Shunt (railway operations)

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Shunting, in railway operations, involves the process of sorting items of rolling stock into complete train sets or consists. The United States equivalent is "switching". See classification yard and Switcher.

The occupation of shunter is particularly dangerous as there is a risk of being run over. This was particularly so in the past (e.g. the Midland Railway use to have an ambulance wagon used at Toton Yard for injured shunters). In the past his main tool was a shunting pole.