EE536-2025-Module 7 - Headway and signalling layout design
EE536-2025-Module 7 - Headway and signalling layout design
a) Railway Signalling, Green Book edited by O.S. Nock, Complied by experts of IRSE
Web
Standards
Automatic Operator’s
Train Control /
Supervision Indication Panels
Automatic
Train Interlocking
Control
53G
MTR Corporation 6/3/2025 Page 4 63G
Direction of travel
Three Basic Elements in Fixed Block Lineside Signalling System
• Signal Light
• Point Machine
• Track Circuit
• Red Light
• Danger (Stop).
• Green Light (Proceed Aspect)
• Clear to proceed at permitted speed for the line.
3-Aspect Signal
• Red Light
• Danger (Stop).
• Yellow Light
• Caution – the next signal is at Danger and be prepared to stop at
next signal.
• Green Light (Proceed Aspect)
• Clear - Proceed at permitted speed for the line, next signal exhibiting
a Single Yellow or Green aspect.
Signal “OFF”
means
Proceed Green Aspect
aspect.
Green Aspect
Signal “ON”
means Red
aspect.
Red Aspect
Subsidiary Signal
ATC Signal
Right Hand
Junction
Route Indicator
MTR Corporation 6/3/2025 Page 15
Track Circuit
Ballast Resistance
Insulation Rail Joint (IRJ)
Signal Rail
Current Flow
Regulating
Resistor Track Relay
When there is no train, track relay is energized.
Ballast Resistance is an important factor in operating
a track circuit
Without Train - Track Relay Energizes
Power Supply
Regulating
Resistor Track Relay
When there is train axle and the wheel / rail contact is in
good condition, the track relay is de-energized for the
train axle shunts the track feed current.
Power Supply With Train - Track Relay De-energized
https://youtu.be/aNjRHXQxI_o?feature=shared
MTR Corporation 6/3/2025 Page 17
Axle Counter
Function
• To detect the clear or occupied status of a section of
track between two points. The system generally
consists of a wheel sensor (one for each end of the
section) and an evaluation unit for counting the axles
of the train both into and out of the section
• They are often used to replace a track circuit
Advantage over Track Circuit
• Can cover a very long track section up
• Less affected either by flooding of track or poor
maintenance of tracks
• Not require insulating rail joints, Thus, rails can be
continuously welded.
• Efficiency and safe working of axle counters does not
depend up various track parameters and climate
condition such as length, ballast condition, drainage,
stray voltage and currents and track feed voltage, etc.
Disadvantage over Track Circuit
• Reset requirement (e.g. upon miscount)
• No broken rail detection
• Overlap
• Distance ahead/downstream of a Stop Signal that must be unoccupied before a
train may approach that Signal from the rear. A nominal distance which may be
regarded as a protection for the train driver against overruning in foggy weather
or when the rails are slippery.
S D D O L
• Line Capacity
• Expressed in Train Per Hour Per Direction (TPHPD)
• The maximum number of trains per hour permitted by the signalling system.
• For example, the Line Capacity of a railway line operating at 2-minute
headway is 30 TPHPD
MTR Corporation 6/3/2025 Page 22
Direction of travel
0’00’’ Definitions
T2 S3 S1 T1
At Line Speed At Line Speed
S3 T2 T1
At Line Speed At Line Speed
S3 T2
At Line Speed
2’00”
T3 S3 Headway of Signal S3 is 2-minute T2
At Line Speed At Line Speed
D O L
S D
H
• Multiple Aspect
• 2-aspect or 3-aspect or 4-aspect.
• This usually means that the second train is sufficiently far behind the first that its
diver does not see any overly restrictive signal aspect.
• The line headway is dictated by the worst individual section and not by taking the
average of all the sections.
S O D
D
O L
d
H
S D D O L
D O L
S D
H
MTR Corporation 6/3/2025 Page 26
2-Aspect Signalling
• In 2-aspect signalling, the headway between two trains may be expressed as the ratio
of the distance between the heads of the trains (H) to the speed of the trains (V).
• For this calculated it must be assumed that all trains travel at maximum permitted
line speed.
• The headway is calculated for the situation when a following train never receives a
cautionary aspect. Thus, when the train is at sighting distance from the Signal, the
preceding train should just clear the track section which has held the Signal at
caution.
• The cautionary Signal must be Service Braking Distance (D) in rear of the Stop Signal,
giving due regard to the gradient between the Signals.
• Beyond each Stop Signal there is s safety margin known as the Overlap.
• As the control of the cautionary aspect depends on the clearance of the rear of a train
from the track section concerned and the headway is between the heads of trains, the
maximum Train Length (L) must be included in the calculation.
• The remaining distance in the formula is that between Stop Signals (d) which may
vary according to the position of stations, junctions, etc. However, ultimately it will
be the required headway that dictates the limits of “d”.
• The Signalling consists simply of 2-aspect Red / Green stop Signals, and having a
calculated overlap. It is normally used on lines where traffic density is low.
• If the stop Signal cannot be seen at the sighting point a Yellow / Green repeating
Signal is provided to give the driver a continuous sight of the stop signal from the
sighting point.
• It will be useful to design the signal of a line for a 5 minute service when the
timetable requirement is 8 to 10 minutes, or to design a 2 minutes headway when
only 2.5 minutes is called for.
• This operating margin is useful not only to allow for early braking but to provide a
usable margin for late, or out of course running.
