Railway Signalling Principles

Course content

The students get a profound understanding of the fundamental elements and principles of railway signalling systems. They will be able to apply that knowledge to the specific conditions of individual national railway systems. Under guidance of experienced signal engineers, they may start a career in signal planning or in signalling systems development. For jobs in railway operations, this module provides valuable background knowledge on the impact of signalling systems on operational capacity and traffic control procedures. In contrast to the German module ‘Bahnsicherungstechnik’, the module ‘Railway Signalling Principles’ is less focussed on the German rules. Instead, it describes fundamental principles to be found in railway signalling worldwide.

Contents:

• Basic terms and definitions
• Trackside elements controlled by signalling systems (lineside signals, points and crossings, line clear detection)
• Principles of train separation (non signal-controlled operation, signalled fixed block operation)
• Block systems (manual block systems, automatic block systems)
• Interlocking principles (Point Locking, Route Locking, Conflicting Routes, Flank Protection, Overlaps)
• Interlocking systems (tabular interlocking, geographical interlocking)
• Automatic train protection principles (intermittent and continuous ATP, examples of conventional systems)
• European Train Control System (ETCS as part of ERTMS, ETCS levels and modes, speed and movement authority supervision)