OpenRailwayMap/Tagging in Belgium

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This tagging scheme is a work in progress. As such, it's best to not translate it to other languages yet.

  • OpenRailwayMap/Tagging in Belgium
  • In other languages

Tracks

General

General tags in Belgium are:

  • operator=* in general operator is Infrabel. On industrial lines and heritage lines, this may not be true.
  • ref=* name of the railway line, i.e. ref=L162
  • usage=* for example usage=main

Gauge

The Belgian railways use the standard track gauge.

Electrification systems

The following electrification systems are used in Belgium:

Non-electrified

DC electrification

AC electrification

Train protection

  • railway:tbl=yes TBL train protection
  • railway:tbl=1+ TBL1+ train protection (remark: railway:tbl=2 is possible, but TBL2 is discontinued and line 2 is now equipped with ETCS)
  • railway:etcs=yes European Train Control System
  • railway:etcs=1 ETCS Level 1 – Trackside signals are equipped with Eurobalises that transmit i.a. the state of the signal
  • railway:etcs=2 ETCS Level 2 – The state of signals is transmitted over a GSM-R link. Eurobalises only transmit static information, such as line speed, curves and distance to the next balise. Trackside signals are optional (exclusive cab signalling is possible)

Milestones

These are mapped as node nodes on the railway line:

Signalling

This signal is currently saying: you are driving in opposite regime, proceed, at maximum 50 km/h, you will change to normal regime. The signs on the signal are saying: in the next section there is a part with a downhill gradient of 12 mm/m or more (but less than 18 mm/m), this is signal CX-D.45 and it's opposite regime.

The main tag for any type of signal, whether light or sign, is railway=signal.

Light signals have an identification sign with the name of the signal, which can be mapped with

 To do: tag for signals mounted higher than normal on a gantry or catenary mast, probably with a new value for railway:signal:*:height=*

Main signal

FR: grand signal d'arrêt, NL: groot stopsein

Signalling in Belgium is relatively simple, because the signals and distant signals have the same shape. The main signals, "big stop signals", have a white rectangular identification plate. Distant signals look almost identical but have a round yellow identification plate (see below). Most big stop signals can also show the aspects of distant signals: they can act as a stop signal and distant signal in one.

(You can learn what these aspects mean at several websites, such as railpassion.eu (FR), railpassie.eu (NL) or cooltrain.be (NL)

Regime

Opposite regime signals are mirrored, have blinking lights, have markers in the corners of their identification plate and usually have an X in their ref=*.

(FR: régime de voie normale / régime de contre-voie, NL: regime normaalspoor / regime tegenspoor)

Trains in Belgium are either in "normal regime" or in "opposite regime". Shunting operation is always in normal regime.

The form of big signals reflects the regime of trains that see it, see the drawing on the right or above.

From the point of view of the driver, by default normal regime signals are placed on the left side of the track, opposite regime signals on the right side. Exceptions to this are possible, in those cases a round blue sign with a white arrow points to the track the signal applies to.

In the vast majority of cases where there are 2 tracks next to each other, trains preferably drive on the left. On the left track, you will see exclusively normal regime signals and on the right track opposite regime signals.

While normally a track seems to have a canonical direction, this is not true in general: you can find big signals that are placed in opposing directions close by on the same track that are both normal regime.

Signal aspects

You can map the installed lights as a semi-colon separated list in railway:signal:*:lights:

BE:V BE:Js
BE:R
BE:Ji
BE:B

When known, it's preferable to map the states the signal can be in (the "aspects") instead, in railway:signal:*:states:

BE:V BE:VJH BE:VJV BE:2J BE:RB BE:R

But the possible aspects can be difficult to know for sure (most signals have the required lights for VJH and VJV installed, but cannot show those aspects), so if you are not completely certain, stick to tagging the lights, which is a lot easier.

Main tags

With distant speed limit indicator

With speed limit indicator

 To do: lettre rebroussement

With regime change indicator

With dead-end track access indicator

With CAB indicator

With gradient sign

 To do: gradient signs (i>12 and i≥18)

With ETCS zone start/end sign

These signs are mainly installed on stop signals, but can sometimes be installed as stand-alone signs.

Start of ETCS Level 1 Limited Supervision zone

Panneau de début de zone ETCS Niveau 1 Limited Supervision Infrabel

Start of ETCS Level 1 Full Supervision zone

Panneau de début de zone ETCS Niveau 1 Full Supervision Infrabel

Start of ETCS Level 2 Full Supervision zone

Panneau de début de zone ETCS Niveau 2 Full Supervision Infrabel

End of ETCS zone

Panneau de fin de zone ETCS Infrabel

Distant signal

FR: signal avertisseur, NL: verwittigingssein

Distant signals have a round yellow identification plate.

Repeater

Repeaters show a horizontal line or a diagonal line depending on the state of a nearby signal that is hidden around a corner. They are much closer to their signal than a distant signal.

Simplified stop signals

60x60px) 60x60px)

You will find these mostly within marshaling yards, but they apply to all movements.

Shunting signals

These only apply to small movement (shunting, first movement after changing driver, etc.)

Substitute signals

Clearing crown

FR: couronne de franchissement, NL: overschrijdingskroon

  • railway:signal:[signal type]:substitute_signal=BE:CF

This is a sign indicating that trains may pass a closed signal with a procedure without contacting the signal box.

Clearing light

FR: œilleton de franchissement, NL: overschrijdingslicht

  • railway:signal:[signal type]:substitute_signal=BE:OF

This is a light, when it is lit, it has the same meaning as a clearing crown.

Balise marker sign

This sign is used when the balises of a signal are more than 8 metres upstream.

Buffer stop signals

Speed limits

The speed of a track is tagged with:

The speeds are indicated at the trackside with a signs. As is common in the railway sector, those values should multiplied by 10 to arrive at the speed in km/h.

It is always necessary to add the direction of these signs:

Note: if a sign has two dots on it, it's a temporary sign and should not be mapped! Example:

information icon

The ETCS Full Supervision can allow higher speed limits than track side signals.

Reference speed

Announcement of a speed limit

Beginning of a speed limit

New, higher limit, below the reference speed

New, higher limit for some traffic

This is the least common speed sign. It is placed between an announcement sign and and an origin sign after a line where a lower speed limit was in effect joins. The trains coming from that line may increase their speed when passing this sign. For drivers who had passed the announcement sign, this sign does not apply: they have to attain the lower speed only at the origin sign

Speed sign for distant signal

This sign is carried by a signal that can always show VJH. When the signal shows VJH, this sign indicates the minimum speed that can be imposed at the next signal if this speed is greater than 40 km/h.

Selective signal for Carwash

This signal is used in carwashes to indicate to the train driver if he needs to brake (down arrow) or accelerate (up arrow) to maintain the required speed (5 km/h). When the train is at the correct speed, both arrows are shown.

Stations

Station announcement

Stop position depending of number of carriages

End of platform

Lines with stop markers

These markers are used to mark stop positions on lines where only cab signalling is used. Whether the train is allowed to pass them, is displayed on a display in the train's cab.

Stop markers

The stop markers can be tagged similar to the Netherlands:

Traction

Contact line segmentation

End of contact line

Panto distant

Panto down

Panto up

Sources

v · d · e
Railway signals by country
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