SREE NARAYANA POLYTECHNIC

COLLEGE KOTTIYAM

SEMINAR REPORT
ON

SIGNALLING
AND
INTERLOCKING
SUBMITTED BY- RATHEESH.G.V
REG.No-17015194
ROLL No -23.
S6 CIVIL ENGINEERING (EVENING)
 SIGNALLING
AND
INTERLOCKING
 CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION
 HISTORY OF RAILWAY SIGNALLING
 RAILWAY SIGNALLING
 PURPOSE OF SIGNALLING
 NECESSITY OF SIGNALLING
 CLASSIFICATION OF SIGNALLING
 TYPESS OF SIGNALS
 COLOURED LIGHT SIGNAL
 SYSTEMS OF SIGNALLING
 INTERLOCKING
 PRINCIPLES OF INTERLOCKING
 NECESSITY OF INTERLOCKING
 TYPES OF INTERLOCKING
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES
 INTRODUCTION

SIGNALLING- Railway signalling is a system used to direct railway traffic and keep
trains clear of each other at all times.
A railway signal is a visual display device that conveys instructions or provides
advance warning of instructions regarding the driver’s authority to proceed. The
driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly. Typically, a signal
might inform the driver of the speed at which the train may safely proceed or it
may instruct the driver to stop.
INTERLOCKING-In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal
apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks
such as junctions or crossings. 

HISTORY OF RAILWAY SIGNALLING AND

INTERLOCKING
 Railway interlocking is of British origin, where numerous patents
were granted. In June 1856, John Saxby received first patent for interlocking
switches and signals. In 1868, Saxby was awarded a patent for what is known
today in North America as “preliminary latch locking”. Preliminary latch locking
became so successful that by 1873, 13,000 mechanical locking levers were
employed on the London and North Western Railway alone.
The first experiment with mechanical interlocking in the United States took place
in 1875 by J. M. Toucey and William Buchanan at Spuyten Duyvil Junction in New
York on the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. The first important
installations of their mechanism were on the switches and signals of the
Manhattan Elevated Railroad Company and the New York Elevated Railroad
Company in 1877-78. Compared to Saxby's design, Toucey and Buchanans'
interlocking mechanism was more cumbersome and less sophisticated, and so
was not implemented very widely. An experimental hydro-pneumatic interlocking
was installed at the Bound Brook, New Jersey junction of the Philadelphia and
Reading Railroad and the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1884.
Interlockings using electric motors for moving switches and signals became viable
in 1894, when Siemens in Austria installed the first such interlocking at Přerov
(now in the Czech Republic).Another interlocking of this type was installed in
Westend near Berlin in 1896.In North America, the first installation of an
interlocking plant using electric switch machines was at Eau Claire, Wisconsin on
the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway in 1901, by General
Railway Signal Company (GRS, now a unit of Alstom, headquartered in Levallois-
Perret, near Paris).By 1913, this type system had been installed on 83 railroads in
35 US States and Canadian Provinces, in 440 interlocking plants using 21,370
levers.
IN India signall Engineer first appointed by the Ex East Indian Railway was Mr
S.T.Dutton in 1889.Indian system of Interlocking by Mr G.H.List in 1892 at six
single line crossing stations of North Western Railway took in the form of a
detector locking apparatus for protecting the facing points of trains moving at
high speed.Cabin Interlocking as invented by John Saxby and existed in the British
Railways adopted in 1893 and installed by Messrs Saxby & Farmer (India).List &
Morse system in collaboration with Mr A.Morse in 1894 at 28 single line crossing
stations between Lahore & Ghaziabad.
Signal Engineer appointed in the Great Indian Peninsula Railway appointed Mr
I.W.Stokes, in 1903.Heppers Key Electric key transmitters was invented by Major
(Later Sir Lawless) Hepper, signal Engineer, Ex North Western Railway to replace
key interlocking by hand who eventually became the General Manager of the Ex
Great Indian Peninsula Railway.

