French Railway Signalling - Placement of Signals

Placement of Signals

Placement of signals is made normally on the side of the traffic: on the left if the trains circulate on the left. However, in Alsace (Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin) like in the Département of Moselle, signal placement is made on the right and normal circulation is done on the right. In fact, this area was attached to Germany from 1870 to 1918. The trains run on the right in Germany and the Alsatian and Mosellan network were built in that period. After this zone became French again, the establishment of the network was almost complete, with circulation on the right. Reversing the direction would be too expensive, in particular for interlocking, so circulation and signals remained on the right.

In several stations and on several line sections, when the place layout imposes it, signals can be set on the right. They are then equipped with a white arrow indicating the way to which they are addressed.

On some double-track line sections equipped with a permanent counter-track installations (IPCS), signals are placed normally on the right for counter-track circulations. No white arrows are used. In fact, entering the wrong way is confirmed by a luminous counter-track entrance board (TECS), which, when lit, indicates that the following signals are placed on the right (on the left for Alsace and Moselle). In the same way, a counter-track exit board (TSCS) indicates the return to circulation on the normal way, with signals placed on the normal side.

Where the circulation of the trains is done on the left, the hand-held stop signals (red flag, stop marker or lantern with red light) are presented on the left or at the center of the concerned track. When there is a platform by the track, they can be presented on the side of the platform.