Where is a terminal stop sign typically placed relative to the point where a pantograph would leave contact wire, if buffer stops are not provided?

Where is a terminal stop sign typically placed relative to the point where a pantograph would leave contact wire, if buffer stops are not provided?

• A. 50 metres from that point
• B. 15 metres from that point
• C. 75 metres from that point
• D. 100 metres from that point

Answer: (B)

The point being tested is how a driver is warned to stop when the overhead line ends and there are no buffer stops. A terminal stop sign is placed a short, fixed distance before the location where the pantograph would leave contact with the wire. This gives the driver a reliable cue to bring the train to a halt before the end of the live overhead circuit, protecting both the pantograph and the line from damage and preventing the train from entering an unenergised dead section. Fifteen metres is used because it provides a practical, achievable stopping distance under typical braking while still leaving enough space to stop cleanly before the end of the contact wire. Distances that are much larger could cause unnecessary delays or misalign the stopping point with the driver’s braking patterns, while shorter distances wouldn’t give sufficient time to stop safely before the end.

The point being tested is how a driver is warned to stop when the overhead line ends and there are no buffer stops. A terminal stop sign is placed a short, fixed distance before the location where the pantograph would leave contact with the wire. This gives the driver a reliable cue to bring the train to a halt before the end of the live overhead circuit, protecting both the pantograph and the line from damage and preventing the train from entering an unenergised dead section.

Fifteen metres is used because it provides a practical, achievable stopping distance under typical braking while still leaving enough space to stop cleanly before the end of the contact wire. Distances that are much larger could cause unnecessary delays or misalign the stopping point with the driver’s braking patterns, while shorter distances wouldn’t give sufficient time to stop safely before the end.