{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.eurobalise","code":"thing-q13593909","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q13593909/","name":"Eurobalise","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.4","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.BLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A standardised balise, a passive transponder mounted in the track between the rails, used in the European Train Control System and European Rail Traffic Management System to transmit telegrams with location, speed limit, gradient and signalling data to a passing train, powered by the train s antenna signal at about 27 MHz and replying on an uplink around 4.2 MHz, in fixed versions with constant data and switchable versions linked to lineside electronic units; it is specified in ERTMS technical subsets such as Subset-036.","purpose":"Let an agent explain the Eurobalise, relay function, technical principles and role in ETCS levels from rail signalling and ERA sources, and distinguish Eurobalises from Euroloops, national balise systems, axle counters and GSM-R or FRMCS radio.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Passive","Train powered","Standard telegrams","Interoperable across Europe"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What a Eurobalise is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is a Eurobalise, and how does it differ from Euroloops, national balises, axle counters and railway radio?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about technology, ETCS levels or a specific line?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"types","name":"Types","description":"Fixed and switchable.","findings":[{"id":"types-finding","name":"Types","description":"Types.","questions":[{"text":"How do fixed and switchable Eurobalises differ?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits lineside electronic unit?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"technology","name":"Technology","description":"Technology.","layers":[{"id":"principle","name":"Principle","description":"Operating principle.","findings":[{"id":"principle-finding","name":"Principle","description":"Principle.","questions":[{"text":"How does a train antenna power a balise and read its telegram?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"telegrams","name":"Telegrams","description":"Telegrams.","findings":[{"id":"telegrams-finding","name":"Telegrams","description":"Telegrams.","questions":[{"text":"What data do balise telegrams carry?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"etcs","name":"ETCS","description":"ETCS.","layers":[{"id":"levels","name":"Levels","description":"ETCS levels.","findings":[{"id":"levels-finding","name":"Levels","description":"Levels.","questions":[{"text":"What role do balises play in ETCS Levels 1 and 2?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits ETCS Level 2?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"standards","name":"Standards","description":"Standards.","findings":[{"id":"standards-finding","name":"Standards","description":"Standards.","questions":[{"text":"How do TSI CCS and UNISIG subsets specify Eurobalises?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits ERTMS?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Deployment.","layers":[{"id":"deployment","name":"Deployment","description":"Deployment.","findings":[{"id":"deployment-finding","name":"Deployment","description":"Deployment.","questions":[{"text":"Where are Eurobalises deployed beyond Europe?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits railway signalling?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did national balise systems lead to the Eurobalise?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits KVB?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain Eurobalises and their role in ETCS from rail standards sources.","Report damage or missing balises seen along a track to the infrastructure manager.","Distinguish Eurobalises from national train protection systems."],"mustNot":["Tamper with, move, cover or remove a balise.","Transmit or spoof balise telegrams.","Enter the track to inspect a balise without authorization.","Publish details of vulnerabilities in balise systems."],"requiresHuman":["Any maintenance or reprogramming of a balise on a live line."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Balises carry safety data for trains; tampering can cause collisions or derailments.","Track access is dangerous for anyone unauthorised."],"affectedParties":["Passengers","Railway staff","Track workers"]},"owners":{"steward":"The railway infrastructure manager.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Railway infrastructure asset registers"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q11723142","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"balise","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"European Train Control System","type":"related"},{"target":"European Union Agency for Railways","type":"related","note":"through TSI CCS"},{"target":"Euroloop","type":"related"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.eurobalise","Wikidata: Q13593909 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13593909)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["tele-powering frequency: about 27.095 MHz","uplink frequency: about 4.23 MHz - FSK","specification: UNISIG Subset-036 note"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["ETCS track-mounted transponder","Eurobalise, fixed balise, switchable balise","Euroloops are cable loops; national balises such as KVB predate ETCS; axle counters detect trains; GSM-R is radio","A flat yellow box fixed to sleepers between the rails."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain function","relay technical principles","describe fixed and switchable types","distinguish related systems"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Balise failures or damage affecting train positioning","Metal interference","Confusing Eurobalises with national systems"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["TSI Control-Command and Signalling","UNISIG Subset-036","ERTMS specifications"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Transmitting track data to trains in ETCS.","fixed Eurobalises","switchable Eurobalises","balise groups","lineside electronic units"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q13593909: Eurobalise","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13593909","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Eurobalise","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurobalise","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should fixed and switchable Eurobalises be separate entries?","How should ERA specifications be linked?","How should baseline versions be recorded?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q13593909/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q13593909/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T20:08:42Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:54+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}