"Not signalled for passenger use"

[cce]

Lurking around here as I do, I see occasional references to a section of line or a station platform that is "not signalled for passenger use"

Presumably this means that certain safety features that are required for passenger usage are omitted? What form do these take? what would be involved in upgrading (as an example) Platform 2, the west bay at Bristol Temple Meads to be used by passenger trains?

 

[Gloster]

One of the main items missing would be Facing Point Locks.

 

[pdeaves]

Lurking around here as I do, I see occasional references to a section of line or a station platform that is "not signalled for passenger use"

Presumably this means that certain safety features that are required for passenger usage are omitted? What form do these take? what would be involved in upgrading (as an example) Platform 2, the west bay at Bristol Temple Meads to be used by passenger trains?

In the general case, it often means that moves are signalled by 'shunt' (I use the term loosely) signals only.

 

[DPQ]

There's also moves that are not permitted, but can be performed in the presence of a MOM or if explicitly temporarily allowed in the WON

 

[rower40]

Also the potential absence of overlaps, and the presence of "non-passenger permissive working" - allowing 2 or more trains into one signal section. As the signalling system doesn't "know" (at a safety level) whether a train is carrying passengers or not, sections of line allowing permissive working are usually barred to passenger trains.

 

[jfollows]

There's also moves that are not permitted, but can be performed in the presence of a MOM or if explicitly temporarily allowed in the WON

“MOM” please ???
”WON” I think to be Weekly Operating Notice

 

[JonathanH]

“MOM” please ???
”WON” I think to be Weekly Operating Notice

Mobile Operations Manager

 

[Annetts key]

Lurking around here as I do, I see occasional references to a section of line or a station platform that is "not signalled for passenger use"

Presumably this means that certain safety features that are required for passenger usage are omitted? What form do these take? what would be involved in upgrading (as an example) Platform 2, the west bay at Bristol Temple Meads to be used by passenger trains?

Yes, the requirements for freight are significantly different to a passenger or mixed traffic line. The signalling is less sophisticated, with less safety features. So AWS, overlaps, facing point locks (FPL) are not normally required. Signals that are guaranteed to be lit (such as double filament lamps if they are not LED type now) are not required. Any signals that are provided may only be ground position lights (GPL) or a similar type signal mounted on a post. Freight lines may be permissive working. And on some lines, there is no signalling system at all, instead a line is under the control of a designated person, such as a shunter.

Note that signals that protect a junction with a passenger or mixed traffic line will normally be to passenger specification unless there is a trap point.

Platform 2 at Bristol Temple Meads has a number of issues if it was to be opened to passenger trains. For a start, the platform is not cleared for all the passenger trains that use the station.

The line does not have suitable point work to allow a train to leave without performing a shunting move (there are no facing points to take a train from platform 2 to the main line(s) in the down direction).

There is no train detection (no track circuits or axle counters). The only signals for these sidings (platform 2 is part of Pylle Hill sidings) are a couple of GPLs.

Apart from the point to take a train onto the Up Relief, all the other points are hand points, with no electrical detection or FPL.

“MOM” please ???
”WON” I think to be Weekly Operating Notice

MOM = Mobile Operations Manager

 

[jfollows]

Thank you both Annetts key and JonathanH for your explanation of "MOM"!

 

[Annetts key]

Thank you both Annetts key and JonathanH for your explanation of "MOM"!

The Network Rail MOM has various duties. They are often the first person sent to the site of an incident or infrastructure failure. Although they have the word ‘manager’ in their title, they don’t actually have any staff under them to manage. But they do facilitate other Network Rail staff and sometimes contractors employed by Network Rail.

 

[cce]

Thanks everyone - top notch information as i've come to expect around here

@Annetts key - your post prompted me to go and look at the trackwork on google earth, and it's pretty clear now i've seen it from above.

 

[Annetts key]

This is an extract of an old plan before Bristol was resignalled, so some signals have been changed, but apart from the signal names/numbers, the ground position lights (GPL) are the same for the sidings that platform 2 is part of (West Carrage sidings/Pylle Hill sidings). The point numbers have also changed.

 

[thedbdiboy]

The term also applies to certain movements on otherwise-passenger signalled lines - most often in the case of platforms that are signalled to allow an empty stock train to reverse or cross over, but where that movement is not allowed for in-service trains.