'Zone' signs at stations

[ollyrogers]

Here's one of those things I've always been meaning to ask but never have actually got round to doing it:

What is the purpose of the zone signs at stations eg "Blue Zone", "Purple Zone", "Orange Zone" - also what do the big signs saying OFF mean?

I'll probably find some more to ask about in the future, but Mr Google isn't playing ball when I search them so I figured the professionals here would know!!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Zones: That was a Virgin Trains idea to help passengers locate the correct part of the train.



Off: Is a repeater to let staff down the platform know that the signal has changed to a proceed aspect.

 

[bb21]

What is the purpose of the zone signs at stations eg "Blue Zone", "Purple Zone", "Orange Zone"

They are supposed to help passengers identify the location of their relevant portion on the train. For example, "First Class on the next train will be in the Blue Zone", or "Coach A of the next train will be in the Gold Zone". It is supposed to help people prepare for boarding at the correct place and reduce dwell times.

Some stations, especially in SWT-land, now display train formation, eg. ABCDF or FDCA. Other TOCs such as EMT will show on the CIS "First Class at rear", etc.

also what do the big signs saying OFF mean?

This should help you understand the "OFF" sign.

That was a Virgin Trains idea to help passengers locate the correct part of the train.

Also used by MML I believe.

 

[Intermodal]

The OFF signs are known as "off indicators". They display the word "OFF" when the signal is displaying an aspect which is termed as off, usually a green, yellow, or double yellow, all allowing the train to proceed past the signal. If the signal is on red, the train cannot proceed and the signal is "on" so the sign will not illuminate.

 

[ollyrogers]

They are supposed to help passengers identify the location of their relevant portion on the train. For example, "First Class on the next train will be in the Blue Zone", or "Coach A of the next train will be in the Gold Zone". It is supposed to help people prepare for boarding at the correct place and reduce dwell times.

Intriguing, does this still happen? I've never noticed it at Paddington, Reading, Didcot, Oxford etc - although this doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't happen...

This should help you understand the "OFF" sign.

Also intriguing is that I'm on that very site now looking at speed signs!

 

[bb21]

Intriguing, does this still happen? I've never noticed it at Paddington, Reading, Didcot, Oxford etc - although this doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't happen...

Also intriguing is that I'm on that very site now looking at speed signs!

I believe so at some Virgin-managed stations. Not aware of any other TOC that still use them.

 

[Intermodal]

At Crewe, at least on platform 11 (the only one I usually use), the zone signs are there but they are never referred to by anything, including CIS. Usually the CIS will just say "First class at the rear" or something like that. Also usually says "Quiet zones coaches A and F", "First class in coaches E and J" (for a 10 car 221).

 

[Peter Mugridge]

From a dim and distant memory now being stirred up I'm sure I saw zone signs at Reading some years ago?

 

[ollyrogers]

From a dim and distant memory now being stirred up I'm sure I saw zone signs at Reading some years ago?

They're still there, they just don't seem to be used at all

 

[emoaconr]

I believe so at some Virgin-managed stations. Not aware of any other TOC that still use them.

They're still at Newport (Gwent)

 

[tony_mac]

I was at Birmingham International at the weekend and the 'Zone' messages were in use, but wrong 75% of the time!

(Trains were messed up due to them looping into New St).

They were also in use at Stafford, they also made an announcement that the train was in reverse formation so they had obviously checked before putting the message up.

 

[bb21]

They were also in use at Stafford, they also made an announcement that the train was in reverse formation so they had obviously checked before putting the message up.

Yes. Stafford was the one I had in my mind.

 

[b0b]

I am pretty sure the colour zone system was in use by Intercity long before private operators came along

 

[jopsuk]

Aye- there's some on the East Coast I'm pretty sure.

 

[W-on-Sea]

I am pretty sure the colour zone system was in use by Intercity long before private operators came along

Yes, certainly.

 

[AlterEgo]

I am pretty sure the colour zone system was in use by Intercity long before private operators came along

I definitely remember them on the WCML in the mid nineties. It's not just Virgin who have retained them - there are still some at Watford Junction, which is a London Midland station.

 

[LexyBoy]

They are used very occasionally at Reading- at least one service, the 0748 Bedwyn, is shown as stopping in the blue zone on p4.

 

[WestCoast]

They are used all the time at Preston, with things like "First Class in the Gold Zone" on platform indicators.

