The video link of UK "Network Rail Operations" @ Beaulieu is very helpful for understanding European signalling. North American-style CTC has come only relatively recently to Europe. Well into the 1990s and 2000s, and still on many secondary lines, manual blocking with a dispatcher sending orders to each tower ("signal box" in the UK) was the standard. These towers were often located at passenger stations. European labor laws protected these jobs and many "armstrong" lever towers were common across the continent. Many had lever frames, while others used electrical interlocking machines. In Germany, computerized route control arrived around 1985 but, at first, only in a local tower at a junction in southern Bavaria.
At the same time, for many decades large European terminals and stations have used eNtrance eXit and other types of electrical interlocking machines, but again, only for local area control.
Since around 2000, the busiest and also some secondary lines have been converted to computer-assisted CTC, eliminating many of the local towers and manual blocking.
One fundamental difference between European and North American signalling, now changing with the growth of CTC: on many European lines that used manual blocking, there were no intermediate blocks or automatic block signals between towers. As the towers were usually only a few miles apart and often had passing sidings (or "loops"), this was efficient. To give a clear signal, the tower operator had to have the agreement of the next operator up or down the line that the line between them was clear. Electrical devices in each tower, linked between them, enforced this dual permission. E.g., for an eastbound train, only if the operator to the east at Tower B agreed that the line between Towers A & B was clear could the operator at A clear the home signal to allow a train to enter line A->B.
During trips to Germany to visit my wife's family from the 1980s to the 2000s, I witnessed big changes from 19th to 21st-century signalling technology, armstrong to computerized.
By whatever method, you're right: in terms of traffic and dispatching, much of Europe is like our Northeast Corridor.
I can also speak to Swiss Railway operations on their standard gauge network. The standard gauge tracks owned by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and BLS Railways are controlled by just three signalling centers now. Two centers control all the SBB lines, the center located at Olten controls the Eastern part of Switzerland, while the center located near Lausanne controls the western part. The dividing line is roughly Biel - Bern - Brig. The BLS control center is located at Spiez.
If you are familiar with Stringline Diagrams showing schedules for trains, here is a portion of the line over the Gotthard Pass a major International route for freight and Long Distance passenger trains across the Alps, from Luzern(Lucerne) to Göschenen at the north portal of the summit tunnel. Time runs from top to bottom so southbound trains are represented by lines that run diagonally from top left to lower on the right. Northbound trains run diagonally from top right to lower left. Passenger trains are represented by Dk. Red lines, freight by dk blue, and Mail trains by Teal colored lines.
Passenger trains numbered with 3 digits are Intercity and Eurocity trains
Passenger trains numbered with 4 digits are Interregio trains
Passenger trains numbered with 5 digits are local and commuter trains
Freight trains numbered in the 4xxxx series are International trains
Freight trains numbered in the 6xxxx series are Swiss domestic freight trains
Swiss Graphic timetable
Here is a very good look at British Dispatching Systems. British Train Symbols are of the form such as 1S10, where the first number tells you what type of train it is, in this case the numeral "1" tells you that it is a Long-distance passenger train. The Letter "S" tells you that the destination is in Scotland, and the next two digits identify the actual train. Normally the last two digits increase through out the day, such that a train with a low number left its station of origin early in the day, while a train with a high number will leave in the evening. There are some exceptions.
1 = Long Distance Passenger train
2 = Commuter train
3 = Mail Train
4 = Fast freight train (75 mph capable)
5 = Empty passenger train (ECS)
6 = Regular freight train (60 mph capable)
7 = Heavy freight train (45 mph top speed) usually heavy bulk freight like coal
8 = Rarely used, formerly meant freight with 30 mph top speed, now used for trains with Haz-mat.
9 = High-speed trains (Eurostar)
Network Rail Signalling
From what I know here in Austria everything is heavily computerized, the individual divisions are small in size (usually only 50 to 100 miles, sometimes less) and one rail traffic controller is responsible for such a stretch. Long distance trains (freight and passenger) are scheduled far in advance and will be announced from control point to control point. Large stations and yards are locally controlled. One friend of the family works for a small private line as a dispatcher, he usually works second trick and has to handle about 70 trains in his shift. The line is dual track, both tracks can be operated in either direction, all signals and switches are under his remote control (with the exception of the switches in the industrial spurs that are manually operated by the train crews). All trains can be reached by radio and a GPS-based systems tell where exactly each train is.
Was watching some video of RR operations in Germany & Switzerland and began to wonder: What with the large frequency of operations in stations and the crossings/interchange of borders, what is the dispatching of these trains like? Grand Central Terminal times 20? Are there any articles/references to the coordination of all these movements (plus the freight movements!)?
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