What is a signal failure on the rail line and why can't they be prevented on a servic

0gac3yjefb5sv7

Service running for 34 years?

GerardKeating

Pheonix10 wrote: »

Service running for 34 years?

Equipment fails (or get burnt in a fire). Difficult to prevent

0gac3yjefb5sv7

GerardKeating wrote: »

Equipment fails (or get burnt in a fire). Difficult to prevent

How is it difficult to prevent? Surely there isn't fires everyday. How do London, Tokyo, Paris manage it?

L1011

Other networks have signal failures too

There is probably still some signalling gear from the GNR electric signalling in the 30s in Connolly and nearby as the resignalling is not complete

GM228

Pheonix10 wrote: »

How is it difficult to prevent? Surely there isn't fires everyday. How do London, Tokyo, Paris manage it?

They get failures aswell, being busier networks the resulting mess caused by such a failure is even greater.

GM228

L1011 wrote: »

Other networks have signal failures too

There is probably still some signalling gear from the GNR electric signalling in the 30s in Connolly and nearby as the resignalling is not complete

Oldest signalling and associated equipment in Connolly (or the suburban network) is mainly early 1980s with a very small amount of secondary equipment from the late 1970s. More than two thirds of the suburban network signalling and associated equipment has been replaced however since 2010.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Why doesn’t signalling have much more redundancy built in.

0gac3yjefb5sv7

GM228 wrote: »

They get failures aswell, being busier networks the resulting mess caused by such a failure is even greater.

But they have much higher frequency and much less downtime. Seems just down to management this one.

GM228

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Why doesn’t signalling have much more redundancy built in.

Signalling systems cost millions, to add in much more redundancy could add many more millions into the price tag, in fact to double on the critical components could double the price tag.

Turnipman

I've heard mention of a certain Irish ethnic group with a penchant for liberating copper wires wherever they can; so perhaps they're part of the problem.

GM228

Pheonix10 wrote: »

But they have much higher frequency and much less downtime. Seems just down to management this one.

Do they have less downtime? I have seen extensive failures in the UK and beyond which have had longer disruption for simpler faults.

Higher frequency usually isn't a factor as most components which fail are not those which suffer from wear and tear.

How does it come down to management? Do they intentionally break the system?

GM228

Turnipman wrote: »

I've heard mention of a certain Irish ethnic group with a penchant for liberating copper wires wherever they can; so perhaps they're part of the problem.

Cable theft relates to a small proportion (think it's -5% annually) of signal faults.

0gac3yjefb5sv7

GM228 wrote: »

Do they have less downtime? I have seen extensive failures in the UK and beyond which have had longer disruption for simpler faults.

Higher frequency usually isn't a factor as most components which fail are not those which suffer from wear and tear.

How does it come down to management? Do they intentionally break the system?

Maybe invest more in the service to cut out these issues long term. It's a rail service not a rocket to the moon.

XPS_Zero

http://www.irishrail.ie/about-us/city-centre-resignalling


They've been working on it a while.


I'm a huge critic of CIE (and the HSE and DOE and DSP..) but hiccups are going to happen with any system no matter how well run it is. Computers fail, mechanics fails, human error, every large complex network will have failures, the more complex the network the more likley the failure.

goingnowhere

This is safety critical stuff, very complex stuff working in a challenging environment, wet, dust, vibration.

It has to work, 24-365

There is a degree of redundancy, the interlocking rooms have emergency generators, the computer SSI/CBI units are triplicated (2 out of 3 voting) diverse fibre optic paths

Cable theft is a problem, mechanical issues occur points go out of alignment, warm weather can cause issues as metal expands

Drifter50

Pheonix10 wrote: »

Service running for 34 years?

Have you travelled much in the Greater London area ? The level of signal failures are much greater and cause more hassle

Equipment fails, human error causes an occasional issue and the copper being stolen

Relax, it can`t be perfect because of the nature of what it is

roundymac

A "SPAD", ie; signal passed at danger is classed as a signal failure, quite common on the London underground.