French railway signalling
The current French railway signalling system is in force on the Réseau Ferré de France (now SNCF Réseau) since 1930, when the code Verlant was applied. History Historically, each private railway company designed and used its own signals. However, during the First World War the interpenetration of trains between networks had increased, so that it became necessary to create a new unified signals specification. A commission was set up in May 1926, directed by Eugène Verlant of the PLM. The Verlant commission submitted its report at the end of 1927. The new code of signals received the approval of the Ministry of Public Labour on 1 August 1930. Conversion to the Verlant code was completed only at the end of 1936, except on the network of Alsace-Lorraine where it was completed later, because of the unusual pre-existing signalling. The Verlant code was very innovative, based on simple principles: Mainly based on color light signalling, which thereafter simplified the installation of the automatic block. Light signals used three basic colors: red (stop), yellow (to announce stop or limited speed), green (clear). This color code was already applied by many foreign companies. It was also used for traffic lights. Simplification: it presented