Background
Colwich Junction lies between Rugeley and Stafford and is where the four-track West Coast Main Line from London splits into two routes. Approaching from the south, two tracks go to Manchester via Stoke-on-Trent, and two tracks go to Stafford and Crewe. In the middle of the layout, two of the lines cross each other at a diamond crossing.
In August 1986, the signalling was altered so that drivers of northbound trains taking the Stoke line would see flashing yellow signals on approach. Flashing yellows signify that the junction is clear, but that the train must slow down in order to safely take the diverging route. This sequence of signalling was designed for use at higher-speed turnouts as a replacement for approach release from red, where the junction signal is held at red until the train is near to it.
Over the next few years, flashing yellows were also installed at locations where trains cross over between different tracks travelling in the same direction, e.g. from a "fast" line to a "slow" line. While not "junctions" in the traditional sense, the signalling sequence was identical to that given at a "diverging" route.
Read more about this topic: Colwich Rail Crash
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