European Instructions (EI)

EI.1Railway undertakings and infrastructure managers shall use European instructions in the communication procedure in the following cases:

(1)

Permission to pass an End of Authority (EOA) - signal showing a stop aspect/stop indication;

(2)

Permission to proceed after a trip (ETCS);

(3)

Obligation to remain at standstill, obligation to carry out end of mission (ETCS);

(4)

Revocation of an operational instruction;

(5)

Obligation to run under restrictions;

(6)

Obligation to run on sight;

(7)

Permission to start in Staff Responsible (ETCS) after preparing a movement;

(8)

Permission to pass a defective level crossing;

(9)

Obligation to run with power supply restrictions;

EI.2An operational instruction includes information delivered digitally, verbally, physically on paper or as verbal instructions to be written down by the train driver or by other safe methods of communication with the same level of information.

In principle when it is necessary for an operational instruction to be written down by the train driver, the train shall be at standstill. The railway undertaking and the concerned infrastructure manager may jointly undertake a risk assessment which could, as a result, define the conditions under which it is safe to deviate from this principle.

An operational instruction shall be delivered as close as practicable to the affected area.

An operational instruction takes precedence over the related indications provided by trackside signals and/or the DMI. When a permitted speed or a release speed lower than the maximum speed prescribed in the operational instruction is applicable, the lowest speed shall be applied.

An operational instruction shall only be issued by the signaller when the train running number has been identified and, if necessary, the location of the train shunting composition. Before applying the operational instruction, the train driver shall check that this operational instruction refers to their train shunting composition and their current or identified

EI-[N].1Each tick box, field of information and option for input in a field contained in a European Instruction shall be given its own alphabetical or numerical identifier. Numbered identifiers that are part of more than one European Instruction shall be given an identifier starting with ‘x’ instead of the number of the European Instruction. This ‘x’ may only be replaced by the number of the European Instruction when transmitting this instruction digitally.

While the content and the identifiers must be used and the alphabetical and numerical order of the identifiers must be respected, the format itself shall be indicative.

If a specific tick box, field or option for input in a field is not to be used in a Member State or on the network of an infrastructure manager, there is no obligation to display this tick box, field or option for input in a field in the European Instruction.

No tick box, field or option for input in a field shall be added.

The scope of each individual field cannot extend beyond the scope of application of the European Instruction to which it belongs.

The infrastructure manager and the railway undertaking may add guidance on how to fill in and read the forms of the European Instructions, under the condition that this guidance is not part of the communication procedure.

For example, if a specific field is not to be used in a Member State or on the network of an infrastructure manager, there is no obligation to display this field in the European instruction and no field shall be added.

The following Figures include the indicative format for the European instructions included in the Appendix C2 to the TSI OPE [7].

Figure EI-[N].F1: Permission to pass an End of Authority - signal showing a stop aspect/stop indication

Figure EI-[N].F2: Permission to proceed after a trip (ETCS)

Figure EI-[N].F3: Obligation to remain at standstill, obligation to carry out end of mission (ETCS)

Figure EI-[N].F4: Revocation of an operational instruction

Figure EI-[N].F5: Obligation to run under restrictions

Figure EI-[N].F6: Obligation to run on sight

Figure EI-[N].F7: Permission to start in Staff Responsible (ETCS) after preparing a movement

Figure EI-[N].F8: Permission to pass a defective level crossing

Figure EI-[N].F9: Obligation to run with power supply restrictions