CIVIL FITTING OUT AND LOGISTICAL PROCESS - The Westerschelde Tunnel: Approaching Limits - page 211

Fig. 14.5
Storage of segments

Fig. 14.6
Diagrammatic
representation of
marshalling yard

Mate ri als for cross connections

Workshop

Tu nn el segment storage

Perso nn el

Mort ar

Train set-up

Storage ca bl e gallery

Washing area

to space needed for the simultaneous fitting out of the civil engineering facil-
ities, such as constructing the cross connections and building the cellars.
It was possible for the trains to pass each other every 1,000 metres on a
siding: trains coming into the tunnel had priority over the trains coming out
of the tunnel. In addition, there was an ending track at each cross connection
under construction, where trains loaded with material and equipment for
constructing the cross connections could be 'parked' without obstructing
the other trains.
Of course the narrow-gauge railway also increased in length with the progress
of the boring process and the increasing length of the tunnel tubes.
Eventually, there was more than 20 kilometres of railway track, about 7 kilo-
metres of which was in the above-ground marshalling yard.
The railway traffic was steered in the right direction from a signal tower
on the marshalling yard. Traffic control maintained radio contact with the
train drivers and the nine automatic points were operated from the mar-
shalling yard. The other 46 points in the marshalling yard were operated
manually.