Railway signals in Germany
However, Bavaria was permitted to use its own designs of signal, with slightly different meanings, as part of the national scheme for many years thereafter.
These signals were semaphores, whose arms had a circle on their right-hand end, and were painted white with red edges (occasionally the colours were reversed).
There would be at least one arm, which meant "stop" when aligned horizontally and "proceed" when inclined upwards at 45 degrees.
German distant signals took the form of a yellow circular board with a black edge.
To indicate that the main signal was showing "clear", the board was flipped horizontally through 90 degrees so as to be practically invisible.
If the main signal to which the distant applied was a double-armed one, then a yellow arm, bordered black, was mounted on the post below the disc.
Therefore, several signals, whether main, (certain types of both) subsidiary or shunting, can be merged into a common rectangular head.
The signalling system didn't change much to allow Gleiswechselbetrieb (regular wrong line working - i.e. running on left-hand track instead of right-hand).
The Deutsche Reichsbahn in the former GDR adopted a new colour-light signalling system from the OSShD (an international organization of railways, mainly "Eastern" ones).
Optimization led to the installation of fixed signals, requiring less personnel and improving safety, and the use of telephones and train radio (today: GSM-R).
Starting a train against a 'halt' signal without a special order is considered a safety violation and covered by the PZB "restrictive supervision".
Note: a "Lichtsperrsignal" (see #Schutzsignale) that is used for shunting can show Hp 0, but is only protected by PZB magnets if it can be the start or end of a train movement.
Distant aspects that announce 'halt' or 'proceed with low speed', like Vr 0, Vr 2, Ks 2, Hl 10 etc., are normally (except for repeaters) accompanied by an activated 1000 Hz magnet of the PZB train safety system.
[2]: 5 Passing it triggers hidden[3]: 1 timers in the vehicle's part of the PZB system, which first checks that the driver acknowledges the distant signal, then it supervises the braking.
Hp 2 indicates that the following track is free, but that the points/switches are set so as to make running over them at full speed dangerous.
Vr 2 orders the driver to slow the train to 40 km/h prior to reaching the main signal showing Hp 2.
A pure distant signal contains only the two upper lamps, and a pure main signal displays the main aspect plus a green light instead of a distant aspect, therefore not needing the upper yellow light.
There are exceptions; for example, H/V signals were installed on the light rail extension in Kassel post-2000 because the authorities wanted to avoid the risk of driver confusion on busy lines.
Meaning: the train may pass the accompanying main signal (that shows 'halt' or no valid aspect) with a maximum speed of 40 km/h.
This would be dangerous because it implies to the driver that they could run faster than is safe, so the signal must show stop instead.
In this case, the section of track or set of points/switch affected must be checked manually to ensure that everything is safe for the passage of trains, and the signal Zs 1 would be given.
Richtungsvoranzeiger = Distant direction indicator Shows one single yellow letter, telling the driver how the route is set after the next signal.
Gegengleisfahrt-Ersatzsignal = Wrong line subsidiary signal Three white flashing lights aligned as a triangle or a flashing diagonal light Indicates that a signal at danger may be passed when wrong line working is in force.
When they were allowed to pass this signal, it showed a red and two white lights, still forbidding train movements (Hp 0 + Sh 1).
Sh 2: A rectangular red plate with a white border used at the end of the track or where the line is blocked, for example by engineering works.
All these signals consist of a blue diamond-shaped board with various patterns of white markings.
The exit-signal of the left station shows Hp0 (one or two red lights: "Stop"), because there is no regular route to the wrong track.
When approaching the next station, the train will find an Ne2-plate, which substitutes a distant signal and in this case means "Expect Stop".
This signal shows Sh1 (two white lights: "Shunting allowed"), the train may enter the station.
Usually, trains will encounter signals such as the first one shown, which indicates Hp1/Vr1 as described in the H/V section of this article, meaning the line is clear.
