Question on controllable balises ETCS

[AcronymHunter]

First time post so apologies if I'm knocking on the wrong door and my knowledge on ETCS is reasonable shallow so feel free to school me if what I am saying is completely wrong. Anyway...

Does the controllable balise operate on ETCS Level 2/3 or are they just fixed balises?

I understand that the controllable is needed on Level 1 with the LEU as lineside signals are still present but not sure if they are needed when the use of GSM-R comes into play on Level 2.

Common sense is telling me that they are needed on Level 2, as it still runs on a fixed block with track release and train intergrity supervision still trackside, but they aren't needed on Level 3, as it's a moving block with axle counters and track circuits not used.

 

[MarkyT]

First time post so apologies if I'm knocking on the wrong door and my knowledge on ETCS is reasonable shallow so feel free to school me if what I am saying is completely wrong. Anyway...

Does the controllable balise operate on ETCS Level 2/3 or are they just fixed balises?

I understand that the controllable is needed on Level 1 with the LEU as lineside signals are still present but not sure if they are needed when the use of GSM-R comes into play on Level 2.

Common sense is telling me that they are needed on Level 2, as it still runs on a fixed block with track release and train integrity supervision still trackside, but they aren't needed on Level 3, as it's a moving block with axle counters and track circuits not used.

With level 2 and above dynamic movement authority and other safety data messages are conveyed exclusively by the radio system, GSM-R. The 'radio block centre' that controls this exchange is interfaced with the interlockings, which, therefore must be of the centralised computerised kind, and these have a distributed input/output object controller architecture for gathering information from the fixed train detection systems retained at the line-side, and to control and monitor junction switch machines, level crossing interlocks etc.

Except for Level 1 (standard or limited supervision mode), the balises are therefore passive positional units only, marking specific important positions along the infrastructure and providing calibration updates in between for the odometry and any other future on-board positional systems.

 

[AcronymHunter]

Thats cleared things up for me thanks