IS:systemSeparationSection

Introduction

The design of system separation sections shall ensure that trains can move from one power supply system to an adjacent different power supply system without bridging the two systems.

There are two methods for traversing system separation sections:

a) with pantograph raised and touching the contact wire;

b) with pantograph lowered and not touching the contact wire.

The neighboring Infrastructure Managers shall agree either (a) or (b) according to the prevailing circumstances.

If a system separation section is traversed with pantographs lowered, it shall be designed so as to avoid the electrical connection of the two power supply systems by an unintentionally raised pantograph.

System separation section

Documentation

Syntax

Autoexport from the XML-Schema for element IS:systemSeparationSection of railML® version 3.3      UML-visualization of IS
Documentation	a section of a contact network without electrical voltage, intended for electrical isolation of its sections charged with electricity from each other or from large structures, ensuring unhindered movement of the rolling stock pantograph between them [Wikipedia]. This is in particular a border between electrification systems e.g. AC and DC.
Subschema	infrastructure
Parents*	electrificationSection
Children	None
Attributes: isSupplySystemChange: flag, whether the supply system changes at the separation (optional; xs:boolean), lengthSystemSeparation: length of the system separation section in contact line, in [m] (optional; xs:decimal), lowerPantograph: flag, whether the pantographs have to be lowered when passing the system separation (optional; xs:boolean), switchOffBreaker: flag, whether the main circuit breaker has to be switched off when passing the system separation (optional; xs:boolean)
*Notice: Elements may have different parent elements. As a consequence they may be used in different contexts. Please, consider this as well as a user of this Wiki as when developing this documentation further. Aspects that are only relevant with respect to one of several parents should be explained exclusively in the documentation of the respective parent element.

Autoexport from the XML-Schema for element IS:systemSeparationSection of railML® version 3.2      UML-visualization of IS
Documentation	a section of a contact network without electrical voltage, intended for electrical isolation of its sections charged with electricity from each other or from large structures, ensuring unhindered movement of the rolling stock pantograph between them [Wikipedia]. This is in particular a border between electrification systems e.g. AC and DC.
Subschema	infrastructure
Parents*	electrificationSection
Children	None
Attributes: isSupplySystemChange: flag, whether the supply system changes at the separation (optional; xs:boolean), lengthSystemSeparation: length of the system separation section in contact line, in [m] (optional; xs:decimal), lowerPantograph: flag, whether the pantographs have to be lowered when passing the system separation (optional; xs:boolean), switchOffBreaker: flag, whether the main circuit breaker has to be switched off when passing the system separation (optional; xs:boolean)
*Notice: Elements may have different parent elements. As a consequence they may be used in different contexts. Please, consider this as well as a user of this Wiki as when developing this documentation further. Aspects that are only relevant with respect to one of several parents should be explained exclusively in the documentation of the respective parent element.

Autoexport from the XML-Schema for element IS:systemSeparationSection of railML® version 3.1      UML-visualization of IS
Documentation	child element summarizing the electrification system separation parameters
Subschema	infrastructure
Parents*	electrificationSection
Children	None
Attributes: lengthSystemSeparation: length of the system separation section in contact line, in [m] (optional; xs:decimal), switchOffBreaker: flag, whether the main circuit breaker has to be switched off when passing the system separation (optional; xs:boolean), lowerPantograph: flag, whether the pantographs have to be lowered when passing the system separation (optional; xs:boolean), isSupplySystemChange: flag, whether the supply system changes at the separation (optional; xs:boolean)
*Notice: Elements may have different parent elements. As a consequence they may be used in different contexts. Please, consider this as well as a user of this Wiki as when developing this documentation further. Aspects that are only relevant with respect to one of several parents should be explained exclusively in the documentation of the respective parent element.

Changes 3.1→3.2

There exists an overview of all changes between railML^® 3.1 and railML^® 3.2 on page Dev:Changes/3.2.

The element documentation has been changed.

The attributes have been changed.

Best Practice / Examples

This example is based on ERA knowledge graph (external link).

<systemSeparationSection id="sss01" lengthPhaseSeparation="12" lowerPantograph="true" switchOffBreaker="true"/>

Additional Information

Notes

Example was reviewed by the coordinator (link to the railML^® website) of the Infrastructure subschema on 2025-11-14.