Deviation from a Railway Group Standard (In accordance with the Railway Group Standards Code, Issue Four, part 7) Deviation Number: 14/078/DEV 1. Start and End Date: From 26/06/2014 to 22/10/2018 2. Details of applicant: Robert Holbrow, C/O Chris Folwell, Asset Management & Railway Systems, Network Rail, The Quadrant: MK, Furzton, Desk MIK-FUR-03-B-1503, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, MK9 1EN 3. Your reference number: Tracker No. 16966 4. Status of applicant: Infrastructure Manager, RSSB Member 5. Title of certificate: Reduced Sized Temporary Speed Restriction Boards for Thameslink. 6a. Details of Railway Group Standard (RGS): RGS Number: Issue No: Issue Date: Title: GI/RT7033 Two October 2009 Lineside Operational Safety Signs 6b. RGS clause(s): B6.1, Appendix A Signs AF02m, AF03, AF04m. 6c. RGS clause requirements: B6.1 Size of signs Unless otherwise stated, duty holders shall apply a maximum tolerance of 1% to the dimensions specified in the appendices to this document, but subject to a maximum of ±10 mm. Sign AF02m: Temporary Speed Restriction Warning Board This sign provides warning of a temporary speed restriction board ahead. The differential presentations shall have the meanings set out in GO/RT3000. Display of values in miles per hour: White spots. Reference: 14/078/DEV Page 1 of 5
Standard differential values shall be represented by two boards, the lower value above the other. The single speed board shall be square. Lettering and Digits: Minimum of 4 seconds at the highest permissible (including enhanced permissible) speed approaching the location concerned. Sign AF03: Temporary Speed Restriction Repeater Warning Board This sign provides a reminder of a temporary speed restriction board ahead. It is normally used where drivers start from a platform, or at a siding connection after having had a warning board. Display of values in miles per hour: White spots. Minimum of 4 seconds at the highest attainable speed at the location concerned. It shall be visible from the stopping points of trains on the tracks to which the sign relates. Sign AF04m: Temporary Speed Restriction Speed Indicator This sign indicates the start of a temporary speed restriction with the value shown. The differential presentations shall have the meanings set out in GO/RT3000. Display of values in mph: The single speed indicator shall be square. Standard differential values shall be represented by two boards, the lower value above the other. Lettering and Digits: Minimum of 4 seconds at the highest permissible (including enhanced permissible) speed approaching the location concerned. Sign AF05: Temporary Speed Restriction Directional Arrow This sign is always associated with a warning board, a speed indicator, or a spate indicator. It indicates that the restriction applies to a diverging route (either left or right). Display of values in mph and km/h: The board shall be shown below the speed values, but above the warning bar. The board shall be square. Black arrow. Reference: 14/078/DEV Page 2 of 5
Sign AF06: As applicable to the sign to which it relates. Temporary Speed Restriction Termination Indicator This sign identifies the end of a temporary speed restriction. The board shall contain a black T on a yellow background, background to class 1 retroreflectivity. Display of values in mph: Black lettering. Minimum of 4 seconds at the highest permissible (including enhanced permissible) speed approaching the location concerned. 7. Scope of deviation: The scope of using these Temporary Speed Restriction (TSR) boards covers the geographical area of London Bridge on the Thameslink Programme. The extents of which are: All lines on ELR XTD from Charing Cross to Hither Green; All lines on ELR LBW from London Bridge to Brockley; All lines on ELR LBC from London Bridge to Bricklayers Arms Junction; All lines on ELR CBM from Canon Street to London Bridge; All lines on ELR CSW from Canon street to Metropolitan Junction; All lines on ELR HHH and BMJ from Blackfriars to Metropolitan Junction. The equipment involved is a temporary speed restriction sign of identical construction to those already in use with a reduced surface area. Note that the same design of sign is used for emergency speed restrictions, and this usage is in scope of this deviation. 8. Duration of the deviation: To allow time to comply with the RGS at a future date. 9. Method of elimination: Signage within scope of this deviation is planned to become compliant when the standard GI/RT7033 is updated to include the sign with reduced dimensions following successful application on Thameslink Programme. 