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XC on signals.

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Kentish Paul

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Seen this on the last signal from the Canterbury line at Ashford. It's a double yellow with XC in the box. Seen it before on the western approach from Tonbridge. What does it mean?
 
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swt_passenger

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Seen this on the last signal from the Canterbury line at Ashford. It's a double yellow with XC in the box. Seen it before on the western approach from Tonbridge. What does it mean?

By box do you mean the route indicator? The X prefix in a theatre box usually means the set route is using the particular line (C in this case) in its reverse direction, or as the standard explains "a movement along a bi-directional line in the opposite direction to the normal flow of traffic".
 
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Kentish Paul

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Ashford Kent
By box do you mean the route indicator? The X prefix in a theatre box sometimes (or should that be often?) means the set route is using the particular line (C in this case) in its reverse direction.

Yes route indicator. Although in this case the train is only going to platform 1 or 2 as platforms 5 and 6 are used by down domestics and up high speed services.
 

DY444

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On the large LMR PSB installations of the 60s and 70s, a (usually stencil) route indication prefixed with an X meant the route read to a LOS. Still plenty of examples of this around particularly on the ex LMR parts of the northern WCML
 

Signal Head

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Signals 874 & 876, reading in the Up direction, have route indication of XC when cleared towards the Down Canterbury, which is Platform 6.

The same indication is given on signals at the other end of the layout, and reading in the opposite direction, for movements to the Up Canterbury (Platform 5).

As mentioned by others, the 'X' indicates a movement against the 'normal' flow, or line designation, though where most lines are bi-directional and used as such, it's arguably of little value.

At various times and places, depending upon the applicable standards, use of X in this way has been confined to movements towards a Limit of Shunt, so would only then be seen in association with a position-light aspect. This obviously doesn't apply here.
 

swt_passenger

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At various times and places, depending upon the applicable standards, use of X in this way has been confined to movements towards a Limit of Shunt, so would only then be seen in association with a position-light aspect. This obviously doesn't apply here.

The place I regularly see the X come up is for trains in the up direction from P2 or P3 at Eastleigh, where XS refers to heading up the down slow, and XF means heading up the down fast, in both cases crossing over tho the up side further towards the London end of the yard.
 
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