Electrical track circuits are isolated and defined from each other by the use of insulated rail joints (IRJs). The insulated joints can be of a mechanical or glued variety.

A mechanical IRJ is assembled on-site with a number of metal and insulating components.

A glued IRJ is where two short lengths of rail are joined in a factory by superior bonding techniques. The glued  joint, about 1-2 metres in length, is carried to the site and welded into place.
 

Primarily, interlockings prevent the setup of conflicting routes at places such as junctions or crossings. An interlocking is designed so that it is impossible to clear a signal for a train to progress unless the route ahead is proved to be safe.

An interlocking is a safety-critical signalling device. Modern interlockings have many additional functions incorporated such as Automatic Route Setting and Automated Signalling which depend on the safety-critical data contained in interlockings. 

An interlocking can be of the following types:

• mechanical, 
• electro-mechanical (relay) or
• electronic (computer based interlocking or CBI)

The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers, known more usually as the IRSE, is an international organisation, active throughout the world. It is the professional institution for all those engaged or interested in railway signalling and telecommunications and allied disciplines. The IRSE website can be found here.

The IRSE conducts a licensing scheme, enabling signal engineers to register their skills and develop their careers. A broad description on the IRSE Licensing Scheme can be found here.

Job safety environment analysis.

Employers today need employees who have more than technical skills. They seek individuals who can demonstrate a variety of social and personal attributes as well as the ability to learn new skills. These skills are also the key for career advancement and satisfaction.

Key competencies refer to generic skills that apply to most jobs. The Mayer Key Competencies were developed by the Mayer Committee in the early 1990s, but from July 2006, these are being progressively replaced by Employability Skills. The Mayer Key Competencies are:

1. Collecting, organising and analysing information
2. Communicating ideas and information
3. Planning and organising activities
4. Working with others and in teams
5. Using mathematical ideas and techniques
6. Solving problems
7. Using technology

Key Competencies for each unit of competency can be found at the end of each Unit of Competency. They are assigned a level of 1, 2 or 3:

• Level 1 – perform
• Level 2 – administer and manage
• Level 3 – design and evaluate

In delivering and assessing training it is essential to integrate the Key Competencies.

Key Competencies may be incorporated by having applicants work as part of a team in the planning, preparing and presenting of a project. Key Competencies emphasised through this activity will be Planning and organising activities and Working with others and in teams.

Employability Skills are based on the Meyer Key Competencies, but have an expanded emphasis in training and assessment.

A recent report commissioned by DEST has identified the following employability skills:

• communication skills that contribute to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers;
• teamwork skills that contribute to productive working relationships and outcomes;
• problem-solving skills that contribute to productive outcomes;
• initiative and enterprise skills that contribute to innovative outcomes;
• planning and organising skills that contribute to long-term and short-term strategic planning;
• self-management skills that contribute to employee satisfaction and growth;
• learning skills that contribute to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee and company operations and outcomes; and
• Technology skills that contribute to effective execution of tasks.

DEST has funded Industry Skills Councils to review all Training Packages, and to make modifications to competency standards to accurately reflect industry requirements. From 2006, these modifications will be progressively released in reviewed Training Packages and will replace the current Key Competency Framework.

Employability skills represent an opportunity to improve learning and assessment approaches and VET practitioners will have flexibility in how competency standards are used to meet the employability skills needs of industry and learners.

A collection of (one or more) levers housed on a frame. The levers may operate signals, sets of points or locking bars.

A panel for signallers with switches or buttons to cover the immediate local area. The panel is usually located in a facility close to the local area.

It may be possible to switch local panel operation over to CTC control.

A tabular sheet, designed by signal design engineers, that lists all the interlocking dependencies for an interlocking. Generally used to describe mechanical interlockings.

See also Control Table as applied to electrical and electronic interlockings.

A locomotive (sometimes called an engine) is defined as a wheeled vehicle consisting of a power unit that is used to draw or push trains along railway tracks. The power unit may be a steam engine, electric motors driven by a diesel powered generator (diesel-electric), a diesel engine driving the wheels through a hydraulic transmission (diesel-hydraulic) or electric motors supplied electricity from an outside source (overhead wire or trackside conductors).