The Transportation Learning Center (the Center) organizes multiple national training consortia to develop standards-based national training courseware for frontline occupations in public transportation organizations.
Rail courseware is currently organized into three broad categories - “Rail Car Training Consortium Materials”, “Signals Training Consortium Materials”, and “Traction Power Training Consortium Materials”. Materials are based on the national rail vehicle maintenance training standards, rail signals maintenance training standards, and traction power maintenance training standards published by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Courseware Development Teams (CDTs), comprised of subject matter experts and instructional designers, hold regular webinars, site visits and in-person meetings to produce these materials.
Please use the navigation on the right to locate courseware of your interest. Access to full downloads and technical assistance for training and apprenticeship implementation is provided to members in good standing. Please contact our staff members listed under each consortium for information on membership.
In 2013, public transportation agencies and unions across the country came together to form the National Signals Maintenance Training Consortium (Signals Consortium or Consortium). They were driven to create a full set of standardized national courseware to support training and apprenticeship programs for signal maintainers. Member locations listed multiple reasons for their involvement from addressing retirements and expansions to increasing safety for both the riding public and frontline workers. Some even felt that being involved in such an effort and using the resulting courseware would decrease their liability if an accident were to happen.
Since then, over 65 signals maintenance subject matter experts (SMEs) from 26 member agencies and unions worked with instructional systems designers from the Transportation Learning Center to create over 500 hours of training materials.
Consortium courses cover maintenance training of eight signals subsystems: Track Circuits, Switches and Derails, Train Stops, Grade Crossings, Signals, Interlockings, Power Distribution, and Control Panels. Each course contains participant guides, instructor guides, PowerPoint presentations and assessments. Additionally, the Signals Consortium has developed Orientation to Signal Maintenance; Microprocessors in Signal Systems; Installation and Construction Standards; Signals Train-the-Trainer and a library of checklists and instructional videos to be used for refresher training.
This page contains the course materials developed by the Signals Consortium. Previews to certain courses are free to the public. Full downloads are only available to Consortium members in good standing. Scroll down to browse all the courses or use the navigation links on the right for separate listings of the 100, 200 and 300 level courses. For additional information on joining the Signals Consortium, please contact Julie Deibel-Pundt .
Since 2013, over 65 signals maintenance subject matter experts from 26 member agencies and unions worked with instructional systems designers from the Transportation Learning Center to create over 500 hours of training materials. The list of courseware as of Summer 2020 is listed in this document.
This searchable inventory of signaling technologies that each signal consortium location is using also includes contact information for each member location. This inventory is meant to enable consortium members to directly connect to locations with the same technologies when they have a question, problem or need replacement parts.
This Train-the-Trainer course teaches basic adult learning principles using the context of the consortium developed courseware.
The purpose of the Orientation course is to assist the participant in being oriented to signaling and train control.
The purpose of the Introduction and Overview to Track Circuits course is to assist the participant in demonstrating proper safety procedures and gaining an overview the functions of switches, derails, and their associated components.
The purpose of the Introduction and Overview to Switches and Derails course is to assist the participant in demonstrating proper safety procedures and gaining an overview the functions of switches, derails, and their associated components.
The purpose of the Introduction and Overview to Train Stops course is to assist the participant in demonstrating proper safety procedures and gaining an overview the functions of train stops and their associated components.
The purpose of the Introduction and Overview to Highway Grade Crossings course is to provide the participant with an introduction to highway grade crossings. This introduction will include basic terminology, regulations and oversight specific to highway grade crossings, general highway grade crossing components, control circuits and warning systems.
The purpose of the Introduction and Overview to Cab and Wayside Signaling course is to assist the participant in gaining an overview the functions of cab and wayside signals and their associated components.
The purpose of the Introduction and Overview of Interlockings is to assist the participant in demonstrating proper safety procedures and gaining an overview of the functions of interlockings and their associated apparatus.
The purpose of the Introduction and Overview of Signaling Power Distribution course is to provide the participant with an introduction to signal power distribution. This introduction will include basic terminology, regulations and oversight specific to highway grade crossings, general highway grade crossing components, control circuits and warning systems.