SIGNALLING SYSTEM:
Signalling system is put in six groups. The arrangement of Signalling system with
Electrical system of Interlocking shall be as shown in fig

The operating device shall be a computer with a key board, mouse & monitor in
place of the panel,
if Electronic system of interlocking is used. These groups are:
 Operating devices,
 Operated equipment,
 Transmissionn media between operating devices and operated
equipmeequipme
 Interlocking
 Monitoring devices,
 Power supply, and
 Other safety devices

PURPOSE OF SIGNALLING

(a)  To regulate the movement of trains so that they run safely at maximum
permissible speeds.
 
(b) To maintain a safe distance between trains that are running on the same line
in the same direction.
 
(c)  To ensure the safety of two or more trains that have to cross or approach
each other.
 
(d) To provide facilities for safe and efficient shunting

NECESSITY OF SIGNALLING
The necessity of signalling arises mainly because of the flexibility to go
around the obstruction not being available in case of trains as compared with the
road vehicles. The vehicles are always guided by the rails and the only way to
avoid accidents in case of trains is to stop the train short of an obstruction. Hence
it becomes necessary to pass on information from track to the train. The
information is communicated to the train driver by means of signals. The signals
act as a vital link between the track and the train. There is yet another important
difference between rail traffic and road traffic, that relates to the braking
distance. In case of trains since the friction between the steel rail and the steel
wheel is very less as compared to the pneumatic tyres and rough road surface,
the braking distance required to stop trains is much longer. Hence, the
information regarding an obstruction on the track must be passed on at a
sufficiently longer distance in rear of the obstruction to enable the train to be
stopped short of the obstruction.

CLASSIFICATION OF SIGNALLING
Signals are classified in to 4 different categories.
 OPERATIONAL BASIS
 FUNCTIONAL BASIS
 LOCATIONAL BASIS
 SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS BASIS

OPERATIONAL BASIS
On the basis of operational signals are catogorised into Two Audible and Visual

AUDIBLE
 DETONATING SIGNALS

VISUAL
 HAND SIGNALS
  FIXED SIGNALS

DETONATING SIGNALS
Detonating signals are used during emergencies and when hand and fixed signals
are not visible. Detonating signals, otherwise known as detonators or fog signals,
are appliances which are fixed on the rails and when an engine or a vehicle passes
over them, they explode with a loud report so as to attract the attention of the
Driver

HAND SIGNALS
All hand signals shall be exhibited by day by showing a flag or hand and by night
showing a light as prescribed in these rules. During day a flag or flags shall
normally be used as hand signals. Hands shall be used in emergencies only when
flags are not available.

FIXED SIGNALS
Fixed Signal indications are displayed by coloured lights. Fixed Signals may be
fitted with marker plates for identification. Caution and Clear are Signal Aspects
that give Rail Traffic Crew the Authority to Proceed. Rail Traffic must Stop before
a Signal displaying a Stop Aspect.

FUNCTIONAL BASIS
  Semaphore signals/stop signals
 Disc/ground signals/SHUNT signals
 Warner signals
 Coloured light signals

SEMAPHORE SIGNALS

The word 'semaphore' was first used by a Greek historian. 'Sema' means sign and
'phor' means to bear. A semaphore signal consists of a movable arm pivoted on a
vertical post through a horizontal pin as shown in Fig. The arm of the semaphore
signal on the side facing the driver is painted red with a vertical white stripe.
.With reference to lower quadrant signalling, the colour aspects of a semaphore
signal and their corresponding indications when the arm of the signal is in distinct
positions are shown in Fig.
other side of the signal is painted white with a black vertical stripe The complete
mechanical assembly of the signal consists of an arm, a pivot, a counterweight
spring stop, etc., and is housed on top of a tubular or lattice post. In order for the
signal to also be visible at night, a kerosene oil or electric lamp, operated through
a twilight switch, is fixed to the post. A spectacle is also attached to the moving
signal arm, which contains green and red coloured glasses. The red glass is
positioned at the upper end and the green glass is positioned at the lower end of
the spectacle so that the red light is visible to the driver when the arm is
horizontal and the green light is visible when the arm is lowered. The semaphore
signal can be used as a stop signal as well as a warner signal Lower quadrant
semaphore signals move only in the fourth quadrant of a circle and have only two
colour aspects. In order to provide the drivers with further information, upper
quadrant signalling is sometimes used on busy routes. In this system, the arms of
the semaphore signals rest in three positions and the signals have three colour
aspects, namely, red, yellow, and green associated with the horizontal, 45° above
horizontal, and vertical directions, respectively.

