CBTC
Transportation & Travel abbreviation · Rail and Transit
| Stands for | Communications-based train control |
|---|---|
| Categories | Transportation & Travel |
CBTC stands for Communications-based train control, a rail and transit abbreviation.
Signaling system in which trains continuously report their exact positions by radio to a central computer, allowing them to run closer together safely than with traditional fixed-block signals. CBTC enables more frequent service on busy metro lines.
Example: After the CBTC upgrade, the line can run a train every two minutes at rush hour.
Usage notes
CBTC uses "moving block" principles: the safe distance moves with each train instead of being fixed by track sections. New York's L train was the first line in that city's subway to get it, and many lines in Paris, London, Singapore and Hong Kong use it. Retrofitting old lines is slow and expensive.
Related abbreviations
More rail and transit abbreviations
- AVE – Alta Velocidad Española (Spanish High Speed)
- BART – Bay Area Rapid Transit
- BNSF – BNSF Railway
- BR – British Rail
- BRT – Bus rapid transit
- BTS – Bangkok Mass Transit System
- CC – AC Chair Car
- CN – Canadian National Railway
- CNF – Confirmed
- CPKC – Canadian Pacific Kansas City
- CRH – China Railway High-speed
- CSX – CSX Transportation