 

[GodAtum]

FCC do "First Class at front/rear" but sometimes get it wrong which is so annoying!

 

[Greenback]

I am pretty sure the colour zone system was in use by Intercity long before private operators came along

Yes it was definitely in use in the early 1990's if not before.

They're still there, they just don't seem to be used at all

They are still there, I saw them a few months ago - a quaint reminder of the past, I thought!

FCC do "First Class at front/rear" but sometimes get it wrong which is so annoying!

Yes, it's most irritating for the FC customers who have a long walk to the lawn at Paddington! And cyclists who are standing at the wrong end. And for the train crew, judging by what Flamingo has said!

 

[142094]

Don't think I've seen them on the ECML stations, normally it is an A board which says "Wait here for Coach A - on EC trains only".

Carlisle also has the colour zones but never seen them used consistently.

 

[Aictos]

Aye- there's some on the East Coast I'm pretty sure.

I've never encountered any on the East Coast, Peterborouugh for example doesn't use the colour zones but rather splits the platforms into either 2A, 2B or just Platform 2 as permissive working is in use there.

Leeds is similar using letters of the alphabet to split their platforms up.

I don't think any such zone signs are in use on the ECML, if they are I would be interested in acknowledging which stations do have them - (I don't consider Glasgow Central to be on the ECML).

 

[button_boxer]

In my experience at Derby and Sheffield the "first class at the front/rear" is correct maybe two-thirds of the time for XC trains, a bit better for EMTs. For both voyagers and meridians you can tell whether it's right as the train is approaching as they have a yellow painted coupler at the FC end, so at least you don't have to wait until it's pulled in before realising you're at the wrong end for the quiet coach...

 

[Welshman]

The splitting of platforms into "A", "B" etc at Peterborough, Leeds and other places, allows two or more shorter, but seperate trains, to use the same platform.

As has been said, the use of "Gold Zone" signs, etc, was an InterCity incentive to give passengers some idea as to where to stand to board their train, when there would be just the one fixed-formation train occupying the platform.

I suppose this system is now difficult to use on the WCML for example, where Virgin's trains can be 9-car Pendos, or 5 or 10 - car Voyagers, or even the Pretendolino!

 

[ChrisCooper]

The Zones system was brought in by Intercity and as far as I know the signs were provided at all stations that were managed by Intercity (other than termini) and possibly a few others. IIRC the standard announcements were along the lines of "First Class is in the Gold Zone, the Buffet is in the Blue Zone, Standard Class is in the Purple and Orange Zones". These days front and rear tends to be more common, although that was also used at other stations such as those managed by Regional Railways where Intercity services stopped.

 

[142094]

The splitting of platforms into "A", "B" etc at Peterborough, Leeds and other places, allows two or more shorter, but seperate trains, to use the same platform.

As has been said, the use of "Gold Zone" signs, etc, was an InterCity incentive to give passengers some idea as to where to stand to board their train, when there would be just the one fixed-formation train occupying the platform.

I suppose this system is now difficult to use on the WCML for example, where Virgin's trains can be 9-car Pendos, or 5 or 10 - car Voyagers, or even the Pretendolino!

Most of the platforms at Leeds have permissive working so, although I've never seen as many as four units in the seperate areas labelled a, b, c, d (most I think is 3).

Interestingly at Newcastle, when the new through platforms were contructed in the early 90s, they became 5/6 and 7/8. Wonder why it was never 5a/5b and 6a/6b?

 

[Daimler]

They are used very occasionally at Reading- at least one service, the 0748 Bedwyn, is shown as stopping in the blue zone on p4.

Indeed - I'd say they're regularly used when a Turbo is scheduled for a 'fast' service on Platform 4 - say an Oxford, Great Malvern, or Bedwyn train - so people expecting a HST who've moved down the platform towards the front of the train can move back to the correct area.

 

[LexyBoy]

This is how to do it properly:

 

[175001]

The OFF signs are known as "off indicators". They display the word "OFF" when the signal is displaying an aspect which is termed as off, usually a green, yellow, or double yellow, all allowing the train to proceed past the signal. If the signal is on red, the train cannot proceed and the signal is "on" so the sign will not illuminate.

A single yellow will also illuminate the Off indicator

 

[oglord]

They're still at Newport (Gwent)

Actually the recent refurbishment of Newport High Street (Monmouthshire, not the G-word) has removed them.