{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2012-757/annex-I/appendix-C",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2012-757/annex-I/appendix-C.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2012/757",
  "legislation_title": "Commission Decision of 14 November 2012 concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the ‘operation and traffic management’ subsystem of the rail system in the European Union and amending Decision 2007/756/EC (notified under document C(2012) 8075) (Text with EEA relevance) (2012/757/EU)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2012-757",
  "path": "annex/I/appendix/C",
  "kind": "appendix",
  "number": "C",
  "heading": null,
  "text": "Safety-related communications methodology\n1.\nSCOPE AND PURPOSE\n1.1\nThis Appendix sets out the rules for safety-related communications, between train crew, mainly the train driver, and signaller, in particular to define its structure and methodology. Safety-related communication has priority over all other communication.\n2.\nCOMMUNICATIONS STRUCTURE\n2.1\nThe voice transmission of safety-related messages shall be short and clear without abbreviation. In particular it shall cover the following points to ensure it is understood and the necessary action can be undertaken, whoever is giving the message shall:\ngive their exact location,\nstate the task they are carrying out and information on the action that is needed,\nmake sure the message is received and repeated back as required,\nif necessary, correct a mistake that has been made in the message,\nif necessary, let the person know how they can be contacted.\n2.2\nEmergency messages are intended to give urgent operational instructions that are directly linked with the safety of the railway. For such messages the repetition of the message can be omitted.\n3.\nCOMMUNICATION METHODOLOGY\n3.1\nDrivers shall identify themselves by the train running number and the location. Signallers shall identify themselves by the control area or the location of the signal box.\n3.2\nFor communication between signallers and drivers it is the signallers’ responsibility to ensure that they are talking to the driver within their control area. This is critical when communication is taking place in areas where communications boundaries overlap. This principle shall apply even after an interruption during transmission.\n3.3\nThe following messages shall be used for this purpose by the different parties.\nby the signaller:\nTrain running number\nthis is (control area/location of the signal box)\nby the driver:\nthis is train running number at (location)\n4.\nCOMMUNICATION RULES\n4.1\nIn order that safety-related communication is correctly understood, whatever the communication mean is used, the following rules must be adopted:\n4.2\nThe International Phonetic Alphabet shall be used:\nto identify letters of the alphabet,\nto spell words and location names that are difficult to say, or may be misunderstood,\nin case of interference on the radio or phone,\nwhen quoting the identity of signals or points.\nA Alpha\nB Bravo\nC Charlie\nD Delta\nE Echo\nF Foxtrot\nG Golf\nH Hotel\nI India\nJ Juliet\nK Kilo\nL Lima\nM Mike\nN November\nO Oscar\nP Papa\nQ Quebec\nR Romeo\nS Sierra\nT Tango\nU Uniform\nV Victor\nW Whisky\nX X-ray\nY Yankee\nZ Zulu\n4.3\nThe numbers shall be spoken digit by digit:\n0 Zero\n1 One\n2 Two\n3 Three\n4 Four\n5 Five\n6 Six\n7 Seven\n8 Eight\n9 Nine\n5.\nTERMS (GENERAL)\nStandard terminology to be used in the communication procedure\n5.1\nSpeech transmission procedure\n5.1.1\nTerm transferring the opportunity to speak to the opposite party:\nover\n5.2\nMessage receiving procedure\n5.2.1\nUpon receiving a direct message\nTerm confirming that the sent message has been received:\nreceived\n5.2.2\nTerm used to have the message repeated in the event of poor reception or misunderstanding\nsay again (+ speak slowly)\n5.2.3\nUpon receipt of a message that has been read back\nTerms used to ascertain whether a read-back message exactly matches the sent message:\ncorrect\n5.2.4\nor not:\nerror (+ I say again)\n5.3\nCommunications breaking procedure\n5.3.1\nIf the message has ended:\nout\n5.3.2\nIf break is temporary and the connection is not broken\nTerm used to keep the other party waiting:\nwait\n5.3.3\nTerm used to tell the other party that the communication might be broken but should be resumed later on:\nI call again\n6.\nWRITTEN ORDERS\n6.1\nA written order must only be issued when the train is at a standstill and shall be attributed with a unique identification or authorisation number provided by the signaller.\n6.2\nA written order takes precedence over the related indications provided by trackside signals and/or the DMI except when a lower permitted speed or a lower release speed than the maximum speed prescribed in the written order is applicable.\n6.3\nA written order should be issued as close as practicable to the affected area.\n6.4\nA written order must only be issued when the driver has identified the train running number and the location of the train / shunting movement.\n6.5\nA written order must state the following as a minimum:\nfrom where it was issued (signal box …),\nat what time and date it was issued,\nto which train / shunting movement it refers,\nwhere that train / shunting movement is located,\nat which location it applies,\nclear, precise, unambiguous instructions,\nunique identification or an authorisation number.\n6.6\nA written order may be transmitted:\nphysically on paper, or\nas verbal instructions to the driver to write down, or\nother safe methods of communication to meet the abovementioned requirements.\n6.7\nWhen the driver receives a written order the driver shall check that this written order refers to his train/shunting movement and its current location.\n6.8\nA written order that has been issued can only be revoked by a new written order explicitly referring to the previous one.\n7.\nTERMS (WRITTEN ORDERS)\nStandard terminology to be used in the communication procedure\nCancelling a written order\n7.1\nTerm used to cancel the written order procedure underway:\ncancel procedure\n7.2\nIf the message is then subsequently to be resumed, the procedure shall be repeated from the start.\nError during transmission\n7.3\nWhen a transmission error is discovered by the sender, the sender must request cancellation by sending the following procedure message:\nerror (+ prepare new form )\nor:\nerror + I say again\nand then send the initial message again.\nError during read-back\n7.4\nWhen the sender discovers an error whilst the message is being read back, the sender shall send the following procedure messages:\nerror + I say again\nand send the initial message again.\nMisunderstanding\n7.5\nIf one of the parties does not fully understand a message he must ask the other party to repeat the message by using the following text:\nsay again (+ speak slowly)\n8.\nBOOK OF FORMS\n8.1\nThe infrastructure manager is responsible for drawing up the Book of Forms and the forms themselves in its operating language.\n8.2\nAll the forms to be used shall be assembled in a document or a computer medium called the Book of Forms.\n8.3\nIn order to identify the forms, a unique code word or number relating to the procedure shall be developed.\n8.4\nThis Book of Forms shall be used by both the driver and the staff authorising the movement of trains. The Book used by the driver and the Book used by the staff authorising the movement of trains shall be structured and numbered in the same way.\n8.5\nThe Book of Forms shall comprise two parts.\n8.5.1\nThe first part contains at least the following items:\nan index of written order forms,\na list of situations to which each form applies,\nthe table containing the international phonetic alphabet.\n8.5.2\nThe second part contains the forms themselves. These must be collected by the RU and given to the driver.\n9.\nGLOSSARY OF RAILWAY TERMINOLOGY\n9.1\nThe railway undertaking shall produce a glossary of railway terminology for each network over which its trains operate. It shall supply the terms in regular use in the language chosen by the railway undertaking and in the ‘ operating ’ language of the infrastructure manager(s) whose infrastructure the railway undertaking operates on.\n9.2\nThe glossary shall be composed of two parts:\na listing of terms by subject matter,\na listing of the terms in alphabetical order.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Substituted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/995 of 8 June 2015 amending Decision 2012/757/EU concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the ‘operation and traffic management’ subsystem of the rail system in the European Union (Text with EEA relevance)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2012/757/annex/I/appendix/C",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:15:15.033136+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}