Interlocking
Interlocking
The interlocking subschema will focus on information that infrastructure managers and signal manufacturing industry typically maintain in signal plans and route locking tables:
- Data transfer: a standard data exchange format will allow the automation of data transfer, which is the process of adapting a railway interlocking and signaling system to a specific yard.
- Simulation programs: the railML® IL schema allows modelers to quickly absorb information about the interlocking systems such as timing behavior and routes and analyze the impact on railway capacity.
The main element is IL:interlocking.
Interlocking subschema is the representation of data describing railway signalling and the use of interlocking systems. Interlockings in strict sense are control systems using movable elements, signals, detectors, and other components in combinations and sequences that hinder collision and derailment of trains. These data are e.g. functional characteristics of tracks, TVD sections, switches and signals plus the derived routes and overlaps. It is based on the physical objects of railway infrastructure. The items are gathered as a list of various assets which refer to the objects in infrastructure.
Each infrastructure manager (IM) has a couple of rather specific items, which have impact on interlocking issues and functions. To achieve a common exchange format it is vital to define such specific items within a fixed generic structure still allowing the individual characteristics. This is the purpose of the generic types. They are providing a mean of common categorisation of functions being rather individual for any infrastructure manager. However, these types do not specify the operational rules of that infrastructure manager. These types are items like route types or signal aspects.
The control of the assets is done by object controllers and the interlocking kernel (signalBox). Beside common characteristics they collect the relations to all known assets they control. The RBC is used in a similar way with relations to the known assets. These elements represent the safety level of the signalling system.
The signalling control system that is used for operation of the railway system . It can be an individual terminal, commonly a workstation, which can control the interlocking. It can be also an automatic dispatch system commanding the interlocking and/or RBC for automatic train routing.
- a.0, b.0 – tracks
- a.1, b.1 – switches
- a.2, b.2 – signals
- a.3 – train detection
- b.3 – train vacancy detection sections
- b.4 – routes
- c.0 – route types
- c.1 – signal aspects
A complete element list can be found under Category:Interlocking Elements
Documentation
The subschema is developed with the participation of some European infrastructure managers and the signal manufacturing industry based on RailTopoModel (external link).
- Current UML visualization
- A list of use cases for the railML® interlocking schema can be found here Category:Use_case_(IL).
- Interlocking Concepts — explanations of some basic modelling concepts to this subschema: