Everyone locks a track eventually. It is not the end of your shift, it is a procedure. When the interlocking locks you out, you file an incident report naming the correct cause, and the block resets. File the wrong cause and the track stays locked.
When a lockout happens
A protecting move was overridden. The block is held pending an incident report. The track shows FLT and stops working until you file it.
Press E to file the report, then select the cause:
- Early departure: released before booked time
- Departure conflict: released into a busy main line
- Arrival conflict: routed into a busy junction
- Platform conflict: cleared onto an occupied platform
Name the cause that matches what you just did.
- Press E on the locked track to open the incident report.
- Read what just happened. The panel's order log tells you the last move you made on that track.
- Select the matching cause from the four options and confirm.
- The block resets. A correctly filed report clears the FLT and returns the track to service. A misfiled one does not, and it is recorded as a misfile on your score line.
| Cause | You did this | Next time |
|---|---|---|
| EARLY DEPARTURE | Released a train before its booked departure time. | Watch the clock. Wait for DUE, or use a hold. |
| DEPARTURE CONFLICT | Released onto a main line that was already occupied. | Let the main line clear before you release the next one. |
| ARRIVAL CONFLICT | Routed an arrival into a junction that was already in use. | One train in the junction at a time. Hold the second. |
| PLATFORM CONFLICT | Cleared a train onto a platform that was still occupied. | Release the berthed train first, then admit the next. |
A lockout costs you time and rating, but a clean, correctly-filed report limits the damage and gets the line moving again fast. The commendation By the Book is awarded for clearing a full shift with every report filed to the correct cause.
The best operators file no reports because they trip no lockouts. Clean Sheet is awarded for finishing a shift with zero lockouts. Once the safety rules in Section 2 are second nature, a clean sheet is well within reach.