10. Impacts of complying with the current RGS requirement: Due to the complex layout and works around London Bridge, temporary speed restrictions for multiple lines often require a large number of signs to be placed in the same location, which becomes foul of gauge once three or more standard sized signs are placed on top of each other if the currently authorised signs are continued to be used. In order to avoid them being struck by trains, it may be necessary to greatly extend temporary speed restrictions, which is undesirable. 11. Proposed alternative provisions: This deviation proposes a reduction in the size of the signs to 300 mm x 300 mm. The colouring and font will remain the same as described in GI/RT7033. Reference: 14/078/DEV Page 3 of 5
Fonts will be compliant with GI/RT7033 and use BS3693B:1964 for digits and Rail Alphabet for letters, but size will be reduced to maintain the ratio of lettering size to background. The size of fonts to be reduced be at least 176 mm for digits, 208 mm for Repeater Warning Board (Letter - R) and 223 mm for Termination Indicator (Letter T). Please see attached risk assessment and the drawing attached to the application for more details. 12. Impacts of the alternative provisions: Readability of the smaller sized sign has been designed to be at least as effective at 60 mph as the standard sized sign at 125 mph which complies with current standards. As this size of font is already suitable for speeds up to 125 mph, the reduced size boards proposed here have better readability than those already approved for use. The proposed smaller signs reduces the risk of a TSR boards being struck by a train and reduces the cost of operational delays by minimising the length of TSR sites. Reduced size signs are proposed for a scope area where the maximum line speed does not exceed 60 mph. Trials have been undertaken to prove that, at line speed 60 mph, the reduced size board is at least as visible as the standard sign at 125 mph, which is currently approved. A reduced sized sign was tested against the requirement for a sign to be readable for four seconds at 60 mph, a distance of 107.26 m. This will provide a surface area approximately 60% of the size of a normal sign. 13. What other options have been considered? Compliant signage was considered and has been used, but it was proved impracticable to use it in reduced clearance areas. 14. Consultation with affected parties At a local liaison meeting between the local train operating companies (Southern, South Eastern and First Capital Connect), the use of a reduced size TSR board received support subject to successful trials. Formal consultation has been completed, Southern supported the application. 15. Additional actions/observations: Upon receipt, the applicant is required to identify affected, interfacing parties and copy this certificate, together with supporting information, to those parties. The holder of the certificate is responsible for checking that the original assumptions and conclusions contained in the deviation certificate remain valid whenever any material changes occur. If the conditions of the deviation certificate change, the deviation will no longer be valid. In these circumstances, the holder of the deviation certificate may consider applying for a new deviation. Time-limited deviations will be closed on the expiry date. However, please let us know if you no longer require your non-time limited deviation certificate so that we may close it also. Attachments: Southern s support dated 05/06/2014 Network Rail Tracker application dated 27/01/2014: Reduced Size Temporary Speed Restriction Boards on Thameslink London Bridge Area; Thameslink Programme Reduced Size Temporary Speed Restriction Sign Risk Assessment Ref. N000/01000/NRT/RET/E.G. Version 1; Drawing RBLI No. 1515 dated 23/09/2013; Drawing RBLI No. 1625 dated 16/06/2014; The Thameslink Programme: KO2 Signalling and Track Design & Engineering Meeting minutes Monday, 24 th March 2014. 16. Signature of applicant: Date of application: Edward Rollings (Signals), Head of Signal Engineering 04/06/2014 Reference: 14/078/DEV Page 4 of 5
17. Lead Standards Committee details: Name of Committee: Date of meeting Minute reference: Control Command and Signalling 25/06/2014 14/CCS/06/146 Authorised by: Signed by Tom Lee on 16/07/2014 Date of Authorisation: 16/07/2014 Tom Lee Acting Head of Traffic Operation and Management Head of New Systems Head of Delivery, Control Command & Signalling, and Energy Reference: 14/078/DEV Page 5 of 5