2020-S30 Improving the clarity of railway yard signs

Justification of the recommendation

The poor visibility and ambiguity of track signs causes hazards during shunting work, especially in darkness or otherwise poor visibility. The visibility of track signs is poor, especially in artificial light, so their colors can be confused with each other.

Recommendation

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency reviews track signs and ensure their visibility and unambiguity.

Specification of recommendation

Colors that can be confused with each other in artificial light should not be used in track signs. Attention should be paid to the visibility of signs from every direction. The visibility of track numbers from all directions is of particular importance.

Reiterated in investigation: ---

Actions / explanations

Updated Part 17 of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency's railway engineering guidelines (Ratatekniset ohjeet, RATO) will be published on 1 June 2022, at which time the black-and-white switch signal will be reintroduced. The amendment of the guideline was preceded by testing of the black-and-white signals in Oulu in 2021.