INDICATIONS GIVEN A SEMAPHORE SIGNAL

SHUNT SIGNAL
Shunt signal may be placed on its own post or on the same post as a
stop signal. ... A shunt signal has two indications when on the indication of the
stop signal applies, and when off, the indication is Proceed Slow for Shunting,
which allows a loco to proceed past the signal with caution for shunting purposes.
These are miniature signals and are mostly used for regulating the shunting of
vehicles in station yards. Unlike fixed signals, these are small in size and are
placed on an independent post of a running signal post. In semaphore signaling
areas, the shunt signals are of the disc type
The disc type of shunt signal consists of a circular disc with a red band on a white
background. The disc revolves a round a pivot and is provided with two holes, one
for the red lamp and the other for the green lamp, for the purpose of night
indication. At night, the 'on' position of the signal is indicated by the horizontal
red band and the red light, indicating danger. During the day the red band
inclined to the horizontal plane and during the night the green light indicate that
the signal is 'off'

SPEED INDICATORS
Speed Indicator as shown in diagram shall consist of a yellow equilateral
triangular board, with 0.914 metre sides painted yellow and it shall indicate in
kilometers the speed at which a train is to proceed past the indicator
 DISTANT SIGNAL
In order to ensure that trains speed up safely, it is considered necessary that
warning be given to drivers before they approach a stop signal. This advance
warning is considered necessary, otherwise the drivers may confront a 'stop
signal' when they least expect it and take abrupt action, which can lead to
perilous situations. A warner or distant signal has, therefore, been developed,
which is to be used ahead of a stop signal and is in the form of a permissive signal
that can be passed even in most restricted conditions. In the case of a stop signal,
the driver has to stop the train when it is in the 'on' position, but in the case of a
permissive signal, the driver can pass through even when it is in the 'on' position.
The most restrictive aspect of a permissive or warner signal is that the driver is
not supposed to stop at the signal even when it is in the 'on' position. The warner
signal is similar to a stop signal except that the movable arm is given the shape of
fish tail by providing a V-shaped notch at the free end; the white strip is also V-
shaped. In the case of signalling using coloured light, the permissive signal is
distinguished from the stop signal by the provision of a P marker disc on the signal
post

COLOURED LIGHT SIGNALS

These signals use coloured lights to indicate track conditions to the driver both
during the day and the night. In order to ensure good visibility of these light
signals, particularly during daytime, the light emission of an electric 12-V, 33-W
lamp is passed through a combination of lenses in such a way that a parallel
beam of focused light is emitted out. This light is protected by special lenses and
hoods and can be distinctly seen even in the brightest sunlight. The lights are
fixed on a vertical post in such a way that they are in line with the driver's eye
level. The system of interlocking is so arranged that only one aspect is displayed
at a time. Coloured light signals are normally used in suburban sections and
sections with a high traffic density. Coloured light signals can be of the following
types.
In India, mostly three-aspect or four-aspect coloured light signalling is used. In
the case of three-aspect signalling, green, yellow, and red lights are used. Green
indicates 'proceed', yellow indicates 'proceed with caution', and red indicates
'stop' .
Indications of coloured llight
(a) Two-aspect, namely, green and red
(b) Three-aspect, namely, green, yellow, and red
(C) Four-aspect, namely, green, yellow (twice), and red
Interpretation
 Red-Stop dead, danger ahead
  Yellow-Pass the signal cautiously and be prepared to stop at the next
signal

 Two yellow lights-Pass the signal at full speed but be prepared to pass
the next displayed together signal, which is likely to be yellow, at a
cautious speed

 Green-Pass the signal at full speed, next signal is also off

• Flashing yellow -warns that a lower-speed diverging route is set, at a high

speed turnout.

