Atomic Systems

From what I've been able to gather, the following train categories exist in the UK:

-Express: Middle/long distance train that runs non-stop between termini, or which only stops at the most important stations in between. Usually both first and second class accomodation, and a diner/buffet car. (Basically corresponds to what would be called an Intercity train in most of continental Europe).
-Sleeper: like an express but with some/all seating cars replaced with sleeping cars.
-Semi-Fast: Middle/long distance train that runs between termini, or at least between two major stations, and which stops fairly regularly in between (at most large/medium stations). Usually both first and second class accomodation, may or may not have a buffet. (Basically corresponds to what would be called an InterRegio train in most of Continental Europe).

Then comes Stopping Train and Local - I am a bit uncertain whether these are basically just two different words for the same thing? Or is there a sort of difference in that a Local is basically a commuter train, usually second-class only, while a Stopping Train runs for longer distances, and has both classes (a bit like what would be a Regional Train, RegioExpress or similar in continental Europe)?

Passenger trains don't really have categories in the same way they do in the rest of Europe.

Network Rail gives passenger trains either a 1 (for fast) or a 2 (for slow) classification, which is reflected in the headcodes.

From a passenger perspective, there is a lot of grey areas between all types of passenger working. Words applied to modern services are variable and shouldn't be taken as Gospel.

AN

The only official categories of trains in the UK are the running numbers. These are local specific aswell so as the previous poster states 1 means an express passenger train (or light loco/rescue unit going to clear the line) however a Virgin or East Coast will be class 1 but we also run London Bridge - Tattenham Corners as '1Pxx' as they run fast from london bridge to norwood junction. Obviously not quite a true 'express'. There again our Vic-East Grinsteads which run fast to croydon are class '2' so there is little logic in it!

Whilst the idea is that the signaller can priorities movements (putting a class 1 ahead of a class 2/3/5 etc) it means very little nowadays as rail networks run such intense services. It is often simpler to keep trains in booked order and let a few delays pile up which is why services like he Brighton-Vic express which should have top priority along with Gat Ex services are often held behind late running stoppers.

Class 2 is a stopping/local/commuter/suburban service, or as the rule book says a regular passenger train.

Class 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 are all freight trains permitted to run at different max speeds

Class 5 is empties (although we have one ECS movement booked to run as a class 4 for some reason)

Class 9 is Eurostar or other international trains and supposedly gets priority over class 1's (although not used much now that they are confined to their own dedicated line)

Class 0 is special movements such as the royal train etc which takes priority over everything else (so the rumour goes should never get a red signal).

Hope this helps

While formally there is only "slow" and "fast", I think it is sensible to explore the informal categories. There are of course plenty of services which don't fall into neat pigeonholes for whatever reason.

The fastest services are simply called "non-stop", or occasionally "Limited". Not used much nowadays, there is no modern equivalent to the Flying Scotsman, but the Grand Central services (Kings Cross non-stop to York, then Thirsk, Northallerton, etc to Sunderland) are reasonably close. The various Airport Expresses also basically qualify, although these go tens of miles rather than hundreds.

The InterCity trains of the 1980s are your traditional expresses. They usually stop at cities and major junctions only, with perhaps 50-100 miles between stops. They are still very fast, but offer more flexibility for a given track allocation and are thus better value for money. In the post-steam era the time cost of a station stop is much less than it used to be. These services are still common but are no longer called InterCity, and will virtually always be TOPS class 1.

Fast services stop at more places than expresses. They will serve important towns at maybe 10-mile intervals. They are often the fastest service available on secondary routes whose terminus does not justify an express. Probably TOPS class 1, depending on whether they use fast or slow lines on four-track lines. Bizarrely, HST sets (aka InterCity 125) have been used for this type of work on occasion, probably because they have a better chance of hitting 100mph in the available distance than a standard DMU.

Semi-fast services usually act like fast trains for part of their journey, then fill in by stopping at every station for only part of the route (usually the part furthest from the main terminus). A bay platform is often provided at the outer end of these trains' routes, and is a good explanation for the presence of one at a non-junction station. Especially in a commuter context, this provides a faster service than a stopping train without forcing passengers from minor stations to change trains. Probably TOPS class 2, but if it switches to the fast line for the fast part of the journey, it may in some areas be class 1.

