Question For CN Locomotive Crews

[BCR751]

Why are locomotive crews now giving their train designation, engine number and saying ".....no restrictions"(if there aren't any) every five miles?  I can see where this might be handy on non-CTC trackage but it's occurring on full CTC territory, at least here in the west.  Please enlighten me.

Doug

[C855B]

Are you sure it's "every five miles", and not at each control point? That would be in line with practices adopted by other RRs regarding calling of signals that can have absolute indications (i.e., not intermediate/ABS block signals). They go out on the radio because the channel is recorded, so there is an external record of signal confirmations.

In turn, somebody could enlighten me on this regarding maybe an FRA ruling that started this... uh... "thing". This ex-radio-shop employee is finding it hard to listen to the scanner these days because of the added on-air clutter in busy territory. CSX was doing this 30 years ago, but I hadn't heard the local lines (BNSF, NS, CN) start this nonsense until two or three years ago.

[BCR751]

Nope, it's every five miles and the territory here, CN's North Line to Prince Rupert, BC, is all CTC.  The crews still call signals at, and on approach to, control points but many intermediate signals, i.e. mainly block occupancy signals, are not often called.  For the life of me, I can't understand the benefit of calling every five miles.  Hopefully, a CN trainman will chime in here and explain it.  Or, maybe this is just something that's going on here and nowhere else?  Either way, I'd sure like to know why it's being done.

Doug

[nkalanaga]

Maybe to make sure the crew isn't asleep?  Sort of an audio "dead man's control"?