Inside the Signalling Academy

There was a lot of excitement and media spotlight at the recent launch of the Transport, Rail and Infrastructure Academy (TRIA), a milestone moment for National Infrastructure Solutions (NIS) and our strategic partners.

More than one hundred industry delegates listened to the Mayor of the West Midlands outline the importance of this venture that will see us take over part of the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO)’s Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley.

To support residents into good jobs in rail, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is investing £1.1 million to create 432 training places and this will deliver the entry and advanced skills people require to gain sustainable jobs.

Moreover, it also marks the creation of a wider brand that will help us move into new regions, with additional sites also in the process of opening in Aston and Coventry, with early conversations also taking place in the East Midlands and Wales.

However, TRIA represented the culmination of a personal project for myself that consumed my working life for more than three months.

Our new Signalling Academy at BCIMO has been a real painstaking love affair that has involved several members of the NIS team and reflects the strength of our relationship with employers.

People in the signalling profession have a wealth of knowledge, honed through years of experience on the track. Unfortunately, the workforce is ageing and with more experts starting to retire there is an urgent need for ‘fresh blood’ and young people beginning to learn the discipline.

This skillset was identified as a priority for companies involved in track maintenance and they have backed it by contributing over £250,000 worth of industry equipment for our learners to use.

It was imperative that employers felt they were being listened to from day one and could tailor some of the modules of training we were going to deliver – in essence, this would ensure staff could fit seamlessly into sustainable jobs and have a positive impact on site and on track.

All equipment is configured in the same way as the real-world; therefore, students can see it, work on it, and understand it as it would be on site, accelerating the familiarisation of the track assets process considerably.

The Academy can deliver high-level, technical training, but the initial focus will be on getting people started in signalling and giving them basic skills and a flavour of what is involved – before moving through NIS’ skills escalator.

It’s an approach that has already worked in lots of other rail related roles, with 88 per cent of our 2,000 learners to date going on to gain employment.

Below is a guide to what you can expect from The Signalling Academy.

Plain Line

In the section on plain line, we have two Track Circuits separated by an IBJ. This is the most common method of train detection, which shows how train positions are identified back to the Signaller. The type of track connections (cables to rails) used in both Track Circuits are deliberately different to show the older (but still commonplace) and newer styles.

The bonding around the fish plates is also varied to show the types used in third rail, overhead line equipment and non-electrified track.

The track also includes AWS (Automatic Warning System) and TPWS (Train Protection and Warning System), which are in use on most infrastructure to warn train drivers of upcoming speed reductions and to stop the train if the driver is going too fast.

Another use for this track is for non-Signalling courses, such as the practical element of PTS courses and, thanks to a section of third rail, it is ideal for the practical training of the DCCR course.

Signals

Signals are everywhere on the railway and play a critical role in telling the drivers whether they can go at full speed (green), slow down (yellow) or stop (red). We have three signals to show a full sequence: Green-Yellow-Red, with them all acting together.

The third signal also has a Route Indicator. We have positioned the third signal on a Collis collapsible structure that are becoming more commonplace, as they allow the signal to be easily brought down to the ground rather than staff working at height.

Location Cases (Locs)

The two full cases and one-half case are the connection point for all the cables coming back from the other equipment (points, signals, track circuits, AWS, TPWS).

They contain the different power supplies, fuses, and relays, with the latter allowing the systems to be interlocked, ensuring that one thing cannot happen if another thing doesn’t happen first.

For example, if the track circuit is interrupted (dropped) by something across the rails, the signal will turn to red as that means a train would be in section and the next train can’t come forward and the TPWS would activate to stop the train if it did.

The internal wiring of all three cases is deliberately different, using older and newer types of wiring and connections to illustrate the differences.

Dis-boxes are used for some of the cables running from the equipment to the Location Cases – these are used as an interface for cables that would run miles along the track in a protected route and then come to the surface to meet with equipment.

The dis-boxes give a point of connecting multiple cables, a point of testing and fault finding and reduces the need for longer lengths of cable to be renewed if damage occurs.

HW Points + Full Depth layout

HW Points, although first released in the late 1950s, are still pretty much the same today with a few internal components being improved, but the functionality and installation remaining the same.

They are still being installed brand new today all over the network. The Full Depth layout (switch and stock rails) is the type that has been used for decades but is still common for lower speed lines and use specific types of Stretcher Bars and fittings. This layout was selected to show these fittings.

IBCL Points + Shallow Depth layout

In Bearer Clamp Locks (IBCL) are now the preferred type of points for new installations – although a newer version of the Mark 1 Clamp Locks, first introduced in the 1960s, they are still based on the same technology.

The Shallow Depth layout is used in a lot of lower speed lines, but will also support higher speed lines. The types of Stretcher Bars and fittings are also different to those for full Depth.