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List of Train Describers

From Open Rail Data Wiki

The following list of train describers was last updated on 28th August 2025.

Where available, specific information regarding each train describer (TD) is linked via the 'ID' column. This data is not official, not subject to change management and may not be current. Do not submit any train describer documentation here unless it has been formally released - action may be taken by Network Rail if this occurs.

The column headings are as follows:

  • ID - identity of the train describer in TD messages. This is not necessarily the same as the plated signalbox ID. Where a link is provided you will find specific details relating to that TD area.
  • Name - the name of the train describer
  • SIG - whether signal aspects (on/off) are available
  • RTE - whether route set indications are available
  • LAT - whether latch (e.g. Train Ready To Start (TRTS)) indications are available
  • TRK - whether track occupation (track circuit or axle counter) indications are available
  • PTS - whether points (normal/reverse) indications are available
  • LXG - whether level crossing barrier control indications are available
  • Notes - the date the train describer was commissioned or when it is expected.

A TD with the name of 'TBD' indicates a train describer which is planned, but details are not yet available.

A '?' in one of the six S-Class columns indicates that this detail is not currently known.

Where a commissioning date is known, it will be shown in the 'Notes' column - these are subject to change. Dates of first messages from a TD are not shown, as these may be sent some time before useful data is transmitted.

