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IEP electric to diesel-a GWR driver explains.

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IEP electric to diesel-a GWR driver explains. - Posted: May 18, 2018 - 4:15 PM Quote and reply
UK Discussions relating to westbound services-may not apply for much longer at Didcot:

There’s a further complication - to protect the end of the usable (electric) section, there is a Eurobalise in the track, known as the ‘zero balise’, which
instructs the train to lower the pantograph if the driver has forgotten to do so. However it’s been found that this only works if the train headcode is entered into the TMS computer - and the TMS regularly rejects headcodes, forcing you to use a ‘generic’ headcode instead (which gives you the stopping pattern but isn’t related to a specific service). The problem is that if you use a generic headcode, the zero balise doesn’t actually lower the pan! The mitigation for this (to ensure that there’s a second chance
for a mistake to be spotted) is that trains using a generic headcode and not booked to call at Didcot must run on diesel power from Reading!
Eventually the power change-over will be automated, using more Eurobalises,
but in the meantime there’s lots of signage and exceptions ;)
Internet 18.05.18

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