-speed railway, also known as the Mecca–Medina high-speed railway, is a 453-kilometre-long high-speed rail line in Saudi Arabia. It links the Muslim holy cities of Medina and Mecca using 449.2 kilometers of main line. It is designed for a top speed of 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph).
The railway is expected to carry 60 million passengers a year, including around 3-4 million Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
The Challenge
Corrosion of the knife edge terminal blocks used earlier led to loose connectionsand signal interruptionsFor the purpose of signaling, Knife edge terminals blocks were installed in the junction box to provide ease of disconnection for testing the transmission of signals.
Efficient transmission of signals is essential for the maintaining the speed and safe operation of the trains.
The junction box which contained the knife terminals, were installed in Jeddah. Due to its proximity to the red sea, the harsh atmospheric conditions caused the metal components (called Terminal Clamps) of the terminal blocks to rust.
The Terminal Clamps in a terminal block connect the signal wires and enable the transmission of signals. The rusting and subsequent degradation of the Terminal Clamps caused loose connections resulting in interruption in the signal transmission. This became a very challenging situation for the operation and the speed of the trains was reduced for safety reasons owing to these interruptions.
The Connectwell Solution
Considering the harsh atmospheric conditions, Connectwell spring clamp series, CXK2.5 adhering to UL 1059 IEC/EN60947-7-1 was used as a suitable replacement.
The Terminal Clamps in Connectwell CXK2.5 terminals are made of special stainless steel alloys which provided resistance to corrosion. Further the construction of CXK2.5 is such that only non-ferrous materials are used and hence the entire terminal block is corrosion free.
In addition to the above, the spring clamp architecture is a proven technology in extremely harsh environments with extreme vibrations especially in railway application.
The selection of the terminal was such that, it fit into the existing junction box and did not cause any additional cost to the client during replacement.
A Perfect Outcome
The serious issue of signal interruption which caused the High speed train to slow down was resolved by Connectwell by using the corrosion free CXK2.5 terminals with spring clamp technology – with the result that trains are now running at their optimum operational speed.
The client was very satisfied with the technical solution provided by Connectwell which resolved a vexing operational issue with precision and cost effectiveness.