Texas Administrative Code › Title 43 - TRANSPORTATION › Part 1 - TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › Chapter 21 - RIGHT OF WAY › Subchapter O - UTILITY ACCOMMODATION FOR RAIL FACILITIES › Section 21.910 - Utilities Crossing Railroad Property

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a)
				  General provisions. Installations crossing railroad property, to the extent
				  feasible and practical, are to be perpendicular to the railroad alignment and
				  preferably at not less than 45 degrees to the centerline of the track.
				  Utilities shall not be placed within culverts or under railroad bridges,
				  buildings, or other important structures. Utilities will be located so as to
				  provide a safe environment and shall conform to the current National Electrical
				  Safety Code, American Waterworks Association Specifications, Federal Pipeline
				  Safety Regulations, and The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance
				  Association Specifications. If laws or orders of public authority prescribe a
				  higher degree of protection, then the higher degree of protection prescribed
				  shall supersede the provisions of this subchapter.
(b) Overhead installations.
(1) A minimum of four feet clearance is
				  required above signal and communication lines.
(2) Poles must be located 50 feet from the
				  centerline of the railroad main, branch, and running tracks, CTC sidings, and
				  heavy tonnage spurs. Poles located adjacent to industry tracks must provide at
				  least a 10 foot clearance from the centerline of the track when measured at
				  right angles. If located adjacent to curved tracks, then the clearance must be
				  increased at a rate of one and one-half inches per degree of curved
				  track.
(3) Regardless of the
				  voltage, unguyed poles shall be located a minimum distance from the centerline
				  of any track, equal to the height of the pole above the ground-line plus 10
				  feet. If guying is required, the guys shall be placed in such a manner as to
				  keep the pole from leaning or falling in the direction of the tracks.
(4) Poles, including steel poles, must be
				  located a minimum distance from the railroad signal and communication line
				  equal to the height of the pole above the ground-line or must be guyed at right
				  angles to the lines. High voltage towers, 34.5kV and higher, must be located
				  off state railroad right of way.
(5) Crossings shall not be installed under or
				  within 500 feet of the end of any railroad bridge, or 300 feet from the
				  centerline of any culvert or switch area.
(6) Complete spanning of the property is
				  encouraged with supportive structures and appurtenances located outside state
				  railroad right of way. For electric supply lines, the crossing span shall not
				  exceed 150 feet with adjacent span not exceeding one and one-half times the
				  crossing span length. For communication lines, the crossing span shall not
				  exceed 100 feet in heavy loading districts, 125 feet in medium loading
				  districts, and 150 feet in light loading districts. The adjacent span shall not
				  exceed one and one-half times the crossing span length. For heavier type
				  construction, the district engineer may allow longer spans.
(7) Joint-use construction is encouraged at
				  locations where more than one utility or type of facility is involved. However,
				  electricity and petroleum, natural gas, or flammable materials shall not be
				  combined. Pipe truss design and layout are subject to review and approval by
				  the district engineer.
(8) To
				  ensure that overhead wire crossings are clear from contact with any equipment
				  passing under the wires, communication lines shall be constructed with a
				  minimum clearance of 24 feet above the top of the rail, and electric lines with
				  a minimum clearance of 26 and one-half feet or greater above the top of the
				  rail when required by the National Electric Safety Code or state and local
				  regulations. Electric lines must have a fluorescent ball marker on low wire
				  over the centerline of the track.
(9) The utility owner will label the posts
				  closest to the crossing with the owner's name and telephone number for
				  emergency contact.
(10) All
				  overhead flammable and hazardous material lines require district engineer
				  approval.
(11) For proposed
				  electrical lines crossing tracks, the department may require that an inductive
				  interference study be performed at the expense of the utility owner. Inductive
				  interference from certain lines has the potential to disrupt the signal system
				  in the track, causing failures in the track signals, and highway grade crossing
				  warning devices. The district engineer may require an inductive interference
				  study based on the proposed proximity of high voltage lines to other utility
				  lines.