Another form of semi-fast is one that stops at every second station for it's entire route. When stations are very closely spaced, this usefully provides a faster and more frequent service for half the stations. Some railways (not in Britain, I think) have two such services which, in combination, serve all the stations. These would be TOPS class 2.

Finally, the "stopper" or "local" stops at all stations on it's route. On some lines (eg. Merseyrail, the Tube or many rural lines) this is the only service available and is thus not named as such; on some it is the only non-express service available (sometimes because there are few actual stations left). Definitely TOPS class 2.

Class 0 is special movements such as the royal train etc which takes priority over everything else (so the rumour goes should never get a red signal).

Class 0 are light loco moves (either single or multiple). Special trains are denoted by the letter "Z" in the train description. As to why one of your ECS movements is down as a class 4 that is most odd, the only other number ECS should be other than class 5 is class 3.

455driver wrote:Class 0 is special movements such as the royal train etc which takes priority over everything else (so the rumour goes should never get a red signal)

Just to expand on this a little every week what is called a WON (Weekly Operating Notice) is distributed within the Network Rail operations departments and this specifies a majority of the special moves that week. This includes things such as charter trips (although these are usually class 1s or 2s.) I'm pretty sure that the royal train is omitted from this notice, and information about its movements are on a "need to know" basis - i.e. only the signallers/operations managers that will be dealing with the train are told about it for obvious reasons...

Glenn

Which section of the WON are special trains listed in? I don't think I have ever seen anything about them in there.

Thats correct about class '0' being light movements - things like the Royal Train would be '2Z01'. Long time since I looked at that section of the rule book! We only really deal with class 1,2,5 and an odd 4 - but a class 4 is a freight that can run up to 75mph so it may just be that the particular ECS is timed to run at 75 rather than line speed. I have never worked that particular job as it is from another depot.

I'm not entirely sure as I've only ever really seen one but I'm sure it's in the WON. There's definiteley a document that the lists special services (although the freight codes mentioned here are used for regular services as well as one-offs for people that don't know.)

Glenn

It may be a document that signallers get - their equivilent of a drivers WON as the one we get is in 4 sections: TSR's, Engineering Arrangments, Alterations to the signalling equipment & p'way and general notices (recent 'cat A SPADs', rule book / sectional appendix modifications etc.) I imagen signallers get a similar notice which will contain special running info etc.

I don't know about the royal train but I don't think anyone knows of VIP's travelling by train until the last minute - not so long ago in the run up to the election my train was held at Victoria for about 15mins whilst we waited for gorden brown to take over the front coach of the brighton express with his enterage. First I knew of it was when I saw all the police with dogs etc walking towards the front. I know the Queen often uses scheduled FCC services to get to sandringham.

As for royal train etc I don't know if it is a myth but a signaller once told me that they triple block it and will not give it red lights as far as possible for security reasons. There is also an interesting rule in one of the rule book modules that any train carrying anything sensitive should contact the signaller immediately on approaching a red and the police should be informed straight away if the signaller sees no reason for the signal to show a danger aspect. Obviously added after the train robbery.

That sounds quite possible.

I like that - alterations to the signalling equipment - "track circuit AAB won't be working on Wednesday as there is a rail drop on Tuesday night for Wednesday's re-railing job"

Glenn

The WONs and PONs are all standard across the industry with the exception of being geography specific. So the information the driver sees in the WON will be what the signallers see and vice versa.

It is true that the royal train must not get a red. I have also been told that a member of royal protection detail usually sits up front...not sure if that is still the case. It also used to be a rule that a police officer would stand at level crossings when the train was due but I think that has been relaxed.

Certainly when I was a crossing keeper a couple of years ago we would get a phone call from the signaller saying that the royal train was on the way and to close my gates early and padlock them up.

It's not quite the Royal Train, but in the classic "Night Mail" documentary you can see ordinary passenger trains being shunted out of the way. The bell code used on the signalling telegraph is also 4-4-4, which would be the same as for the Royal Train. And the stationmaster at Crewe is seriously annoyed when the Holyhead mail, carrying sacks to be loaded onto the northbound train, is a few minutes late...