Train Orders

04/06/23

“How do railway officials govern how a train is safely moved?”

Train systems are massive, complex systems. At any given moment there can be thousands of individual locomotives running freights and passengers around the world. But how are these behemoth machines governed? Well, in North America and Australia, commands are commonly carried out through Train Orders. According to Railway Age’s Comprehensive Railroad Dictionary [1], train orders are “order[s] issued by or through a proper railway official to govern the movement of trains”. In other words, train orders are movement commands dictated by railway officials.

Citations

[1] “Train order”. Railway Age’s Comprehensive Railroad Dictionary. Simmons-Boardman Books. 2002. p. 256. ISBN 0-911382-27-5.

• Engineering
• Policy
• Urban Systems