Train Describers

Current and Planned

ID Name SIG RTE LAT TRK PTS LXG Notes
A2 Ashford IECC B      
A3 Ashford Front-End TD        
AD Ashford IECC A      
AL Alnmouth SB TD      
AN Allington Junction          
AS Aston SCC TD      
AW Acton Wells      
B0 TBC ? ? ? ? ? ?
B1 BAROC Strawberry Hill Scalable     Commissioned 2021-03-30
B2 BAROC Ascot Scalable     Commissioned 2022-03-30
B3 BAROC Farncombe Scalable ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned October 2025
B4 TBC ? ? ? ? ? ?
B5 TBC ? ? ? ? ? ?
B6 TBC ? ? ? ? ? ?
B8 TBC ? ? ? ? ? ?
B9 TBC ? ? ? ? ? ?
BA Barnsley PSB TD       S-Class enabled 2021-04-11
BE Basingstoke    
BG WMSC Bromsgrove Corridor WestCAD         S-Class enabled 2016-11-07
BL Bristol PSB ITD            
BM Barnham DTD    
BP Basingstoke (Poole - Wool)      
BS Barnes TD      
BU EMCC Burton Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2018-08-17
BX Basingstoke (WoE)    
C0 TfW CVLICC TAM Area WestCAD     Commissioned 2023-04-29
C1 SWCC Newport Corridor WestCAD      
C2 SWCC Cardiff Area MCS  
C3 SWCC Shrewsbury North WestCAD        
C4 WROC Shrewsbury - Newport WestCAD ? ? ? ? ? ?
C5 WROC North Wales Coast WestCAD         Commissioned 2018-03-09
C6 SWCC Swansea Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2019-02-26
C7 WROC Bridgend Area WestCAD ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned 2029
CA Cambridge ITD  
CC Colchester    
CD Castleford       S-Class enabled 2021-04-04
CE Crewe PSB      
CH Chichester        
CL Carlisle PSB TD            
CS Chester PSB            
CT Channel Tunnel              
CV WMSC Cherwell Valley WestCAD         Commissioned 2016-08-08
CY WMSC Coventry WestCAD      
D0 TVSC Bristol Temple Meads Area Scalable IECC     Commissioned 2018-03-29
D1 TVSC Reading IECC A    
D2 TVSC Reading IECC B    
D3 TVSC Paddington Area Scalable IECC    
D4 TVSC Hayes Area Scalable IECC    
D5 TVSC Didcot IECC    
D6 TVSC Maidenhead Area Scalable IECC      
D7 TVSC Swindon Area IECC      
D9 TVSC Stoke Gifford IECC       Commissioned 2016-08-30
DA TVSC Acton Area Scalable IECC     Commissioned 2021-12-21
DJ Deansgate Junction Area ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned 2026
DR Doncaster PSB TD            
DU Dundee TD         Commissioned 2021-09-29
DY EMCC Derby Area WestCAD     Commissioned 2018-09-03
E1 Edgeley No 1          
EA Edinburgh SCC IECC "A" (Scalable)   Commissioned 2022-11-20
EB Edinburgh SCC IECC "B" (Scalable)     Commissioned 2023-06-11
EC Edinburgh SCC IECC "C" (Scalable)     Commissioned 2023-10-29
ED Edinburgh SCC IECC "D" (Scalable)    
EE Edinburgh SCC IECC "E" (Scalable)       Commissioned 2023-10-29
EH Eastleigh
EK East Kent MCS ITD
EN Cambridge IECC (Ely - Norwich)    
EX Exeter          
FE Ferrybridge    
G1 WSSC Glasgow Area WestCAD    
G2 WSSC Paisley ITD  
G3 WSSC Newton/Whifflet Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2017-04-18
G4 WSSC Motherwell/Carstairs Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2018-08-16
GD Guildford            
GL Gloucester ITD            
HG Harrogate IECC    
HN Heaton Norris          
HT Havant      
IH Inverness Highlands WestCAD       Commissioned 2017-12-05
IN Inverness WestCAD     Commissioned 2024-12-23
IR Inverness RETB             Commissioned 2023-02-10
KG EMCC Kettering Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2018-02-21
KM EXROC Mid-Cornwall Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2024-02-06
KN WMSC Kings Norton WestCAD         Commissioned 2016-11-07
KW EXROC West Cornwall Area WestCAD ? ? ? ? ? ?
L1 Lincoln West ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned 2025
L2 Lincoln East          
LA Lancing          
LC WMSC Leamington Corridor      
LN Lincoln       Planned decommissioning 2025
LR EMCC Leicester Area WestCAD    
M0 MRROC Lime Street WestCAD       Commissioned 2018-07-26
M1 MRROC Liverpool Area WestCAD        
M2 MRROC Manchester North WestCAD        
M3 MRROC Manchester Central WestCAD      
M4 MRROC Wavertree (East) WestCAD         Commissioned 2018-05-07
M5 MRROC Wavertree (West) WestCAD         Commissioned 2018-12-19
M6 MRROC Macclesfield Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2022-08-29
M7 MRROC Crewe South Area       Commissioned 2024-11-12
M8 MRROC Crewe Independent Lines       Commissioned 2024-11-12
M9 MRROC Blackpool Area WestCAD         Commissioned 2018-01-29
MA Maidstone East          
MD EMCC Mansfield      
ME Marylebone Chilterns IECC    
MH Machynlleth      
MO Morpeth SB TD      
MP Manchester Piccadilly PSB TD    
MS Manchester South        
MZ Manchester East WestCAD    
NE EMCC North Erewash Area WestCAD        
NJ Neasden Jn TD         Commissioned 2016
NK Ashford North Kent MCS  
