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Frequencies

This is what you have come for - the frequencies!  

First, a little review. This is covered in other sections, but is worth another look. 

Railway communications typically take place in three frequency bands. The main band is located in the VHF-hi band, between 159.810 MHz and 161.565 MHz, spaced in 15 KHz increments. Railway communications can also be found in the 400 MHz UHF band, carrying both voice and data for various applications. In some cases and applications, you can find railways using the 800-900 MHz band for various uses. For the most part, you'll find most communications in VHF and UHF.

For a good list of North America's railroad frequency allocations, visit the Railroad Radio site by clicking on the signal head!

A train's EOT (End of Train) devices operate on two specifically designated frequencies: 452.9375MHz and 457.9375 MHz. As it was stated elsewhere in this website, these are handy for tracking trains that are out of sight (around a bend, in the distance, etc.) If a train is within about a kilometer, you can hear the squawks of the EOT system communicating with itself. The system sends out a transmission every 30 seconds or so.

Also note - Canadian Railroads don't use all of the allocated frequencies - each railroad is allocated specific channels by the AAR.



Canadian National Railway 

CH AAR Frequency (MHz) Description
1 87 161.415 Road Channel - End to end
2 73 161.205 Dispatcher
3 55 160.935 Dispatcher (AI Toronto)
4 37 160.665 Dispatcher  (YB Toronto)
5 17 160.365 Dispatcher 
6 25 160.485 Dispatcher
7 2 159.810 Dispatcher
8 61 161.025 Dispatcher (YA Toronto)
20 45 160.785 MoW (Maintenance of Way) & Engineering
81 23 160.455 MoW/Engineering
82 7 160.215 MoW/Engineering
83 27 160.515 MoW/Engineering
84 11 160.275 MoW/Engineering
85 19 160.395 Maple Hump Yard (Mac Yard)
xx 68 161.130 Windsor Tunnel
xx 75 161.235 CN Police


GExR
Goderich & Exeter Railway

CH AAR Frequency (MHz) Description
1 80 161.310 All Communications



CprLogo.gif (4346 bytes)
St. Lawrence & Hudson Railway

Important Note about CP Rail frequencies:
It took me a while to figure this out - and I kind of understand it, so if you are totally confused by the end of this section, you aren't alone. Anyways, here goes: In order to call RTC, trains must switch to the call-in channel, hit their PTT button on their radios five times in a second, wait for some answerback tones, and switch back to the Train Standby to wait for the dispatcher. The call-in frequencies are unique married pairs to the train standby channels. It may appear that channels 3,6,8,9 are the same (160.425 MHz) - until one realizes they are duplex channels, in that they have different input and output frequencies. The input frequencies in these channels are the different, but the output is the same as the Train Standby frequency in which they are associated with. This means that you don't need to put the call-in frequencies into their scanners -  they can hear everything that goes on just by listening to the Train Standby channel. Besides, all that goes on on the RTC call-in are beeps and clicks, so its not really worth the bother of entering them -  I've posted them here just for completion's sake.  

I've included a subdivision-specific table first, and then a complete list of frequencies afterwards.

Subdivision-specific Frequency Table
CH AAR Frequencies (MHz) Description
1/3 91/21 Train Standby (1)
161.475

RTC Call-in (3)
160.425
Havelock Subdivision
Nephton Subdivision
Canpa Subdivision
Owen Sound Subdivision
Galt Subdivision (mile 0-40)
4/9 67/21 Train Standby (4)
161.115

RTC Call-in (9)
160.425
Belleville Subdivision (mp 195-211)
North Toronto Subdivision
Mactier Subdivision (mile 0-22)
5/6 81/21 Train Standby (5)
161.325

RTC Call-in (6)
160.425

Galt Subdivision (mile 40-114)
7/8 95/21 Train Standby (7)
161.535

RTC Call-in (8)
160.425
Belleville subdivision (mile 0-195)
Mactier subdivision (north of mp 22)
82/6 47/81 Train Standby
160.815

RTC Call-in
161.325
Hamilton subdivision

 

Complete frequency table
CP Frequency Description Subdivisions
1 161.475 Train standby  
2 161.535/161.475 RTC call-in  
3 160.425/161.475 RTC call-in  
4 161.115 Train standby  
5 161.325 Train standby

See Above Table

6 160.425/161.325 RTC call-in  
7 161.535 Train standby  
8 160.425/161.535 RTC call-in  
9 160.425/161.115 RTC call-in  
10 160.425/160.725 RTC call-in  
11 160.845 MoW 2  Hamilton
12 160.335/160.845 Utility 1 Hamilton
13 161.175 MoW 1 Belleville, N.Toronto, Owen Sound, Havelock, Nephton, Mactier
14 160.335/161.175 Utility 2 N.Toronto, Mactier
15 160.245/160.845 Utility 3
16 161.265 MoW 3 Belleville
17 160.245/161.265 Utility 4 Belleville
18 160.635/161.175 Utility 5
19 161.505 MoW 4 Canpa, Galt
20 160.635/161.505 Utility 6 Canpa, Galt
21 160.605/161.265 Utility 7
22 160.605/161.505 Utlity 8
23 160.245/161.505 Utility 9
25 160.425/161.100 RTC call-in



GO Transit
Note: During rail operations, GO Trains use existing CN/CP frequencies for all communications.

419.4375 Willowbrook Yard
413.9375 Commuter Central tx
418.9375 Commuter Central rx



VIA Rail Canada
Note: During rail operations, VIA trains use existing CN/CP frequencies for all communications.

All channels below are repeaters. Frequencies listed are output channels, which will carry both sides of the conversation.

457.0625 Toronto Maintenance
457.3625 Toronto Maintenance
452.0625 Toronto Maintenance
452.3625 Toronto Maintenance
459.2250 Toronto Maintenance
466.2125 Toronto Union Station
467.8250 Toronto Maintenance
468.8500 Toronto Maintenance
468.9625 Toronto Maintenance
461.2125 Stationmaster arr/dep
462.8250 Toronto Maintenance
463.8500 Toronto Maintenance
463.9625 Toronto Maintenance
461.0125 Security
461.2125 Stationmaster arrival/departures

 

 

 

 

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