SIGNALLING FOR HIGH SPEED TRAINS

THE RAILWAYS HAVE SOUGHT TO REVERSE THE TREND TOWARD AUTO AND AIR TRANSPORT BY CUTTING TRANSIT TIMES, THE SIZE OF GREAT BRITAIN ENCOURAGES THIS ACTION, BECAUSE TRANSITS CAN BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN THE CITY-TO-CITY AIR TIMES. ON THE 200-MILE STRETCH EUSTON--MANCHESTER-- LIVERPOOL THE MAJORITY OF THE TRAFFICDHAS ALREADY BEEN RECAPTURED FROM THE INTERNAL AIR SERVICES. TO DO THE SAME ON THE 400-MILE TRIP TO SCOTLAND REQUIRES A HIGHER MAXIMUM THAN THE PRESENT 100 MPH, AND THIS IS THE PROBLEM CONFRONTING ENGINEERS OF THE BRITISH RAILWAYS BOARD AT PRESENT. WITH RESPECT TO SIGNALLING, THE BOARD HAS CONCLUDED THAT ITS EXISTING FOUR-ASPECT COLORED-LIGHT SYSTEM WILL SUFFICE FOR 125 MPH, PROVIDED THE PRESENT AUTOMATIC WARNING SYSTEM CAN BE MADE TO OPERATE RELIABLY AT THAT SPEED. IT ALSO CONCLUDED THAT SPEEDS OF 125 AND 155 MPH ENTAIL SEPARATE SIGNALLING AND SAFETY PROBLEMS, AND THEREFORE SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 100 MPH SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN TWO STAGES. WITH IMPROVED BRAKING, THE SIGNALLING ALTERATIONS FOR THE FIRST STAGE (125 MPH) WILL BE MINIMAL, ALTHOUGH INCREASED POWER OPERATION OF POINTS MAY BE NEEDED IF THE CIVIL ENGINEER REQUIRES ALTERATIONS TO THE LAYOUT FOR HIGHER SPEED RUNNING. THERE WILL ALSO BE PROBLEMS WITH AUTOMATIC HALF-BARRIER LEVEL CROSSINGS AND WITH PRIVATE, USER-OPERATED GATED CROSSINGS, WHICH EXIST IN GREAT NUMBERS. FOR THE SECOND STAGE (155 MPH), THREE METHODS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION BY WHICH DRIVERS CAN BE INSTRUCTED WITHOUT RELYING ON THEIOR OBSERVATION OF LINESIDE SIGNALS: FULL CAB SIGNALLING, LIMITED CAB SIGNALLING, AND STORED PROGRAMS. THESE ARE DISCUSSED BRIEFLY, AND THE INTERFACE WITH COMMUNICATIONS IS NOTED.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 9, pp 771-778, 4 FIG, 3 PHOT
• Authors:
  • Tyler, J H
• Publication Date: 1971-9

Media Info

• Serial:
  • RAIL INTERNATIONAL

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communications; High speed ground transportation; High speed vehicles; Railroads; Signaling; Speed
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226179
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 15 1972 12:00AM