| (a) Location. (1) Utility lines shall be located to avoid or minimize the need for adjustments for future railroad improvements and to permit access to the utility lines for maintenance with minimum interference to railroad traffic. (2) Pipelines may be installed under tracks by boring, jacking, or in some cases, open-trenching. Water jetting and puddling are not permitted. Holes may be mechanically bored and cased using a cutting head and continuous auger mounted inside of the casing. Small diameter holes may be augured and the casing or utility facility pushed in later. (3) Where practical, pipelines carrying liquefied petroleum gas shall cross the railway where the tracks are carried on an embankment. (4) All high-pressure pipelines of greater than 60-psi internal pressure, except those in public roads, shall be prominently marked at the property line, on both sides of the track for under crossings, by signs that state the size of the line and its depth. (5) The utility is not permitted to attach to bridges or route facilities through drainage structures or cattle passes. Utilities are not to be attached to other railroad structures without the written approval of the department. (6) As a general rule, overhead power, communication, and cable television line crossings at bridges must be avoided. (b) Design considerations. (1) The design of any utility installation will be the responsibility of the utility. An installation within state railroad right of way must be reviewed and approved by the department with regard to location and the manner of adjustment. This includes the measures to be taken to preserve the safety and flow of rail traffic, structural integrity of the roadway or structure, ease of maintenance, and the integrity of the utility facility. Utility installations on, over, or under state railroad right of way shall conform with this subchapter or, as a minimum, the appropriate requirements outlined in the following: (A) Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Electric Supply and Communication Lines-National Electric Safety Code; (B) Title 49 C.F.R. Part 192, Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline: Minimum Federal Safety Standards; (C) Title 49 C.F.R. Part 195, Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipelines; (D) American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Specifications; (E) Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; and (F) Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. (2) All utility installations on, over, or under state railroad right of way shall be of durable materials designed for long service life and relatively free from routine servicing and maintenance. All utility installations shall comply with current applicable material specifications and codes. (3) References given to any manual, publication, or specification are intended to be the most current edition. If a conflict occurs between any publication and this subchapter, the most restrictive specification will be used. (4) For all boring and jacking installations greater than 26 inches in diameter, and at a depth of between five and one-half feet and 10 feet below top of tie, a geotechnical study will be performed to determine the presence of granular material and high water table elevation at the sole expense of the utility. The study will include recommendations and a plan for a procedure to prevent failure and a collapse of the bore. Core samples are to be taken near the ends of tie at the proposed location, at least as deep as the bottom of the proposed horizontal bore. Test results must be reviewed and approved by the department prior to boring activities commencing. The department reserves the right, based on the test results, to require the utility, at its own expense, to select an alternate location or to implement additional engineering specifications in order to utilize the desired location. (c) Safety flagging. (1) When work is performed within 25 feet of the centerline of the track, railroad flagging will be required. (2) Flagging services will be conducted in an industry approved manner subject to the approval of the department. (d) Material storage. Storage of materials and parking of equipment and vehicles not in use in actual utility work is not permitted on state railroad right of way. |