NL Colchester NYL Area MCS   Commissioned 2020-02-04
NM EMCC Nottingham WestCAD      
NS WMSC New Street Station WestCAD     Commissioned 2022-12-21
NX East London Line      
PC Port Talbot (Carmarthen) ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned for October 2025
PH Plymouth         S-Class enabled 2024-03-17
PJ WMSC Proof House Jn WestCAD         Commissioned 2017-12-17
PL Port Talbot PSB Llanelli WestCAD       Commissioned 2023-05-19
PT Port Talbot            
PX Preston PSB TD            
Q0 ROROC Crossrail RCC (Core)     Commissioned 2019-02-14
Q1 ROROC Stratford IECC     Commissioned 2016-11-06
Q2 ROROC Shenfield IECC     Commissioned 2017-02-26
Q3 ROROC West Anglia Area IECC   Commissioned 2019-03-08
Q4 ROROC Liverpool Street Area IECC     Commissioned 2020-09-13
Q5 ROROC LT&S (Main) Area IECC   Commissioned 2020-09-27
Q6 ROROC LT&S (Loop) Area IECC     Commissioned 2020-09-27
Q7 ROROC North London Area IECC     Commissioned 2023-12-03
R1 Rugby SCC (Watford - Bletchley ITD)  
R2 Rugby SCC (Northampton - Rugby ITD)  
R3 RYROC Stafford Area WestCAD         Commissioned 2015-09-01
R4 RYROC Colwich Area WestCAD         Commissioned 2024-01-11
R5 RYROC Claydon MCS     Commissioned 2024-08-24
R6 RYROC Wembley ML WestCAD ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned 2027
RT Marston Vale MCS  
RW Rochdale West      
SC Scunthorpe            
SJ WMSC Stourbridge WestCAD      
SK Stoke On Trent  
SM Stirling Middle        
SO South Tottenham            
SS Sandhills Area WestCAD         Commissioned 2022-03-27
SU Surbiton (Woking)      
SV WMSC Stour Valley WestCAD         Commissioned 2017-12-17
SX Saxmundham (East Suffolk) MCS    
T0 TYROC Ashington Workstation ? ? ? ? ? ? Commissioned 2024-03-27
T1 TYROC Newcastle/Gateshead Area WestCAD     Commissioned 2021-12-25
T2 TYROC Darlington Area WestCAD     Commissioned 2021-12-25
T3 TYROC Sunderland Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2021-12-25
TB Three Bridges ASC ITD        
TD WMSC Telford      
TE Tonbridge        
TH Thrumpton        
TN EMCC Chesterfield Area WestCAD      
TW Tweedmouth SB TD      
VC London Victoria        
W2 Woking (Farnham)      
WA Warrington PSB        
WC Wembley C Sidings             Commissioned 2015-06-07
WD Winsford PSB            
WE Worksop          
WG EMCC Wigston Area WestCAD         Commissioned 2024-11-11
WH West Hampstead WestCAD       Commissioned 2023-12-24
WI Wimbledon NCP      
WJ Wembley Mainline (Watford) WestCAD        
WK Wakefield Kirkgate            
WL WMSC Walsall WestCAD      
WN WMSC Water Orton WestCAD        
WO WMSC Wolverhampton WestCAD        
WS Willesden Suburban  
WW Westbury          
WY Wembley Mainline PSB      
X0 TBROC Thameslink Core WestCAD     Commissioned 2015-03-15
X1 TBROC London Bridge Central WestCAD     Commissioned 2015-01-05
X2 TBROC Charing Cross WestCAD     Commissioned 2016-01-04
X3 TBROC Cannon Street WestCAD     Commissioned 2016-08-30
X5 TBROC Herne Hill WestCAD ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned December 2027
X6 TBROC Nunhead WestCAD ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned December 2027
X7 TBROC East Sussex MCS   Commissioned 2019-12-02
X8 TBROC Victoria Kent WestCAD     Commissioned 2022-12-21
X9 TBROC Tulse Hill MCS   Commissioned 2024-10-25
XA TBROC Victoria Sussex WestCAD (link 1)     Commissioned 2022-12-27
XB TBROC Victoria Sussex WestCAD (link 2)     Commissioned 2022-12-24
XC TBROC Stewarts Lane WestCAD ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned December 2027
XE Warrington Central            
XL Hunts Cross            
Y0 YKROC North Lincs WestCAD     Commissioned 2015-12-30
Y1 YKROC York Area WestCAD     Commissioned 2024-12-26
Y2 YKROC Leeds City Area IECC     Commissioned 2018-12-25
Y3 YKROC Leeds North West Area IECC     Commissioned 2018-12-25
Y4 YKROC Sheffield WestCAD     Commissioned 2016-05-02
Y5 YKROC Brough WestCAD         Commissioned 2018-11-07
Y6 YKROC Huddersfield WestCAD     Commissioned 2018-01-18
Y7 YKROC Halifax WestCAD     Commissioned 2018-10-17
Y8 YKROC Kings Cross North WestCAD       Commissioned 2018-11-26
Y9 YKROC Kings Cross South WestCAD       Commissioned 2021-04-14
YA YKROC Hartlepool Area WestCAD     Commissioned 2021-02-07
YB YKROC Middlesbrough Area WestCAD 1   Commissioned 2021-11-15
YC YKROC Peterborough Area WestCAD     Commissioned 2023-08-20
YD YKROC Huntingdon Area WestCAD       Commissioned 2023-08-20
YE YKROC Leeds East ? ? ? ? ? ? Planned December 2025
YO Yoker SCC MCS  
Z1 Test TD             Dummy TD used for testing, data should be ignored
ZA Ashford TDC            
ZB Bournemouth TDC          
ZG Guildford TDC        
ZH Horsham TDC            
ZR Rainham TDC            
ZY Yeovil TDC - Salisbury & Exmouth Jn

