ANNEXU.K.
Appendix C Safety related communications methodology
C2. Operational instructions U.K.
1. Introduction U.K.
Railway undertakings and infrastructure managers shall use European instructions in the communication procedure in the following cases:
Permission to pass an End of Authority — signal showing a stop aspect/stop indication;
Permission to proceed after a trip (ETCS);
Obligation to remain at standstill, obligation to carry out end of mission (ETCS);
Revocation of an operational instruction;
Obligation to run under restrictions;
Obligation to run on sight;
Permission to start in Staff Responsible (ETCS) after preparing a movement;
Permission to pass a defective level crossing;
Obligation to run with power supply restrictions;
RESERVED
The numbers 1 to 20 are reserved for European instructions, numbers 1-5 and 7 are mandatory for ETCS. If an operational instruction related to class B system requires more information than the European instructions, the national instruction may be used instead. In such case, the infrastructure manager may define these requirements in its national instructions. If numbered, the national instructions defined by the individual infrastructure managers shall start from 21 onwards. The national instructions shall contain at least the same content of that for a European instruction.
2. Content U.K.
An operational instruction shall state the following as a minimum:
from where it was issued (location of signaller),
at what date it was issued (not for verbal instruction),
to which train/shunting movement it refers,
clear, precise, unambiguous instructions,
unique identification provided by the signaller.
In addition, depending on the circumstances, an operational instruction might also state:
at what time it was issued,
where that train/shunting movement is located, at which location it applies,
ID of train driver;
ID of issuer;
verification (signature or electronic confirmation) that the instruction has been received.
Any operational instruction that has been issued to be written down may only be revoked by a European instruction no4 explicitly referring to the unique identification of the instruction to be revoked.
3. Delivery of the operational instruction U.K.
A European instruction includes information delivered electronically, verbally, physically on paper or as verbal instructions to be written down by the train driver or by other safe methods of communication with the same level of information.
In principle when it is necessary for an operational instruction to be written down by the train driver, the train shall be at standstill. The railway undertaking and the concerned infrastructure manager may jointly undertake a risk assessment which could, as a result, define the conditions under which it is safe to deviate from this principle.
An operational instruction shall be delivered as close as practicable to the affected area.
An operational instruction takes precedence over the related indications provided by trackside signals and/or the DMI. When a permitted speed or a release speed lower than the maximum speed prescribed in the operational instruction is applicable, the lowest speed shall be applied.
An operational instruction shall only be issued by the signaller when the train running number has been identified and, if necessary, the location of the train/shunting movement. Before applying the operational instruction, the train driver shall check that this operational instruction refers to her/his train/shunting movement and her/his current or identified location.
4. Awareness of the operational instruction U.K.
The railway undertaking has to define a procedure to ensure that the train driver is aware of an operational instruction until the train has reached the location where it has to be processed.
When the operational instruction does not need to be performed immediately after its delivery, it shall be possible for the train driver to retrieve the operational instruction.
5. Monitoring of processed operational instruction U.K.
As part of the compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/762 and Directive (EU) 2016/798, the infrastructure manager and railway undertaking shall monitor the processes of delivery and use of the operational instructions.
6. European instructions U.K.
Each field of information contained in a European instruction shall be given its own identifier.
While the content and the identifiers shall be used, the format itself is indicative.
If a specific field is not to be used in a Member State or on the network of an infrastructure manager, there is no obligation to display this field in the European instruction and no field shall be added.
7. Communication of an operational instruction U.K.
Terminology shall be used in the communication procedure by all the parties:
| Situation | Terminology |
|---|---|
| Cancelling an operational instruction | ‘Cancel procedure’ |
| If the message is then subsequently to be resumed, the procedure shall be repeated from the start | ‘Error during transmission’ |
| When a transmission error is discovered by the sender, the sender shall request cancellation | ‘Error (+ prepare new form)’ Or ‘Error (+ I say again)’ |
| Error during read back | ‘Error (+ I say again)’ |
| Misunderstanding: if one of the parties does not fully understand a message, the message shall be repeated | ‘Say again (+ speak slowly)’ |
8. Book of Forms U.K.
The infrastructure manager is responsible for drawing up the Book of Forms and the forms themselves in its operating language.
All the forms to be used shall be assembled in a document or a computer medium called the Book of Forms.
This Book of Forms shall be used by both the driver and the staff authorising the movement of trains. The Book used by the driver and the Book used by the staff authorising the movement of trains shall be structured and numbered in the same way.
The Book of Forms shall comprise two parts.
The first part contains at least the following items:
an index of operational instruction Forms;
a list of situations to which each form applies;
the table containing the international phonetic alphabet.
The second part contains the forms themselves. These shall be collected by the railway undertaking and given to the driver.
9. Glossary of Railway Terminology U.K.
The railway undertaking shall produce a glossary of railway terminology for each network over which its trains operate. It shall supply the terms in regular use in the language chosen by the railway undertaking and in the ‘operating’ language of the infrastructure manager(s) whose infrastructure the railway undertaking operates on.