• Flashing double yellow -indicates that the next signal is showing flashing

yellow.

In conventional semaphore signals, the 'on' position is the normal position of

the signal and the signals are lowered to the 'off' position only when a train is
due. In the case of coloured light signals placed in territories with automatic
signalling, the signal is always green or in the 'proceed' position. As soon as a
train enters a section, the signal changes to 'Red' or the 'stop' position, which is
controlled automatically by the passage of the train itself. As the train passes
through the block section, the signal turns yellow to instruct the driver to
'proceed with caution' and, finally, when the train moves onto the next block
section, the signal turns green indicating to the driver to 'proceed at full
permissible speed'.
Thus it can be seen that each aspect of the signal gives two pieces of
information to the driver. The first is about the signal itself and the second is
about the condition of the track ahead or of the next signal. This helps the
driver to manoeuvre the train safely and with confidence even at the maximum
permissible speed

CALLING-ON SIGNAL
This consists of a small arm fixed on a home signal post below the main
semaphore arm .When the main home signal is in the horizontal (on) position and
the calling-on signal is in on inclined (off) position, it indicates that the train is
permitted to proceed cautiously on the line till it comes across the next stop
signal. Thus the calling-on signal is meant to 'call' the train, which is waiting
beyond the home signal. The calling-on signal is useful when the main signal fails,
and in order to receive a train, an authority letter has to be sent to the driver of
the waiting train to instruct him/her to proceed to the station against what is
indicated by the signal. In big stations and yards, the stop signals may be situated
far off from the cabin and the calling-on signal expedites the quick reception of
the train even the when signal is defective.

CO-ACTING SIGNAL
In case a signal is not visible to the driver due to the presence of some obstruction
such as an overbridge or a high structure, another signal is used in its place,
preferably on the same post. This signal, known as the co-acting signal, is an exact
replica of the original signal and works in unison with it.

REPEATER SIGNAL
In cases where a signal is not visible to the driver from an adequate distance due
to sharp curvature or any other reason or where the signal is not visible to the
guard of the train from his position at the rear end of a platform, a repeater signal
is provided at a suitable position at the rear of the main signal. A repeater signal is
provided with an R marker and can be of the following types.
(a) A square-ended semaphore arm with a yellow background and a black vertical
band.
(b) A coloured light repeater signal.
(c) A rotary or disc banner type signal.

ROUTING SIGNALS
The Routing signal is a signal used to indicate to a Loco Pilot which of two or more
diverging routes is set for him, when the Home signal is, in consequence of its
position, inconvenient for this purpose.

ROUTING INDICATOR
Where two are more lines diverge, information is to be given to driver that he is being
received on diverge line. Hence route indicators are provided.
Route indicators are fixed on the first stop signal and starters.
If the route indicator on a signal is not in working order, the relevant signal shall alsoto
be treated as defective signal.
Route indicator is denoted as
Route indicator are of three types. Junction type route indicator Used where the
speed is above 15KMPH.It is having a provision of indicating six diversions and a
straight line. When taken off it shows a row of five white lines. Multi lamp route
indicator Used where the speed is less than 15 KMPH. It can exhibit nine numerals
and alphabets.

