How to work with train composition

Content

Introduction

PCS makes it possible to determine the composition of the train running from origin to destination to identify what is after the traction and which wagon is the last.

In case of passenger traffic, it will be easier to inform passengers of the composition of trains and it will be easier to find their coach (first class, passengers with reduced mobility, bicycle-only etc.) and ensure a smoother boarding process.

In the case of freight trains, it plays an important role in determining capacity utilization and ensuring smoother operational services (e.g. trainload and wagonload factors). Knowing the composition of the freight train it is easier to utilize the capacity (e.g. collect operational data).

Who

The train composition can be placed by Applicants in all phases at any time.

Located

the train composition is a dossier-level data, you need to open a dossier to access it. It is located in the menu on the left:

Passenger

Passenger trains require different types of wagons (e.g.: seating capacity, bicycle parking space), so the composition of passengers is different from freight.

Grid description:

Train head: free text field works as a note. In each field, you can indicate the operation point where the train is turned around.
Footnote: 3 digits long, the sort order of the footnotes
Footnote text: max 2000 character long text field to describe the particular composition (e.g: places 14 - 17 severely disabled, a carriage with bicycle transport (8 spaces), wheelchair spaces (2), children's cinema carriage..etc), enter multiple footnotes by separated commas
Free text: character large object (CLOB) value can be used to describe the composition in general (e.g: total length max 10 cars., non-smoking, suitable for wheelchairs, bicycle parking only, the train has the train number "123" on the whole journey...etc)
Applicant: drop-down list, lists the involved Applicant agencies, you can select the agency that is responsible for the particular train composition.
Imp. No.: text field to enter key/code value to map the train composition data between PCS and the national planning system.
Carriage type: free text field to define the carriage type according to UIC specifications e.g.: ABpmz, Bpmdz, RBu...etc
Code: enter carriage equipment code values by selecting from the drop-down list e.g.: air conditioning
Seq. No.: a 3-digits number field to enter the carriage's number (coach number)
Admin.: it lists the involved applicant agencies, to select who is administering the particular carriage
From train: an 8-digit number field to enter the train number "from which" the carriage will be transferred.
Previous route: enter the previous route, type the operation point name in
From: enter "from" operation point
To: enter "to" operation point
Subsequent route: enter a subsequent route, type the operation point name in
To train: an 8-digit number field to enter the train number "to which" the carriage will be transferred
EWP No.: a 6-digits numerical data field to enter the EWP number
EBO (Emergency Over Break): add the EBO values by selecting from the drop-down list
Ep-Brake (Electro-pneumatic-brake): add EP-Break values by selecting from the drop-down list

Create/add

Press the button to start creating your train composition.

Do the followings:

Add Train head note
Add your carriage (wagon) composition to each row. Each row represents a carriage (wagon) composition e.g.: carriage type.
Press to add more carriage compositions.

4. Press to add a text description to your carriage composition if needed as a footnote text.

If you create more footnotes, you can assign them to the particular carriage composition separated by a comma.

5. Press to save your added train composition

Edit

Press the button.to update your existing train composition.

In edit mode, you can add/modify/delete new carriage composition items and footnotes or customize the grid.

Copy

Press the to copy the desired existing carriage composition row in the same order to the bottom of all train compositions to simplify your work.

Footnotes cannot be copied over, you have to manually enter them.

Press to copy the selected composition items to the bottom of all train compositions in inverted order.

Move

Hover your mouse over to this icon, and your mouse cursor changes to to indicate that you are ready to reorder the selected carriage composition.

Delete

Tick the checkbox next to the unwanted carriage composition item and press button.

Press the icon to delete the unwanted footnote text.

Customize grid

If you do not want to see all columns you can decide which columns will be shown/hidden.

Click on the button and deselect the columns that should not be visible on the grid by ticking the checkbox next to the item label.

Set items per page

Click to the field to see the customizing opportunities per page and select the desired settings.

Navigation

Navigation among the cells works with the Tab key

Freight

PCS makes it possible to define freight traffic train composition. It is not so common and works a bit different than in the case of passenger traffic.

For freight, the train compositions are split into sections and into groups within the sections. In the below example there are two section pages are created but originally it is one section (1.1) split into 2 groups.

Grid description:

Train head: free text field works as a note. In each field, you can indicate the operation point where the train is turned around. Add multiple entries separated by comma.
Footnote: 3-digits number field, the sort order of the footnotes
Footnote text: max 2000 character long text field to describe the particular composition (e.g: places 14 - 17 severely disabled, a carriage with bicycle transport (8 spaces), wheelchair spaces (2), children's cinema carriage..etc), enter multiple footnotes by separated commas
Free text: character large object (CLOB) value can be used to describe the composition in general (e.g: total length max 10 cars., non-smoking, suitable for wheelchairs, bicycle parking only, the train has the train number "123" on the whole journey...etc)
Applicant: drop-down list, lists the involved Applicant agencies, you can select the agency that is responsible for the particular train composition.
Imp. No.: text field to enter key/code value to map the train composition data between PCS and the national planning system.
Section:3-digits number field with max 1 decimal point, enter the section number e.g.: 1.1 , 1.2, ...etc
Section from / Section to: enter "from"/"to" operation point where the section starts or ends
Group: 3-digits number field with max 1 decimal point, enter the group number e.g.: 1.1 , 1.2, ...etc
Group from / Group to: enter "from"/"to" operation point where the group starts or ends
Richtpunkt: you can enter the group's reference point code
Grenzpunkt: you can enter the group's border point code
Traffic period (Group): you can define the group's running days in the calendar. It is not connected to the territories calendar.
TP Remark: add a note for the traffic period (group)
Vmax (km/h): 5-digits number field, to enter the max. speed for this group of carriages. There is no crosscheck against the field Vmax in the train parameters. The user is responsible that both fields contain correlating and meaningful values.
Load: 5-digits number field, enter the load the weight of the group
Length: 5-digits number field, enter the total length of the group
Profile 1 / Profile 2: max 60 characters long text field, there is no crosscheck against the profile fields in the train parameters.
Brake waggon: enter the description if the brake waggon is at the head or the tail of a group by selecting from the drop-down list
Ban wagon: enter a description of ban waggon position by selecting from the drop-down list
Addition: tick the checkbox to indicate that more wagons can be added to this group.
Type of goods: start typing the code of the goods and you can select the type of goods from the drop-down list

Trusted changeover from / Trusted changeover to enter "from"/"to" operation point
Wagon changeover from train / to train: By entering train numbers you can describe changeovers to other trains.