INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH

RAIL SIGNALLING
 INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH RAIL

RAILWAYS IN UNITED KINGDOM

1. MAIN LINE RAILWAYS
2. METROS LIKE LONDON UNDERGROUND

British Railways got privatized in 1994 and since then various

functions of railways has passed in the hands of private companies
working together to run rail transport under complex regime of
Franchising &
Regulation
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London Underground
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INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH RAIL

Structure of UK
Railways

(Main line railway) Metros (London

underground)

Network Rail TOC (Trains Station operating

operation Company)
Infrastructure companies

Civil Passenger Trains Freight Trains

Operating
P Way companies like
Like Virgin,
Northern, Central etc Rail freight liners
OLE etc

Singnalling

E&P
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Civil
Permanent Way SIGTECH
Overhead Line Equipment SIGTECH
Signaling SIGTECH
Electrification and Plant System SIGTECH
Passenger Trains SIGTECH
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Structure of UK
Railways

**
Strategy/Funding Regulation Health & Safety Standards & R & D
Health & Safety
* Railway Safety And
Strategic Rail Office of Rail Executive (HSE) Standards Board (
Authority (SRA) Regulator (ORR) *** RSSB)
HMRI (Her
Dept. of Transport Majesty's Railway
Inspectorate)

Rail Accident &

Investigation Branch
(Independent Authority)
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 * Since April 2006 ORR has taken over role of Safety

from HSE as per new regulation ROGS 2006 hence
HMRI will now operate under ORR.

 ** Since April 06, SRA’s functions has been taken

over by Department Of Transport - Rail Group.

 *** HSE/HSC functions under Dept. of Works &

Pensions.
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Roles of HMRI
1. To ensure proper control by Railway operators of Risk to Health
& Safety of
Employees
Passengers
Others who might be affected by operation of railways
Within overall strategy set by ORR

2. Forces action to ensure that those who have duties under the
law are held to account for failure to safeguard health & safety.

3. Ensuring that every railway operator has Safety Management

System (SMS) and holds safety certificate or authorization
before allowed to operate as per provisions of ROGS 2006.
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Role and Responsibilities of HMRI
4. Issues safety certificate and authorization to operators

5. Conducts inspections and Audit to ensure compliance of SMS

6. Investigate incidents and complaints – Though RAIB conducts

investigations of major accidents to find out root cause and
corrective action, HMRI is responsible for investigation of cases
involving breach of criminal law and health & safety regulations and
public complaints.

7. Providing guidance and support to rail industry

8. Ensuring through prosecution and issuing notice

9. Granting approval for new & altered works and plant & equipment
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Role and Responsibilities of HMRI

HMRI has publishes many documents for guidance of rail industry

and it has published two guidance documents for obtaining
approval for new & altered works and plant & equipment

1. Railway Safety Principles and Guidelines (RSPG) – Part 1

2. Railway Safety Principles and Guidelines (RSPG) – Part 2

which has many parts. Part 2D is Guidance on Signallling

Presently HMRI has a strength of 117 inspectors.

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Network Rail

 Network Rail is responsible for operation, maintenance and

development of entire main line railways and is divided into five
territories.

London North West - Birmingham

London North Eastern - York
Scotland - Glasgow
Western - Sweden
South East - London

These territories are further divided into areas for maintenance

and operation point of view.
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Major contractors in UK Railways

 Carillion
 First Engineering
 Amec
 Jarvis
 Westinghouse
 Alstom
 Atkins Rail
 Atkins Rails is involved in various fields of railway activity

Controls & Civil OLE E&P P Way Accident

Systems Investigation
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Operating Systems

 Signalling Systems– Its is mix of

 Mechanical - mostly rural lines

 Electro mechanical

 Electrical (Relay based)

 Computer based

 SSI(Westinghouse, Alstom)
 Other CBIs like Siemens, Ansaldo
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MECHANICAL
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Operating Systems
 Signal Box and Signallers

 Conventional signal box – Limited area

 New signal Boxes – Cover many interlocking areas

 Override control & Remote Control facility in case of failure

 IECC (Integrated Electronic Control Center) – Even greater

area of control with modern facilities

 ARS – Automatic Route Setting

 Overall controls: Network Control Center.

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Operating Systems
 Traction system
 DC – 750V / 1500V DC mostly on LUL
 AC – 25KV - most prevalent
 Diesel

 Block Working
Track circuit Block
Conventional absolute block
 Single line
 Double line
 RETB – Token authority is given by Radio signals in
rural lines – it may or may not have line side signal
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Track Detection Systems

 DC Track circuits
 Low voltage

 Medium voltage - Comes with fixed feed sets

Low voltage track circuits and Track Circuit Assisters

(TCA) and
Track Circuit Assisters Interference Detectors (TCAID)

 Diode Track circuits

 AC Track Circuits
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AC Traction
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DC Traction
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DC Track Circuit
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Axle Counter
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Track Detection Systems

 Various types of frequency based track circuit like Reed,

ASTER etc

 Audio Frequency Track Circuit TI-21 of Alstom

 HVI – High Voltage Impulse

 Axle counters - Digital

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Relays and Point Operating System

Relays
 Conventional 24V, 50V DC and 110V AC relays
 50V AC immune relays BR 930 series plug in type - most common

Point Operating System

 Electric point machines – Generally very reliable and widely used.

Most Electrical Point Machines – 120V DC operation.

 Clamp lock type – Long lumber sleeper not needed, susceptible to

vibration & loss of fluid. Electro hydraulic – 110V DC operation.

