RAILWAY SIGNAL EQUIPMENT AND OPERATIONS IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000200560006-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 5, 2013
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: March 13, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release
eLA5S I I- I H N ii/r.uuuii INZ uttsvia. ItAl 11=0
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED BY SOURCE
' DATE OF INFORMTION '
50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200560006-1
Czechoslovakia
DATE DISTR.1S Mar 1953
Railway Signal Evipment and Operations NO. OF PAGES 2
in Czechoslovakia '
TRIG DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL orrross
or INK UNITED STATES, WITHIN ENE YEA/SUNOS, TITLE IS, SECTIONS 703
AND 714, OP THE U.S. CODE, Al AMENDED. ITS TRAHON11111001.011 RIVE.
AAAAA N OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT ST AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PRONIOITID BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OP THIS ?ORM IS PROHIBITS�.
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION scal
SOURCE k2
_SOURCE B:
No one type of signal operation is in use in the Oseohoelovakian Rail (010.
Most main lines have fully automatic signal equipment, but there is also some
hand-operated block signal equipment in operation on some stretches cf main
line as well as on secondary lines. Branch lines usually have hand operated
signals.
Before World War II Czech signal equipment wee the best in eastern Europe, and
better than most of that in use on the German rellways, because it was newer.
Almost all of it was first quality equipment, built in domestic Czech plants
between World War I and II. However much of this equipment was deptroyed in
World War II and the lack of it imposed serious reetrictions on railway traffic
capacity. Thie difficulty has been largely solved on most of the major lines,
chiefly by the ',vandalism" (dismantling or oannibalising) of equipment on secon-
dary lines, particularly lines that served little Soviet-interest traffic. Thus,
the system is able to cops with present loads of traffic, but shortage c,f signal
equipment remains a serious limitation on any great increase in traffic levels.
For example, only half the signal equipment has been restored in the rail yards
at the major junction of Chet). Inbound traffic has complete signal service, but
out-bound traffic is controlled manually. Switches mast be opened by switchmen
on foot at the point, who communicate with the 'witch tower by band signals, and
occasionally by messenger. Although this is an inefficient system of operation,
the'Cheb.station is able nevertheless to handle more than 200 trains per day.
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
DISTRIBUTION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200560006-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200560006-1
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
- 2 -
50X1
3. Czech industry is capable of producing all the signal equipment the CSD can fore.
ibly require, only time and priorities for materials are needed. I have no knowledge
of USSR signal equipment or operating procedures. I do not believe that the CSD sig-
nal system will be converted to the USSR systeml either in types of equipment or
methods of operation. One reason for this opinion is the basic difference in double-
track operation: the CSD trains run on the left hand track, and in the USSR trains
run on the right hand track. To convert to any USSR signal system, the entire signal
system would have to be re-installed on all double-track lines in Czechoslovakia.
Further there is no need for conversion; when the Soviets cameinto Czechoslovakia
they assigned a, Soviet train-dispatcher (Ftbrdienstleiter) to each Czech dispatcher.
whose duty was to observe the Czech until he understood the system well enough to 50X1
control it.:
-end -
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/11/04: CIA-RDP82-00047R000200560006-1