What measures do railway cars use to avoid collision?

Question

I have often wondered how 2 trains avoid traveling on the same rail avoid colliding with each other. How do the appraoching trains, accidentally traveling on the same rail avoid this collision? With the frequent use of the railroad, why aren't there a higher occurence rate of collision?

Answer 1

I will just agree with HOGHEAD.

Answer 2

"Timing is each thing," extraordinarily with railroads. Trains are timed with alerts to steer away from collisions. The alerts can both sluggish or provide up a prepare, searching on circumstances. also, departure cases may be staggered so as that each and each prepare could have a number of hundred miles between them. it really is really important at the same time as passenger and freight service percentage an same tracks. some subway trains, the style that run underground cities, have an extra safe practices degree. In lengthy island city, next to each and each site visitors signal is a tripping lever, which will advance up at the same time as the signal is pink. If a operator breaks the pink, the tripping lever will are available contact with the braking lever on the wheels of the subway vehicle. this can lock the brakes antagonistic to the wheels, and convey the vehicle to a provide up as quickly as circumstances enable.

Answer 3

In the US, there are many different ways, primary of which is a universally applied code of operating rules, referenced here often as the GCOR.

One method employed is the use of automatic “block signals,” that will indicate track occupancy or other conditions that may threaten a collision. The most widely used method of operation is “CTC,” or Centralized Traffic Control. This allows multiple trains operating in opposing direction over a single track. The train dispatcher has control over some signals, as well as the switches that are used in conjunction with these signals, to line (shunt) a train into a siding for an opposing movement to pass, or to let a following train with a higher maximum authorized speed to run around.

A similar method of operation, still with the use of controlled signals and automatic block signals, is called an “interlocking.” These may be automatic, but more often they too are controlled by a person called an “Interlocking Operator,” as opposed to the train dispatcher in CTC.

In territories where there are only automatic block signals, or “dark territory” where there are no signals at all, trains are usually operated by methods known as DTC (Direct Traffic Control) or TWC (Track Warrant Control), wherein the operators of trains receive their operating instructions via radio, as a rule, directly from the dispatcher, such as when and where to stop or take a siding.

In the old days, these train movements were controlled by “train orders” issued to the crews when departing their initial terminal, with orders being either superceded or annulled by additional train orders received from an open train order office on line. You may have seen images of trainmen or enginemen leaning out their windows scooping the orders of an “order post,” or being “hooped up” by a train order operator holding a train order hoop.

There are sections of “double track,” where there are two tracks, where traffic is authorized to operate in one direction on one track, and in the opposite direction on the other, referred to as “current of traffic.” But, don’t be fooled if two tracks are side by side. These may not be operating as “double track,” but may in fact be multiple main track or within interlocking limits, which in both cases trains can operate under signal indication on either track in either direction. There is a current RailTail on my 360 blog titled “The Thermos” that demonstrates what can happen when a pedestrian is walking along the tracks in multiple main track interlocking limits.

Answer 4

Driveing a train is not like driveing a car. The driver has no control over where he's going or what track he's on. All of that is organised beforehand by people in offices and implemented by people in signal boxes.

The actual mechanisms are given by HOGHEAD.