Modern Railway Crossing Signalling

MODERN RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNALLING

    The CFR - SA National Railways Company believes the modernisation of railway centralisation and signalling installations is a real preoccupation and an immediate priority. Besides the line rehabilitation, this action will allow faster travel speeds. Railway crossings are covered both for the railway and for the motorway using the following signalling indicators and installations:

A. Signalling installation for road traffic

a) priority regulation:
        - STOP;
        - level crossings with a simple railway, no barriers (St. Andrew’s cross, simple);
        - double railway level crossing, no barriers (St. Andrew’s cross, double);

b) prohibition:
        - access banned for vehicles higher than … m, with the additional signal DISTANCE BETWEEN INDICATOR AND BEGINNING OF HAZARDOUS LOCATION.

c) hazard warning:
        - railway level crossing without barriers;
        - railway level crossing without barriers, with the additional sign LEVEL RAILWAY CROSSING WITH AUTOMATIC LIGHT SIGNALLING INSTALLATION;
        - railway level crossing with barriers and semi-barriers;
        - additional panels for railway level crossings;
      - other hazards with the additional sign LEVEL CROSSING WITH INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY.

B. Railway traffic signalling indicators

        - signalling poles.

C. Signalling installations for road traffic

    a) mecanice:
        • bariere mecanice;
        • porti de gabarit.
    b) automate:
        • instalatii de semnalizare automata a trecerii la nivel (SAT);
        • instalatii de bariera automata la trecerea la nivel (BAT).
    D. Instalatii de semnalizare pentru circulatia feroviara

a) emergency lights;
b) emergency lights with warning beacons (on lines without automatic line bloc);
c) crossing lights which also serve as emergency lights (on lines with automated line bloc).
    In railway safety installations, a special place is taken by systems covering level crossings with automatic level crossing signalling installations (SAT or automatic barrier installations (BAT).
    The company’s strategy as to the BAT and SAT installations includes two courses of development:
a. Modernisation of existing installations
      For testing, the company introduced on BAT km 1 _ 035, on the automated lines bloc Bucharest Baneasa - Pantelimon, a manoeuvre mechanism, balances and the road signalling system - built by ISAF in cooperation with American company US&S. At the same time, other European models are studies as well (SIEMENS and ALCATEL), much more reliable and with better visibility and signalling characteristics.
   b. The introduction of new BAT and SAT installations in place of the mechanical ones covering level crossings
    The rehabilitation programme for infrastructure of European corridors includes the modernisation of fifty BAT installations, out of the total 224, which includes 100 manoeuvring mechanisms, half-balances made of modern reflecting materials and as much highly visible road signalling devices.
    As part of the capital repairs, in 2000, in the Targu Mures station, seven crossings will be modernised with BAT installations. As to the more than 570 mechanical barriers existing in the network, a study was been compiled on their compliance with transformation to SAT or BAT. This operation will call for the validation of the technical solution of automatic closing and opening of the installation by the train, and its control at the station’s dispatcher.
    Under to the requirements for higher speeds, any level crossing is a sensitive point in traffic safety. In this light, careful consideration was given to all requests to establish such crossings. This is the reason why only one SAT installation was commissioned last year on km 65 + 141 on BLA Campulung - Prisaca Dornei.

Ioan Buciuman
Oana Bran