Flashing blue light on Croydon tramlink gantry.

[theageofthetra]

When driving down past Elmers End today I noticed that on the the OHL gantries nearest the station on Tramlink had flashing blue lights like on a police car. There was one of those newer type trams waiting to leave as I passed. On the way back up from Hayes the lights were no longer flashing and there was one of the older type trams in the Elmers End platform. I have driven past here many times and never noticed these lights before, at night they must be pretty bright! Any ideas what they are for?

 

[tsr]

I believe they are "Signal Passed At Stop" or "SPAS" Indicators. My understanding is that they will still activate under certain circumstances even if a driver has passed the signal in question with authority.

 

[snowball]

I know nothing about Croydon, but on Manchester Metrolink, flashing blue lights are to warn that a signal has been passed at stop (SPAS) and all trams in the area should stop.

Edit: sorry, a time overlap with tsr.

 

[CallySleeper]

Not sure what the set up is at Croydon but an example of their use is on a single bi-directional line, in case a tram passes a signal at danger it stops a second heading in the opposite direction.

 

[Crossover]

'SPAS' indicators were my first thought too. The ones near Rochdale were going tonight - in the dark they are rather noticeable!

 

[theageofthetra]

The line into the Elmers End bay is single and bi-directional.

 

[edwin_m]

I believe all the Croydon ones are associated with bi-directional sections but Manchester has at least one at a converging junction (Cornbrook).

 

[Waddon]

I live next to one single line section, and I think late at night or outside normal service hours they allow out of service trams to pass through against the signals, as the blue hazard lights are often flashing late at night. I assume they get some sort of radio clearance to operate this way

 

[matt_world2004]

They also flash when there is a signal failure on the tram link as the driver announced once that there may be delays due to a signal failure but we kept moving.

 

[carriageline]

If there's a signal failure, then more than likely the signals are being passed at danger so they are technically SPADing the signals. I don't know tramlink rules and procedures though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[snowball]

Except that it's called SPAS on tram systems.

 

[theageofthetra]

I have driven past this section many times (& those lights would be VERY visible at night) & only saw this once so it would make sense it was an exceptional rather than a 'normal' operation.

 

[507 001]

Blue flashing beacons (SPAS Lights) mean that the tram has passed a signal at stop.