B D Finch (asker) Apr 6, 2013:

Thanks Alison Yes, that does provide the answer, i.e. that PIPC is the name of a particular system developed by Thales. It also led me on to "interlocking", which is essential to understanding what this is about and involves safe combined operation of signals and points.

I've closed this question without grading it because I realise that the term as posted was wrong as I should only have posted "PIPC"

Alison MacG Apr 5, 2013:

Do these help? PIPC Computer-based Interlocking System
Poste Informatique à technologie PC
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118600696.glo...
http://mes.gares.free.fr/divers/affichage.php?NomRub1=Pau (6...
LockTrac 6171 PIPC
PC based interlocking system
http://www.thalesgroup.fr/Portfolio/Documents/LockTrac_6171_...
http://www.railwaystrategies.co.uk/article-page.php?contenti...
http://www.thalesgroup.fr/Press_Releases/D3S__14_million_sig...
http://www.thalesgroup.com/Press_Releases/D3S__14_million_si...

B D Finch (asker) Apr 5, 2013:

Correction First, "aiguillage" is actually points rather than signalling. However, I had the notion that points and signalling are now combined. Is that the case? Also, points used to be operated from signal boxes. (I remember old films of aged signal box keepers struggling with points levers while the starlet tied to the rails screams and the train puffs along faster and faster.)

The actual term I need is PIPC. I found a ref (somewhat odd) "poste d'aiguillage informatique de technologie (PIPC)". However, now, thanks to Liz's ref. info, I see that was wrong and the acronym appears in Wikipedia as follows:

" • Poste d'aiguillage informatique (PAI) • Poste d'aiguillage informatique à technologie PC (PIPC) • Poste d'aiguillage type SEI (SEI)"

It's somewhat unclear whether a PIPC is necessarily for points or signals or both at once and what it should be called in English. It's associated with points in the Wikipedia ref. about points systems, which doesn't necessarily mean that a PIPC can't be used for something else. There is little context I can offer as this comes from a line in a CV and the rest of it mentions "signalisation" frequently and never mentions "aiguillage".