OpenRailwayMap/Tagging in Germany/Main and Distant Signals

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This page is part of the signal tagging scheme for railway signals in Germany (signals defined by ESO and additional signals used on that railway lines).

Hl Signals

Hl signalling system has been introduced by Deutsche Reichsbahn (railway company of GDR) after 1945 and is a signal which has combined signals (i.e. main and distant signal aspects are combined at one signal).

Hl signals can be found all over former GDR and West Berlin on railway lines/stations whose signal boxes have not been replaced by electronic signal boxes yet. (numbers of this signal are decreasing from year to year)

Hl Distant Signals

Hl distant signals have a distant signal sign (Ne 2) or a repeater sign (white sign with black circle), photographs at Simon Walter's website

Hl Combined Signals

Hl combined signals have a pole sign which consists out of two parts. The top one is white-red-white and the bottom one is a yellow triangle pointing to the ground.

They show a combined signal which consists out of a main and a distant signal aspect. The upper two lights show the distant aspect (green = expect full speed, green flashing = expect 100 kph, yellow flashing = expect 40 or 60 kph, yellow = expect stop). The lower left light is yellow. It is turned on if the speed is limited to 40 kph. The lower right light is an ersatz red light (if the center red fails).

There may be additional four or eight lights below the signal forming two rows. One row is yellow, one green. If the yellow row is on the speed is limited to 60 kph, if the green row is on, the speed is limited to 100 kph. The lower left yellow light is turned on in both cases. If the train may pass the signal with full speed, these two rows and the lower left yellow light are off. In that case, only one of the upper lights is turned on or flashing (it shows the distant signal aspect).

You cannot say which of the two rows can show the green and which one the yellow bar because it is not unique over all Hl signals.

Note, that a signal which has a yellow bar sometimes cannot show 40 kph aspect because there is not switch behind the signal which needs a 40 kph aspect.

photographs at Simon Walter's website,

Hl Main Signals

Hl main signals (i. e. such without distant signal aspects) do not have a yellow light at the left top corner and/or do not have a yellow triangle at sign at their pole. photographs by Simon Walter

Hp Signals

Hp Semaphore Signals

Hp semaphore signals are the oldest main signals which are still in use.

Main signals which can show Hp 2, photographs by Simon Walter

Main signals which cannot show Hp 2, photographs by Simon Walter

Hp Light Signals

Hp light signal with wrong line signal
Hp light signal
Hp light signal with Zs 3 and Zs 12

Hp light signals have been introduced in West Germany after World War II and existing in several variations. There had been some similar signals in East Germany after World War II before Hl signalling system was introduced but they have been used only at very few locations and all signals of this type in East Germany had been dismounted already. There are some Hl signals in Berlin (West and East) which look like Hp signals but show Hl signal aspects and there are some Hp signals in erlin (West and East) which display Hp signal aspects. (i.e. be carefully if you map Berlin S-Bahn signals)

Licht-Blocksignale, photographs by Simon Walter

Licht-Ausfahr-, Einfahr- oder Zwischensignal, Bildbeispiele auf der Website von Simon Walter

Hp 3 of KVB
 Kölner Verkehrs-Betrieben (KVB, Transport Authority of City of Cologne) also uses Hp signals. They can display a Hp 3 aspect. It is a combined aspect (main+distant) and they therefore are tagged as combined signals.

Ks Signals

  • Ks distant signal with a Zs 3v sign

    Ks distant signal with a Zs 3v sign

  • Ks combined signal with a Zs 3v distant speed signal

    Ks combined signal with a Zs 3v distant speed signal

  • Ks main signal with a Zs 3 speed signal

    Ks main signal with a Zs 3 speed signal

  • Ks main signal with a Zs 3 speed signal and Zs 2 route signal (bottom)]

    Ks main signal with a Zs 3 speed signal and Zs 2 route signal (bottom)]

  • Ks combined signal with a reduced distance to the next main/combined signal (white light at the left top corner), Zs 3 (top) und Zs 2 (bottom)

    Ks combined signal with a reduced distance to the next main/combined signal (white light at the left top corner), Zs 3 (top) und Zs 2 (bottom)

  • Ks main signal with Zs 3 (top). This variation (other LEDs and lenses used) is only used on branch lines.

    Ks main signal with Zs 3 (top). This variation (other LEDs and lenses used) is only used on branch lines.

