Effect of geomagnetic disturbances on the operation of railroad automated mechanisms and telemechanics.

Geomagnetic variations generate electric currents in long conductors such as high-voltage lines, pipelines, and telecoms cables. The aim of our work is to study the possible effect of geomagnetic disturbances on the operation of automated systems and telemechanics of a midlatitude railroad based on the data on the malfunctions and breakdowns registered in 2004 on the East Siberian railroad (VSZhD). It has been obtained that the total daily duration of malfunctions and breakdowns ( T) during disturbed periods is controlled by geomagnetic activity. When a peak of geomagnetic activity is reached during a storm, T increases about three times. Moreover, a correlation between T and the local index of geomagnetic activity ( A), measured at Podkamennaya Tunguska Siberian observatory, is high during disturbed periods. Specifically, the correlation coefficient ( K) is equal to 0.83 and 0.71 for the strongest two storms of 2004 that occurred in July 17–August 2 and November 4–18, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]