Danish Signaling
Single track station with Exit Signals
Updated 991201
Contents
The Station Layout
Entering the Station
Entering
the Through Track
Entering
the Siding
Through the Station
Through
the Through Track
Through
the Siding
The Station Layout
The station shown below is a typical station on a single track line. The
station has a siding for meets plus an unsignaled team track or maybe a
spur to a local industry. The station also has platforms for passenger
service, as most such stations don't see freight service anymore.
The station has the mandatory Entry Signals (with Distant Signals) and
Switch Limit markers. In addition to this, the station also has Exit Signals,
one at the end of each platform track. The Exit Signals on a station of
this type may or may not be connected to a line block system. As intermediate
Block Signals are very rare on single track lines, and the next station
is likely to be equipped with Distant Signals, the exit signals do not
provide any advance signaling information. The most straight track is the
Through
Track (Danish Gennemkørselsspor).
Entry and Exit Signals display the "Stop" (Danish: "Stop") aspect while
the Distant Signals display "Caution" (Danish: "Kør Forsigtigt")
when the station is in its normal state (i.e. no route set).
Entering the Station
When a train is allowed to enter the station, the Entry Signal displays
"Proceed" (Danish: "Kør"). Since the permitted speed when entering
the siding is lower than line speed, the Entry Signal will display different
aspects in those two cases, to allow for changing the use of tracks without
having to warn the train beforehand.
Entering the Through Track
When an Entry Route (Danish: Indkørselstogvej) to
the Trough Track is set, the station Entry Signal displays steady green,
meaning "Proceed (high speed permitted)" (Danish: "Kør (med høj
hastighed)"). This allows the train to enter the station at line speed
but preparing to stop at the next signal (i.e. the station Exit Signal).
"Proceed (high speed permitted)" is only used where the permitted speed
is at least 75km/h (app. 45 mph). Typically line speed on such lines is
100 or 120 km/h km/h (app. 60 or75 mph).
The Distant Signal displays "Main Signal shows Proceed" (Danish: "Hovedsignalet
viser Kør"), flashing green.
Entering the Siding
An Entry Route to the siding typically allows only for a speed of 40 km/h
(25 mph) or 60 km/h (40 mph) due to the turnout. This is indicated by the
Entry Signal displaying "Proceed (at reduced speed)" (Danish: "Kør
(med begrænset hastighed)"), steady yellow over steady green. The
exact permitted speed is indicated by either a Speed Indicator (Danish:
Hastighedsviser)
or a fixed Speed Board (Danish: Hastighedstavle). In the
example shown the Entry Signal only has a fixed Speed Board indicating
the permitted speed of 60 km/h. The Speed Board is only valid when the
Entry Signal displays "Proceed (at reduced speed)".
The Distant Signal displays "Caution".
Through the Station
Through the Through Track
A train is signaled through a station by extending its Entry Route with
an Exit Route (Danish: Udkørselstogvej). The Exit
Signal changes to steady green, "Proceed" (Danish: "Kør"). "Proceed"
indicates that the train may leave the station at prescribed speed. A peculiarity
of Danish Signaling is that speed signaling when exiting a station is only
used in very rare cases.
The Entry Signal displays "Proceed Through (station)", steady green
over steady green. "Proceed Through" displayed on a station Entry Signal
indicates that a specific route is set, the so called Through Route
(Danish: Gennemkørselstogvej), i.e. the route through the
Through Track. This is true at all stations, new or old, small or large,
no matter how many intermediate signals the train will meet on its way
through the station. The train is permitted to run through the station
at line speed.
The Distant Signal displays "Main Signal shows Proceed Through" (Danish:
"Hovedsignalet viser Kør Igennem"), two flashing greens.
Through the Siding
Advance signaling information is not conveyed by the Entry Signal except
for the Through Track. Thus a route through the station via the siding
is signaled similar to an Entry Route to the siding.
