Norwegian rail network completely down earlier

[jb]

Our nationwide system for signaller-to-train communication failed this morning, knocking the entire network out for two-and-a-half hours. Every train in the country ran into the next station and then stopped.

I thought the response was quite impressive for a weekday morning. I was on the way to Oslo, and stopped about 80km away. The first replacement bus arrived within 45 minutes and a whole fleet of taxis to various destinations had started arriving before that (e.g. those on flights to the airport first). I ended up in a taxi and arrived less than 2 hours late.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

The response was much better than you fjord?

OK, OK ... I'm leaving.

 

[185]

I seen NSBs facebook update in Norwegian... I sort of understood it, but thought my own translation of it was wrong... then I seen the article on VG confirming that the whole country was out. Ohnoes

 

[EM2]

What was used to communicate to drivers before GSM-R?
For example, we've had large signalling centres in the UK for well over thirty years, where incidents can often be many miles away from the 'box.
Was there some kind of walkie-talkie system, like the police & AA used?

 

[185]

What was used to communicate to drivers before GSM-R?
For example, we've had large signalling centres in the UK for well over thirty years, where incidents can often be many miles away from the 'box.
Was there some kind of walkie-talkie system, like the police & AA used?

Mobile Phones on some lines
http://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Åsta-ulukka ... an accident where following a spad into a single line section, two trains running head on were unable to be contacted after the box had neither drivers phone numbers due to shift paperwork being missing.

 

[edwin_m]

What was used to communicate to drivers before GSM-R?
For example, we've had large signalling centres in the UK for well over thirty years, where incidents can often be many miles away from the 'box.
Was there some kind of walkie-talkie system, like the police & AA used?

At the time the earliest of these centres were built BR made virtually no use of radio. Each signal and other strategic locations were provided with telephones to the signaller and in electrified areas phones direct to the traction power control. Despite radio now being universal these phones are still fitted in modern schemes and are usually the preferred method for drivers etc to contact the signaller, as the signaller automatically knows the location of the caller which reduces the potential for mistakes.

BR introduced a fairly primitive National Radio Network in the 80s but it would never have had the capacity to carry all the calls that went over the signal post telephones. At some signals the phones are now for emergency use only because someone standing at them is considered too close to the track and at risk of being hit by a train, and these signals carry a diamond plate with a railway internal phone number to call over the NRN system.

Driver Only Operation of passenger trains requires a radio system linked to the train describer so it knows the position of each train, so DOO(P) routes were fitted with something known as Cab Secure Radio. GSM(R) is progressively replacing the NRN and CSR systems.

 

[EM2]

Thanks edwin_m
It strikes me that maybe we're going backwards as we go forwards. If we had a total GSM-R failure in the UK, would we come to a standstill, or is there still the option of SPTs?
I assume if a signaller needs to contact a driver, he would set a signal to red and then call the SPT concerned? But they wouldn't be able to do that for every train, surely?

 

[High Dyke]

Thanks edwin_m
It strikes me that maybe we're going backwards as we go forwards. If we had a total GSM-R failure in the UK, would we come to a standstill, or is there still the option of SPTs?
I assume if a signaller needs to contact a driver, he would set a signal to red and then call the SPT concerned? But they wouldn't be able to do that for every train, surely?

Hmm...good question. It reminds me of an incident on Saturday where a defective train was allowed to travel to the depot, over 50 miles away, but the only way to contact the driver in an emergency was via the GSM-R network... Which wasn't much use when travelling on a line where GSM-R isn't currently operable. The only solution in that case would be to bring the train to a stand at a red signal; however what if the train needed stopping immediately and wasn't near any signals (i.e. in an Absolute Block section)?

 

[edwin_m]

As I suggested the SPTs are still available. I believe drivers often also have company mobile phones (on the public networks not GSM-R) which may have stored numbers for signalling centres, but perhaps some of the drivers on here can comment on that.

A signaller only rarely needs to communicate with a driver and any reason to do so is usually also a reason to stop the train in question, so putting a signal to danger is the usual method. However a radio system adds an extra layer of safety as mentioned, allowing trains to be stopped when there is no signal nearby and drivers to report emergencies which might affect other trains, more quickly than by leaving the train and finding a phone. GSM-R includes emergency buttons which any driver can operate to send an emergency stop message to all trains in the vicinity.