A structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is a diagram or physical structure that sets limits to the extent that bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure can encroach on rail vehicles. It specifies the height and width of platforms, tunnels and

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...

s, and the width of the doors that allow access to a

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of citie ...

from a rail siding. Specifications may include the minimum distance from rail vehicles to

railway platform A railway platform is an area alongside a railway track providing convenient access to trains. Almost all stations have some form of platform, with larger stations having multiple platforms. The world's longest station platform is at Hubbali ...

s, buildings, electrical equipment boxes, signal equipment,

third rail A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway ...

s or supports for

overhead line An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipm ...

s. A related but separate gauge is the loading gauge: a diagram or physical structure that defines the maximum height and width dimensions in

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

vehicles and their loads. The difference between these two gauges is called the clearance. The specified amount of clearance makes allowance for wobbling of rail vehicles at speed; consequently, in some circumstances a train may be permitted to go past a restricted clearance at very slow speed.

Road traffic application

The term can also be applied to the minimum size of road tunnels, the space beneath

overpass An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and '' underpass'' together for ...

es and the space within the superstructure of

s, as well as doors into automobile repair shops, bus garages,

filling station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Ga ...

s, residential garages,

multi-storey car park A multistorey car park ( British and Singapore English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistory, parking building, parking structure, parkade (mainly Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck or indoor parking, is a bui ...

s, overhangs at drive-throughs and

Accidents

Motor vehicles hit railway bridges 1789 times in 2019 in the UK, where such incidents are known as bridge strikes, with several bridges being hit over 20 times in a single year. The total cost borne by the state was around £23 million. A high

overpass bridge An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and '' underpass'' together ...

near St Petersburg, Russia, is known as the "Bridge of Stupidity" because it is often struck by vehicles despite many warning signs. In May 2018, after it was struck for the 150th time by a GAZelle truck, a birthday cake was presented to the bridge. This made national news. Similarly, an

in Durham, North Carolina, USA, was frequently struck by vehicles, and made the news a number of times until it was raised in 2019. Infrared sensors which trigger warning signs when a high vehicle approaches were added to an underpass in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, only after several incidents. A similar situation exists at an underpass on Guy Street in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

.Truck removed
/ref> Another problem is the Montague Street Bridge in South Melbourne.

Gallery

Image:Gabarit-ferroviaire.svg, File:Lichtraumprofil.png, File:Pont Ducharme Est.jpg, Structure gauge limiting the height of vehicles for Pont Ducharme to . File:Lichtraumprofilbrücke (001).JPG, Calibration bridge in Germany, used to indicate the maximum height of

vehicles A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), ...

on approaching a railway bridge

References

External links

Transport Canada, Standard Respecting Railway Clearance

GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN RAILROAD HIGH AND WIDE CLEARANCES

Railway line clearances and car dimensions including weight ..., Volumes 87-90

www.ipm.fraunhofer.de/railway

Clearance Guidelines for Industrial Railways (BC)

Rail infrastructure Road hazards {{Rail-transport-stub

Road traffic application

Accidents

Gallery

See also

References

External links