How hard is it to retire signals here in the UK? I'm asking because a siding next to me was removed years ago yet the shunt or exit signal still remains in place. I understand they wouldn't want to come and remove the junction but there literally isn't enough track there to put a wheel set on let alone anything else.
I would much rather a signal stay useless than have it fill a landfill. Also maybe removing it breaks some signal blocks or something?
The signal will be part of a complex system of interlocking. This means it will be directly connected to signals, points and level crossings in the area. All the signalling equipment is interlocked so that conflicting moves cannot be signalled. This obviously prevents train crashes. To remove the signal would require re-wiring all the signalling equipment in the surrounding area and rebuilding the interlocking system as it would now be missing a signal. This is why a lot of the time, signals are just left in place. You often see ground signals on their own in bushes which is quite amusing sometimes.
