How do trains know if the track ahead is clear? (Britain's Digital Railways)

Bex and Dan think about signals – these help to keep trains safe and on the right route.

Since the earliest days of rail, trains have been controlled by their very own ‘highway code’ to keep them a safe distance apart.

Every railway line is divided up into sections called blocks where only one train at a time is allowed to be. Signalling has kit attached to tracks to determine whether or not a train is in a section – this kit includes track circuits which send a small electrical current between the tracks and trains, and axle counters which count the wheels going in and out of a section. If the numbers match, the section is clear for the next train.

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