Signalling into Crianlarich

[Huntergreed]

I was on a WHL train today and, when leaving Crianlarich, it got me thinking. What is the procedure for signalling trains into Crianlarich from the north?

For example:

If (just in theory) a service was running on the Oban branch and the Fort William branch, one of these services was late running and the units were scheduled to couple at Crianlarich:

1) If both left their respective Tyndrum stations at the same time, would both of the trains need to stop outside Crianlarich (ie does the radio token for BOTH services only run as far as the junction immediately before Crianlarich, or does the radio token for either the Oban branch or the FW branch allow running directly into the platform at Crianlarich?)

2) If this is not the case, and the token is for the full section for Tyndrum (Upper or Lower) to Crianlarich, does this mean that the service which left first would need to arrive at Crianlarich before the second service was permitted to leave the station at Tyndrum (this could surely add up delay minutes?)

3) I was on the Oban branch on the return today, and there was no stop outside Crianlarich. I’m assuming that this means the Oban token runs all the way from Tyndrum Lower into the platform and the FW token from Tyndrum runs out before the Junction and a separate token/permission is needed for the junction - the platform in Crianlarich?

 

[Bald Rick]

This is covered in the Local Instructions, within the Sectional Appendix, which is available on Network Rail’s website.

The simple version is that a ‘long token’ can be issued from either branch straight into Crianlarich. There are Up direction only Token Exchange Points at Fillan (on the Fort William line) and Lower Crianlarich (Oban Line), both about half a mile short of the junction at Crianlarich. Under normal operation, a ‘long token’ is issued for the first train from the relevant Tyndrum station that goes straight into Crianlarich. The second train is issued a token only as far as either Fillan or Lower Crianlarich. When the first train has stopped at the far (south) end of the Crianlarich platform, it returns the ‘long’ token, and the second train is then issued with a ‘loop occupied’ token, and the driver reminded verbally that there is a train in section ahead.