Why Are Train Station Signs Yellow? The Science Behind Railway Visibility

The Indian Railways is often counted among the most widely used mode of travel. Thousands of passengers board trains to commute on a daily basis.
 
Why Are Train Station Signs Yellow? The Science Behind Railway Visibility

The Indian Railways is often counted among the most widely used mode of travel. Thousands of passengers board trains to commute on a daily basis. Now, tell us have you ever wondered why the station sign boards are always painted yellow, with the name of the station written in black? Most of the time, we do not give this fact a second thought. But in case you have ever wondered why it is so, we got you covered.

You might be surprised to know that there is a scientific reason behind this colouring of the sign board. Yellow is placed third among the seven primary colours, in terms of wavelength in the visibility spectrum. The more the wavelength of colour, the farthest it can be seen from. Red also tops the list in this aspect, which is why the colour is used to stop vehicles at traffic signals. This brings us to the obvious question. Why red is not used, instead of yellow on railway station sign boards?

This is because the lateral peripheral vision of yellow colour is 1.24 times higher than that of red. It determines the lateral vision capacity of the colour, which means how far you can notice a colour if it is not in a straight line of sight with your eyes. Yellow can be noticed from afar, even if it is not directly in the path of your eyesight. Yellow is visible even in darkness or in a foggy climate because it spreads more than red in the environment.

The black colour on the yellow sign board is practised with the sole intention to contrast the colour against yellow, making the writing visible and more distinct from afar. While steering the train, the loco pilot notices the board and the words written on it from a distance and adjusts the locomotive’s speed accordingly.

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