Decommissioned

ID Name Topic SIG RTE TRS TRK PTS LXG Abolished
BD Bowesfield TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA 2019-03-09
BN Birmingham New Street PSB TD_LNW_WMC_SIG_AREA 2022-12-24
CF Cardiff TD_WWM_SIG_AREA 2015-12-30
CM Carmuirs East TD_SE_SIG_AREA ~2017-12-26
DN (Not commissioned)
DY Derby TD_MC_EM_SIG_AREA 2018-09-01
EB Edinburgh SCC IECC "B" TD_SE_SIG_AREA 2023-06-11
EC Edinburgh SCC IECC "C" TD_SE_SIG_AREA 2023-10-29
EE Edinburgh SCC IECC "E" 2023-10-29
ES TBROC East Sussex MCS TD_SUSS_SIG_AREA 2019-12-02
F2 Feltham (Shepperton Branch) IECC 2021-04-02 (commissioned 2019-06-23)
FH Feltham ASC TD TD_WESS_SIG_AREA 2023-08-27
HM Healey Mills TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA ~2018-01-22
HU Huddersfield TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA ~2018-01-22
K2 Kings Cross (Hertford Loop) TD_LNE_GN_SIG_AREA 2018-12-02
KX Kings Cross TD_LNE_GN_SIG_AREA 2022-03-24
LB London Bridge ASC TD TD_KENT_MCC_SIG_AREA 2020-07-25
LE Leamington Spa TD_LNW_WMC_SIG_AREA 2016-08-07
LS Liverpool Street IECC "A" TD_ANG_SIG_AREA 2020-09-13[1]
ML Motherwell PSB TD TD_SW_SIG_AREA 2019-12-25
NT Newport PSB TD_WWM_SIG_AREA 2012-10-29
OX Oxford PSB TD_WWC_SIG_AREA 2018-07-07
PB Peterborough TD_LNE_GN_SIG_AREA 2023-08-26
RA Radyr TD_WWM_SIG_AREA 2023-04-29
SA Saltley TD_LNW_WMC_SIG_AREA 2016-11-07
SD Sheffield TD_LNE_GN_SIG_AREA 2016-05-02
SE Shenfield IECC (Liverpool Street IECC "C") TD_ANG_SIG_AREA 2017-02-26
SH Slough A TD_WTV_SIG_AREA 2015-04-07
SI Stratford IECC (Liverpool Street IECC "B") TD_ANG_SIG_AREA 2016-11-06
SN Swindon A ITD TD_WWC_SIG_AREA 2016-02-21
SS Merseyrail IECC TD_LNW_C_SIG_AREA 2022-03-27
T1 Tyneside 1 IECC TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA 2021-12-25
T2 Tyneside 2 IECC TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA 2021-12-25
TY Tees Yard (Ryhope) TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA 2021-02-07
UR Upminster "A" IECC TD_ANG_SIG_AREA 2020-09-27[1]
U2 Upminster "B" IECC TD_ANG_SIG_AREA 2020-09-27[1]
U3 Upminster 3 IECC TD_ANG_SIG_AREA 2023-12-03
VT Thameslink South TD_SUSS_SIG_AREA 2015-03-15
WG West Anglia IECC (Liverpool Street IECC "D") TD_ANG_SIG_AREA 2019-03-09
WH West Hampstead PSB TD_MC_EM_SIG_AREA 2023-12-24
WT Thameslink North TD_MC_EM_SIG_AREA 2015-03-15
X5 TBROC Sutton Area WestCAD 2022-12-25
X6 TBROC Streatham Area WestCAD 2022-12-25
XB Macclesfield TD_LNW_C_SIG_AREA 2022-08-27
XH Stafford No 4 TD_LNW_C_SIG_AREA 2015-09-01
XJ Stafford No 5 TD_LNW_C_SIG_AREA 2015-09-01
XP Manchester North ? 2015-04-07
XZ Liverpool Lime Street TD_LNW_C_SIG_AREA 2018-07-29
Y1 YKROC York Area IECC 2024-12-26
Y2 York IECC 2 (Leeds City) TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA 2018-12-25
Y3 York IECC 3 (Leeds North West) TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA 2018-12-25
YK York IECC TD_LNE_NE_SIG_AREA 2018-12-25
YZ YKROC Bowesfield Area WestCAD ? ? ? ? 2021-11-15
ZE Eastbourne TDC TD_SUSS_SIG_AREA 2019-11-29

Abbreviations

Code Meaning
ASC Area Signalling Centre
DTD Dual Train Describer
IECC Integrated Electronic Control Centre
ITD Information Train Describer
MCS Modular Control System
NCP Network Control Processor
PSB Power Signal Box
RCC Route Control Centre
ROC Rail Operating Centre
SB Signal Box
SCC Signalling Control Centre
TDC Train Describer Concentrator

Locations

Name Description
BAROC Basingstoke ROC
CVLICC TAM Core Valley Lines Integrated Control Centre - Treherbert, Aberdare, and Merthyr
EMCC East Midlands Control Centre
EXROC Exeter ROC
MRROC Manchester ROC
ROROC Romford ROC
RYROC Rugby ROC
SWCC/WROC South Wales Control Centre/Wales ROC
TBROC Three Bridges ROC
TVSC Thames Valley Signalling Centre
TYROC Tyneside ROC
WMSC West Midlands Signalling Centre
WSSC West of Scotland Signalling Centre
YKROC York ROC


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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 On 2020-01-01 LS, UR, & U2 TDs were erroneously switched over to their new Q4, Q5, & Q6 identities, this was reverted on 2020-01-02.