The Hl System 

• main aspects
• distant aspects
• all aspects
• EZMG signals
• examples

The aspects of the "main signal" (i.e. lower) part are:

max. speed	100 km/h	60 km/h	40 km/h
Hp 0: stop	Hp 0+Ra 12: shunting allowed	Hp 0+Zs 1: pass defective signal or at danger	Hl S: see below

Let me point out a few things:

• As for the 'max. speed' aspect, note that in the upper part, one light will be either lit or flashing, so the signal is never dark, but the max speed is characterised by only one lantern being lit.
• Whenever there is a speed limit in the block guarded by this signal, the lower amber light will be on. (That is, a signal indicating a speed limit will always have two lanterns lit)
• The red light at the lower right is called the "Notrot" (emergency red) and will be used in case the Hauptrot (main red) fails.

The aspects of the "distant signal" (i.e. upper) part are:

expect clear	expect 100 km/h	expect 40 or 60 km/h	expect stop

An Hl main signal is identified by the main signal post plate below. If an Hl signal is used as distant signal only, it is equipped only with (at maximum) the two top lamps, and the distant signal post plate is mounted below. Note that there may be distant signals having only one light, these could then show 'expect stop' (steady amber) or 'expect 40 or 60 km/h' (flashing amber).

An Hl signal serving as both main and distant signal was usually only identified by the main signal post plate, but from the 2000 rule book on these signals get a yellow triangle below the main signal post plate (just like the Ks combined signals).

For an overview of all Hl aspects see below.

Let some examples explain the Hl system:

Hl signal showing aspect Hl 3a: 40 km/h from here on, expect clear at next signal	Hl signal used as distant only showing aspect Hl 7: expect 40 or 60 km/h at next signal	Distant signal repeater showing aspect Hl 1: expect clear

Other countries using the OSShD signalling system are all former COMECON countries and China, Iran, Korea, Vietnam. See also OSShD on this site or the official web site of the OSShD.

The signal heads and the arrangement of lamps in these countries vary, also some other aspects are used, e.g. Czechs and Slovaks use two different flashing intervals to show additional speeds, the lamps in Poland and Hungary are arranged in a vertical line, Poland uses one signal head while Hungary has two heads one above the other. However the aspects and meanings are very similar as you may verify.

Here I give examples of some OSShD signals:

DR Hl signal	DR EZMG signal	MÁV / Hungarian signal	PKP / Polish signal

All Hl Aspects:

Stop for pushing loco (Schubhalt)

home	home & distant signals	email
Hp signals		Ks signals