Train route tables

For a given station, all the train routes and the concrete safety rules associated with these are defined in thetrain route tableof the station. In this section, the concept of train route tables will be introduced by presenting such a table from Stenstrup Station.

Recall the drawing of Stenstrup station in figure 2.4, page 12 along its explana-tion in secexplana-tion 2.2.4.

The possible train routes and the possible conflicts between train routes are described by a train route table. Such a train route table for Stenstrup station can be seen in figure 2.6. It contains four couples of train routes:

• two entrance routes (no. 2 and 3) from Odense: the first ends at track02, the second ends at track04,

• two entrance routes (no. 5 and 6) from Svendborg,

• two exit routes (no. 7 and 8) to Odense

• and two exit routes (no. 9 and 10) to Svendborg.

The train route table contains several safety parameters concerning the track sections, the signals, etc. These have to be met in order to guaranty that trains

2.4 Train route based interlocking 18

Figure2.6:ThetrainroutetableforStenstrupStation

2.4 Train route based interlocking 19

Translation:

1. Displaysdrive if there is already a locked and ready exit 2. Cannot be switched until 44 seconds after track circuit↓03 3. Cannot be switched until 43 seconds after track circuit↓01

4. Displays drive through if there is already a locked and ready exit from track 1 in the same direction

5. Displaysdrive through if the entrance signal displaysdrive through Figure 2.7: Notes for Stenstrup train route table in figure 2.6

can travel safely. We will examine each column of the train route table one by one:

• nr

The id of the train route

• Direction

It is indicated in which direction the train will pass through the station, in this casefrom (in Danish ”fra“) or to (in Danish ”til“) Odense, and from orto Svenborg

• Indk/Udk

This column states whether the route is an entrance route (Indk) or an exit route (Udk).

• Spor

This column states from which side of the station the train will enter or leave when using the train route: 1 if the train route contains track02, 2 if it contains04.

• Forløb

This column states whether a safety distance is required (strækn=yes,

=no). For example, route 02 has an end location before track sections

2.4 Train route based interlocking 20

03 andB12, but 03 andB12 are still included in the train route because they must be free in case the train does not stop at track section02. For the same reason, point02 has to be set in the plus position even though the train must stop before it. If it cannot stop, it will not derail because point02 will be in its plus position.

• Signaler

This part is about the aspects of the signals used by the train route. gr means green,rø means red andgu means yellow. If no aspect of a given signal is indicated for a given train route, it means that the signal is not relevant for the given train route. The signal that is required to display a drive aspect is theentrance signal of the train route, i.e. if a train enters the train route, it has to pass this signal first. For instance, for route 2, signals a and A (A being the entrance signal of the train route) are supposed to display a drive aspect, F a stop aspect and G can display either adrive orstop aspect, depending if an exit train route is locked at the same time (see note nr. 1 in figure 2.7).

This columns are used in step 3 of the locking process of a train route (see section 2.4.1).

• Sporskifter

The position of the points is specified in this column. It can be + if the point has to be in the plus position, - if the point has to be in the minus position or empty if the point is not required to be in a certain position. Since the interlocking system of the station is relatively old, the station documentation uses the former convention for naming the position of the points, meaning that the plus position is leading the train in the straightest direction through the station (see section 2.2.1.1). S1/S2 is an exit track that is not used regularly so the point has to be locked (afl) for all the train routes.

This section is used in steps 1 and 2 of the locking process of a train route (see section 2.4.1). If the points are not in the position indicated by the train route table, the locking process is aborted.

• Sporisolationer

↑means that the specific track circuit needs to be free before switching the entrance signal of the train route to adrive aspect. The arrows represent the state of the relay associated to a track section (see section 2.5 for further explanations about relays): ↑ corresponds to a drawn relay, that means that the track is free. For instance, for route 2, A12, 01, 02, 03, andB12 have to be free.

This section is used in step 3 of the locking process of a train route (see section 2.4.1).

• Ovk

There are two level crossings at the Odense end of the station. If the cell

2.4 Train route based interlocking 21

corresponding to a level crossing contains “Ja”, it means that this level crossing must be safe to be crossed by a train.

This section is used in step 3 of the locking process of a train route (see section 2.4.1).

• Stop fald

It is the condition for when the entrance signal of the train route should switch from adrive to a stop aspect. For instance, for route 2, signal A must change when track sectionA12 becomes occupied (↓A12). Usually the signal is changed after that the train driver has passed the first signal.

In that way, it is avoided that the driver sees the red signal before passing the signal.

This section is used in step 4 of the locking process of a train route (see section 2.4.1).

• Togvejsopl

This specifies the conditions for releasing the train route. It consists of two states that have to occur in a certain order. For instance, for route 2, at some point track circuit01 has to be occupied and02 free, then, at a later time,01 has to be free and02 occupied. When these conditions are met, route 2 can be released.

This section is used in steps 5 and 6 of the locking process of a train route (see section 2.4.1).

• Gensidige spærringer

It is the set of the conflicting routes, which must not be locked at the same time. If there is a “O” symbol, the two routes are conflicting. For instance, route 2 has a conflict with every other route except route 9.