BROC - one acronym two locations

In the West Midlands the majority of signalling is controlled by BROC (West Midlands Signalling Control Centre). In the GSMR address book 2 its down as "WMSCC (insert workstation name)". Also in the GSMR confusingly is "BROC (insert workstation name). The Sectional appendix and publications refer to BROC as being in the West Midlands!

A) what and where is the BROC not in the West Midlands?
B) What does it do / area of control?
C) How has this confusing naming scheme even happened especially in a safety critical environment?

BROC is Basingstoke Rail Operating Centre. It's still fairly new and only controls a few sections at the moment, but is designed to eventually handle most of the signalling in SWR's territory - the lines out of Waterloo to south/south west England.

I wasn't aware the West Midlands one was ever referred to as BROC, I've only ever heard that acronym used in conjunction with Basingstoke.

Warrior2852 said:

I wasn't aware the West Midlands one was ever referred to as BROC, I've only ever heard that acronym used in conjunction with Basingstoke.

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West Midlands Signalling Control Centre got renamed Birmingham ROC at some point.

172007 said:

C) How has this confusing naming scheme even happened especially in a safety critical environment?

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An excellent question, although given Birmingham ROC is unlikely to ever fringe directly to Basingstoke ROC (TVSC being in between the two), the risk of confusion is lower than other areas.

For instance, you have Romford and Rugby ROCs, who's areas of control do interface around Willesden area. You also have shunt signals at Stafford and Lichfield that share the same ID number in the same control area (LS1301 and LS1303), which is meant to be an absolute no-no. They are on separate workstations but both under Rugby ROC. I assume that because Lichfield and Stafford were resignalled at different times, and for a while had Colwich box controlling the area between them, the 2nd project didn't check properly enough for overlapping numbers.

The name change from WMSCC to BROC looks like it only considered the fringes. It is only when you get get to a national system like GSM-R that you notice. WMSCC should have been renamed to BIROC or something similar. Using the GSM-R phone book to contact the signaller is rare I would have thought.

68000 said:

The name change from WMSCC to BROC looks like it only considered the fringes. It is only when you get get to a national system like GSM-R that you notice. WMSCC should have been renamed to BIROC or something similar. Using the GSM-R phone book to contact the signaller is rare I would have thought.

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Yes using GSMR phone book is rareish but we do have times when an ECS move does not have a conductor so speaking to the nexr work station along prior to commencjng a journey happens.

Also in the Worcester area pressing the phone signaller can route the call randomly to Tunnel Jct, Shrubb Hill, Henwick, Malvern Wells, Abbots Wood and Evesham so using address book two is the default method to get the correct signal box.

Realistically we should’ve renamed it West Midlands ROC, but BROC was deemed to sound better.