  • Ks combined signal (special edition used at Leipzig City Tunnel with Zs 3 (top right), Zs 2 (top left), Zs 3v (bottom), Zs 7 (second from bottom)

    Ks combined signal (special edition used at Leipzig City Tunnel with Zs 3 (top right), Zs 2 (top left), Zs 3v (bottom), Zs 7 (second from bottom)

  • Ks combined signals at Oberrheinische Eisenbahn (narrow gauge tram-train around Mannheim), Zs 3 at the top, Sh1 integrated into the combined signal, Zs 6 as sign (left) and light signal (right)

    Ks combined signals at Oberrheinische Eisenbahn (narrow gauge tram-train around Mannheim), Zs 3 at the top, Sh1 integrated into the combined signal, Zs 6 as sign (left) and light signal (right)

  • At Berlin S-Bahn Ks signal which are mounted at the roof of platforms are built out of Zs signal elements (photo has been taken in 1993)

    At Berlin S-Bahn Ks signal which are mounted at the roof of platforms are built out of Zs signal elements (photo has been taken in 1993)

The Ks signal system is the new signal system which has been introduced after reunification all over Germany. Hp/Hl/Sv signals are replaced by these signals if the signal box is been replaced by an electronic one. It aims to be an simple and unified system and leaves all the disadvantages of its predecessors behind. There are Ks combined signals, Ks distant signals and Ks main signals. photoraphs by Simon Walter

Ks Distant Signals

Ks distant signals do not have a white-red-white sign a their pole. Instead, they have a distant signal sign (Ne 2). Ks distant signals have two lights, a green and a yellow one at the same height. (In some special cases, they have only a yellow light. Ks distant signals in tunnels can look different because they are much smaller) photographs by Simon Walter

Ks Combined Signals

Ks Combined Signals have a white-red-white sign and a yellow, triangular sign at their pole. (Signals with a white-black-white-black-white sign at their pole only exist along the tracks of Berlin S-Bahn) photographs by Simon Walter

Ks Main Signals

Ks Combined Signals have a white-red-white sign at their pole. photographs by Simon Walter


Sk Signals

Sk signals are a experimental main and distant light signal system which combines main and distant signal aspects in one combined signal. It was (apart from Sv signals in Hamburg) the first combined signal system in West Germany. It is only used between Augsburg and Donauwörth.

Main signals (without distant signal aspects) have a red sign at their pole. Combined signals have a red-yellow sign at their pole. Distant signals have a yellow sign at their pole.

For the full tagging documentation see the German version of this page.


Sv Signals

Sv signals are a very old light signal system and had been invented for the usage at Berlin S-Bahn. They are combined signals. Later, Hamburg S-Bahn started to use them, too. They nowadays only exist in Hamburg. photographs from Hamburg at Wikimedia Commons

Tagging see German version of this page


Vr Signals

Vr signals are distant signals (German "Vorsignale"). photographs by Simon Walter

Vr semaphore signals are the oldes distant signals which are still in use. Vr light signals are only used in West Germany.

Vr Semaphore Signals

  • distant signal which can show two aspects, with Ne 2. Ne 2 is not being mapped because it belongs to the distant signal.

    distant signal which can show two aspects, with Ne 2. Ne 2 is not being mapped because it belongs to the distant signal.

  • distant signal which cannot show Vr 1 (expect full speed) because it is located in West Germany and has only one green sheet of glass.

    distant signal which cannot show Vr 1 (expect full speed) because it is located in West Germany and has only one green sheet of glass.

  • distant signal which can show Vr 1 (expect full speed) because it is located in East Germany. (In East Germany the night signal of Vr 1 may be only one green light.

    distant signal which can show Vr 1 (expect full speed) because it is located in East Germany. (In East Germany the night signal of Vr 1 may be only one green light.

Vr Light Signals

  • distant signal (no repeater, no reduced breaking distance due to missing white light)

    distant signal (no repeater, no reduced breaking distance due to missing white light)

  • left Vr 1, right Vr 0

    left Vr 1, right Vr 0

  • repeater (white light, no Ne 2) displaying Vr 0

    repeater (white light, no Ne 2) displaying Vr 0

  • repeater (white light, no Ne 2) displaying Vr 1

    repeater (white light, no Ne 2) displaying Vr 1

  • distant signal at a main signal; reduced breaking distance due to white additional light

    distant signal at a main signal; reduced breaking distance due to white additional light

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