The purpose of the Introduction and Overview of Control Panels is to assist the participant in gaining an overview of the functions of control panels and their associated components.
The purpose of the Inspection and Maintenance of Track Circuits course is to assist the participant in demonstrating safety inspection and maintenance of different type of track circuits used in railwaytransit systems.
The purpose of the Inspection and Maintenance of Switches and Derails course is to assist the participant in demonstrating safe inspection and maintenance of switches, derails, and their associated components.
The purpose of the Inspection and Maintenance of Switches and Derails course is to assist the participant in demonstrating safe inspection and maintenance of stops and their associated components.
The purpose of the Inspection and Maintenance of Grade Crossings course is to assist the participant in demonstrating proper and safe procedures for inspecting and maintaining highway grade crossings and their associated components.
The purpose of the Inspection and Maintenance of Cab and Wayside Signaling Systems course is to assist the participant in gaining knowledge on how to inspect and maintain cab and wayside signals and their associated components.
This course,Inspection and Maintenance of Interlockings, assists the participant in demonstrating proper and safe procedures for inspecting and maintaining interlockings and their associated components.
Course 207, Signal Power Distribution Inspection and Maintenance, is a two-module course that provides steps for participants to follow when inspecting and maintaining signal power distribution systems.
The purpose of this module is to provide a review of the inspection, testing and maintenance of control panels to verify they are operating as designed.
This course presents an introduction to Installation and Construction standards relevant to signal maintainers. Participants will be familiar with these systems from previous coursework and job experience. In this course they will learn about the Construction standards used when the systems are installed or repaired. There will be a review of basic terminology; common components; common types of equipment. This course will introduce standard setting agencies, regulations, and oversight specific to these systems, as well as understanding agency prints, OEM documentation, how to perform repairs and reinstallations, and testing. Content is supplemented with examples to support participants’ successful application of the course to their work.
The purpose of the Track Circuits Troubleshooting and Repair course is to assist the participant in gaining in troubleshooting and repairing track circuits and their associated components.
The purpose of the Switches and Derails Troubleshooting and Repair course is to assist the participant in gaining knowledge in troubleshooting and repairing switches, derails and their associated components.
The purpose of the Train Stops Troubleshooting and Repair course is to assist the participant in gaining knowledge in troubleshooting and repairing train stops and their associated components.
The purpose of the Highway Grade Crossing Troubleshooting and Repair course is to assist the participant in gaining in troubleshooting and repairing highway grade crossings and their associated components.
The purpose of the Cab and Wayside Signaling Troubleshooting and Repair course is to assist the participant in gaining working knowledge in troubleshooting and repairing cab and wayside signals and their associated components.
The purpose of the Troubleshooting and Repair of Interlockings course is to assist the participant in demonstrating proper procedures and gaining knowledge in troubleshooting and repairing signal interlockings.
The purpose of the Signal Power Troubleshooting and Repair course is to assist the participant in gaining working knowledge in troubleshooting and repairing signal power distribution systems.
The purpose of the Troubleshooting and Repair of Control Panels course is to assist the participant in gaining knowledge in troubleshooting and repairing control panels and their use in testing and troubleshooting interlockings.
The purpose of the Microprocessors In Signal Systems course is to provide the participant with an introduction to microprocessors for signal maintainers. This introduction will include basic terminology; regulations and oversight specific to microprocessors; common components; common types of microprocessors; inspection, maintenance, and testing; and troubleshooting and repair.
The purpose of the Networking and Communication in Signal Systems course is to provide the participant with an introduction to networking and communication for signal maintainers. This introduction will include basic terminology; regulations and oversight specific to networking and communication; common components; common types of software; inspection, maintenance, and testing; and troubleshooting and repair.
Resources to provide participants with focused training after initial training has been completed and time has passed in order to ensure a safe and efficient working environment.
The Transit Training Network uses technology to enable learning and sharing of training resources across agencies to strengthen training for transit’s frontline workforce.
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