INDICATORS AND MISCELLANEOUS SIGNALS

• Caution Indicator Board
• Speed Termination Indicator Board
• Signal Sighting Board
• Whistle Indicator Board
• X Mark on the last Coach of the Train
• The Sign of “LV” on the last Coach of the train
• Caution Order for Tunnel

SYSTEMS OF SIGNALLING
• Absolute block system
• Space interval system
• Time interval system
• Piolet guard system
ABSOLUTE BLOCK SYSTEM
Absolute block signalling is a British signalling scheme designed to ensure the safe
operation of a railway by allowing only one train to occupy a defined section of
track at a time. This system is used on double or multiple lines where use of each
line is assigned a direction of travel

SPACE INTERVAL SYSTEMS

The trains are worked with ‘Space interval system’ or ‘Absolute block system’
on IndianRailways. The whole length of track is divided into number of small
sections of length varying between 6 kms to 15 kms depending on the density of
traffic.

TIME INTERVAL SYSTEMS

Trains are spaced over an length of a track in such a way that if the first
stops,the following train driver should be able to stop the train in sufficient
distance without colliding with the next one.

PIOLOT GUARD SYSTEM

Where trains are worked on the Pilot Guard System

(a) a railway servant (hereinafter called a Pilot Guard) shall be specially
deputed to pilot trains; and
(b) no train shall leave a station except under the personal authority of the Pilot
Guard
 INTERLOCKING-
Interlocking is an arrangement of signals , points and other appliances
, operated from a panel or from lever frame,
So interconnected by mechanical locking or electrical locking or both that
Their operation must take place in proper sequence to ensure safety

PRINCIPLES OF INTERLOCKING
Interlocking is a system composed by a set of signal apparatus that
Prevents trains from conflicting movements through only allowing trains to
receive authority to proceed, when routes have been set, lock and detected in
safe combinations.
The main function carried out by an interlocking system is to set and lock routes
related to each train located in an area under its responsibility, in order to
ensure safe movements along the track.
Setting a route means following a request from the signaller or time-tabling
system, driving each switch to the correct position, locking it there and
maintaining that locking, until the train passes out the route affected

NECESSITY OF INTERLOCKING
 Increase in the number of points and signals

 Increase in speeds

 Conflicted movements are avoided

  Helps in proper and safe working of the system

KEY INTERLOCKING
Key interlocks are dual-keyed mechanical locking devices designed as integral-fit
attachments to the host equipment and operate on a 'key transfer' principle.
Typically key interlock systems are applied to valves, closures, switches or any
form of equipment which is operated by human intervention

MECHANICAL INTERLOCKING
Mechanical interlocking or interlocking on lever frames is an improved form of
interlocking compared to key locking. It provides greater safety and requires less
manpower for its operation. This method of interlocking is done using plungers
and tie bars. The plungers are generally made of steel sections measuring 30 cm
1.6 cm and have notches in them

ELECTRICAL INTERLOCKING
Electrical interlocking is achieved through electric switches known as relays. The
manipulation of relays achieves interlocking, whereas lever locks that are attached
with the levers in place of plungers or in addition to plungers prevent a lever from
getting pulled, or allow it to get pulled or normalized if the interlocking so permits

PANEL INTERLOCKING
Panel Interlocking (PI) is the system used in most medium-sized stations on IR. ...
In this, an entire route through the station can be selected and
all the associated points and signals along the route can be set at once by a switch
for receiving, holding, blocking, or dispatching trains

ROUTE RELAY INTERLOCKING(RRI)

Route Relay Interlocking(RRI) is the system used in large and busy stations that
have to handle high volumes of train movements. ...
Signals for conflicting movements cannot be pulled off simultaneously.
Points for conflicting routes cannot be set simultaneously

THE AUTOMATIC WARNING SYSTEM (AWS)

The Automatic Warning System (AWS) was introduced in the 1950s in the United
Kingdom to provide a train driver with an audible warning and visual reminder
that they were approaching a distant signal at caution

CONCLUSION
Today, in many fields higher levels of safety are required, and the prudent
approach of railway signalling systems including safety measures against possible
failures large and small, is of greaters

REFERENCES
Wikipedia