Kombinationssignale

Kombinationssignale, translated as combination signals, are a class of railway signaling devices used to convey more than one instruction from a single physical unit. They were developed in the German-speaking railway networks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a way to reduce trackside footprint and to streamline signaling logic. A Kombinationssignal integrates elements that would otherwise require separate signals: typically the main aspect that controls whether a train may proceed or must stop, together with an additional indicator that provides an auxiliary instruction such as a speed cap or a warned approach.

In practice, a combination can be realized as a semaphore signal with an attached auxiliary disc or plate, or as a multi-aspect light signal in which different groups of lights indicate different aspects on one mast. The exact configurations varied by era and by railway administration. The primary purpose was to deliver both the permission to proceed and an extra instruction in a single view to the driver.

With the modernization of railway signaling, many Kombinationssignale were phased out in favor of separate signals (Hauptsignal and Vorsignal) and, increasingly, electronic interlocking and block systems. However, some examples still exist on older lines or preserved railways, where they are kept for historical demonstration and study.