• Sighting allowance of 10 seconds may not be applicable when the speed is low.
• The normal process is to determine what the headway will be if signals have to be
located at specific points, rather than the reverse process of determining the signal
spacing for a specific headway requirement.
• Service braking distance is from post to post and that sighting allowance is
additional.
• Normally the emergency braking distance is about 10% less than the service
braking distance. Hence, further margin of safety is provided in addition to overlap.
• The standard braking distance should not be exceeded by more than 50%,
otherwise unnecessary checks will result in loss of headway performance.
S D D O L
O
S: Sighting Distance D: Service Braking Distance d: Separation between two stop signals V: Line Speed
O: Overlap L: Train Length H: Headway Distance 10 Sec: Sighting allowance
MTR Corporation 6/3/2025 Page 30
2-Aspect Signalling
• Assumption:
STN A STN B
• V = 130 km/h
• D = 1189 m (level track)
• O = 183 m
• L = 350 m
• d = 10km The Headway Time of 5 min.
35 sec, would be adequate
• H (Headway Distance): for a timetable interval of
• =D+d+O+L+S about 7 minutes when
• = 1189 + 10,000 + 183 + 350 + S platform dwell has taken into
• = 11722 + S consideration.
• T (Headway Time):
• = 11722 / V + 10
• = 325 sec + 10
• = 5 min. 35 sec.
S O D
D
O L
d
H
S D D O L
H
MTR Corporation 6/3/2025 Page 32
3–Aspect Signalling
• Using the same notation as before, the 3-aspect headway time is:
• T3 = (S + 2D + O + L) / V
• For a given line speed, the minimum headway achievable is constrained by the
Service Braking Distance (D). The maximum headway that may satisfactorily be
accepted is generally taken as being when Signals are separated by 1.5D.
• Greater separation is considered to give the train driver an excessive braking distance
to judge with the additional risk of forgetting the aspect shown on the Signal.
S D D O L
• As the headway gets shorter, repeater signal of the downstream signal gets closer to
the upstream Stop Signal until eventually their position coincide.
• 3-Aspect Signals display either red, yellow, or green. The distance between Signals (d)
must not be less than the braking distance (D) but also must not be more than 50%
over-braked (i.e. 1.5D).
• When setting the maximum post to post spacing, do not exceed 50% over braking.
• The best possible headway, when the Signals are the closest possible, is
• H = 2D + S + O + L
• The standard overlap for 3-aspect signalling is 300 yards because there is only
one warning aspect displaying to the train driver before the Stop Signal.
• It can be seen that as far as the driver is concerned there is no difference between
3-aspect signalling and 2-aspect signalling in that the aspects the driver sees.
H 1
Headway (T3) = = (2d + O + L) + 10 sec
V V
S d d O L
• Where Signals are closer together than braking distance, a preliminary caution
(double yellow) aspect is needed to give trains sufficient warning of a Signal at Red.
• This double yellow must not be less than braking distance (D) from the Red aspect so
that the distance (d) between successive Signals must on average be no less than
0.5D.
• When setting the maximum post to post spacing do not exceed 50% over braking.
• The standard overlap for 4-asepct signalling is 200 yards. Shorter overlap for 4 aspect
signalling has been adopted because two warning aspects are displayed to the drivers
before the Stop Signal.
H 1 (1.5D + O + L) + 10 sec
Headway (T4) = =
V V
S d d d
D
D O L
• D = V2/(2B)
where B is the braking rate and D the
braking distance
D.O.T.
t1
acceleration
Calculating t2 and d2, profile
d2=u2 /(2*a)
t2= u/a t2
braking profile Calculating t1 and d1,
d1=v 2 /(2*a)
Dwell time=30sec
t1= v/a
Train 2
Station Train 1
c) Acceleration = 0.6m/s2
e) O = 183m
Direction of travel
d d d d d
Calculate d
SP 1 SP 2 3 4
S S
Calculate S
SP 1 SP 2 3 4
444m 444m
O O O O
Calculate O
38s
3060m 3060m 3060m 3060m 3060m
L= 250m
SP 1 SP 2 3 4
444m 444m Dwell = 30s
30s
183m 183m 183m 183m
Aeceleration =
91s
0.484 m/s2 Braking time
=44/0.484 = 91s
speed = 44 m/s
D=2040
103s
Travelling time at 44m/s =
(444+3060+3060 – D)/44 = 103s
Train 2 Train 1
AA AB AC AD AE AF
D.O.T.
Track Circuit
Boundary
D.O.T.
Normal service
braking profile
• To loop platform
• To Main Platform
Direction of travel
R
51 53
Full overlap
Station
Reduced overlap
• Signals for DOWN direction of travel carry odd numbers with the lowest
number at the Up end of the scheme
• Signals for UP direction of travel carry even number with the lowest
number at the Up end of the scheme
• Point numbering with the lowest number at the Up end of the scheme
11 13
AA AB AC AD AE DN
AF
. .. 52 . .. 58
51
.
. 57 .. . UP
BB BC .
BD BE BF BG BH
10 12 16
. ..
54
11 13
AA AB AC AD AE DN
AF
. .. 52 . .. 58
51
.
. 57 .. . UP
BB BC .
BD BE BF BG BH
10 12 16
. ..
54
11 11A M DN 13 -
57 57A S DN DN Line Position
Light
57 57B S UP UP Line Position
Light
Trap Point
Track Circuit Interrupter
MainLine