 Electro pneumatic – Simple and fast but require AIR main

arrangement (compressor, pipe line etc.) Not Preferred for main
routes
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Point Operating System

GEC/GC HW series – HW2100, HW1100 most common for new

installation with RT 60 and 113A switches
Westinghouse – M 3, M 63 old types
HPSS (High Performance Switching System)

Provision for supplementary drives and supplementary detection

Longer switches have more than 1 detectors - Max no. of

supplementary drive (Mech 2, Hydraulic – 4) and Max no of
Supp. Detector – 3)

Turnout speeds: from 15mph to 60moh are quite common

Point heaters – Both switch heaters and internal machine

heaters.
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Different Point Machine
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Inbearer clamplock
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Mechanical ground frame based
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Signals & Indicators

Colour light – most prevalent

Mechanical – mostly in rural lines
Max speed permitted with line side signal – 125mph
Colour light are mostly – 3 aspect or 4 aspect

Special signals –
Flashing yellow, flashing double yellow for Junction Signalling
Splitting Distant
Indicators / Repeaters:
Route indicators: Normal PLJI,
SANRI &
MANRI
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Different aspect of Signal
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Signals & Indicators
Banner Repeater: Electro mechanical or Fibre optic type

Indicators: CD, RA, OFF, TRTS – Used on PFs to assist drivers

and station staff.

Subsidiary signals:
Shunt signals – PLGS
Call ON signals – PLGS – permissive move
POSA signals – PLGS – degraded mode

Controlled signals/Automatic signals – With A marker no semi

automatic signals.

Controlled signals with auto working facility

Automatic signals with replacement facility – must
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Operational Telecomm & Level Crossing

Operational Telecom
All signals provided with communication arrangement with signaller

SPT – Almost on all signals on main route

CBR – Cab secure radio
NRS – National Radio System
Operational telephones also provided at point zones, station PFs
etc

Level Crossing System: Types

AHBC, ABCL & AOCL
MCB, MCB – CCTV
MSL, UWC & TOB
UM & OC
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AHBC – automatic half barrier crossing
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ABCL – automatic barrier crossing locally monitored 
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(MCB-CCTCV)- Manually controlled barrier 
crossing with closed circuit television
MCB-OD – manually controlled barriers
monitored by obstacle detection. SIGTECH
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User-worked crossings (UWC) 
MWL/MSL – miniature warning SIGTECH
light/miniature stop light crossing
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Vamos
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Level Crossing Systems

Automatic Operation:
AOCL
ABCL
AHBC

Manually Operation:
MCB
MCB CCTV
TOB

Except in case of MCB and MCB CCTV, Level Crossings are not
interlocked with signals.
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Interlocking – Salient Features
Type of Routes
Main class
Warning class
Shunt class
Call ON class
POSA
Overlaps

Full overlap (180m for MACLS)

Reduced overlap (Depending upon reduced approach speed but

should not be more than 60 mph)

Restricted overlap – Where even reduced overlap is not available

(Length of ROL sets release speed of warning class route).
Provided in association with normal or reduced overlap.
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Interlocking – Salient Features
Swinging overlap
Facing point in overlap can be operated in face of approaching
trains to set a route or change to alternative overlap setting.

Time of operation locking

Restricting swinging of overlap point for some time.

Preset shunts – All facing shunts in the route of main signal shall
be off for signal to be off.

Signal proved alight: Proving of exit signals lit is clearance of

signal.
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Interlocking – Salient Features

Approach Controls for

Speed control at Junction signals

Signal spacing (less than BD)
TPWS requirements
Speed controls in
Warning class,
Shunt class,
Call ON class and
POSA class routes
Temporary Approach Release (TAR)
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Interlocking – Salient Features
Signal replacement – Normally by first track Circuit. IRJ Should be
within 5.5 to 20m from foot of signals otherwise LWR (last wheel
replacement) or Delayed replacement (Berth track clear or second
track down)

Emergency Replacement facility

Group Replacement facility

Approach locking
1.Comprehensive approach locking till sighting point of first signal
after clear aspect signal e.g. in 4 aspect sighting point of last
double yellow signal (YY)
2. When clear – Time out

Route Release – For new systems TORR (Train operated route

release)
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SPAD PROTECTION

1. Run Past Control

2. SPAD Indicator

3. Extended Overlap

4. Trap Point Protection – Track Circuit Interrupter

5. Hard Calling of Point

6.. Soft Calling of Point

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Train Protection Systems

Auxiliary Warning System

AWS provides advance warning of signals/speed restrictions

Signal Aspect Green – No warning
Signal aspect other than Green – Warning
If not acknowledged – Emergency brake

Provided at 183m from signals (up to speed 160kmph)

230m from signals (speed > 160kmph)
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Auxiliary Warning System
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Train Protection Systems

 TPWS – Train Protection & Warning System – A non fail safe

protection system. Normal TPWS effective till speed of 75mph

 TSS – Provided at foot of signals – E. Brake if train passes

signal at danger.

 OSS – Provided in rear of signals/speed restrictions/buffer

approach to control excessive speed.

 TPWS - Another OSS loop provided at 750m to make protection

effective up to 99.5mph

 TPWS OS – For serious potential conflict situation above speed

100mph. Another OSS provided at signal in rear
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Train Protection Systems

Automatic Train Protection Systems (ATP) – A fully

fail safe train protection system
System functional in two sections

European Train Control System (ETCS) – Another

fully safe train protection system to be implemented all
over Trance European Networks – Pilot project in
progress.

Automatic Train Operation and Automatic Train

Controls – Only in Metro system
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European Train Control System
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ETCS level 3
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Staff Protection Systems

Train Activated Warning Systems (TAWS) – Fixed location warning

system for providing protecting persons on track

 Continuously Operating Systems

 Systems which are operational on enabling

Lockouts – Systems requires cooperation between user and

signaler

 Patrolmen's Lockout System

 Staff on or near track Lockout System