History
Historically, each private railway company designed and used its own signals. However, during the First World War the interpenetrations of trains between networks had been multiplied. It thus became necessary to create a new unified signals specification. A commission has thus been created in May 1926, directed by Eugène Verlant of the PLM.
The Verlant commission submitted its report at the end of 1927. The new code of signals received the approval of the Ministry of public labour August 1st, 1930. Conversion to the Verlant code was completed only at the end of 1936, except on the network of Alsace-Lorraine where it was completed later, because of the very particular character of pre-existing signalling.
The Verlant code was very innovative, based on simple principles:
- Mainly based on color light signalling, which thereafter simplified the installation of the automatic block;
- Light signals used three basic colors: red (stop), yellow (to announce stop or limited speed), green (clear). This code of colors was already applied by many foreign companies. It was also applied for the road signals;
- Simplification of the signals: is presented only the most imperative indication (except in special cases).
Read more about this topic: French Railway Signalling
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