The use of radio in Europe is quite different from that in the U.S. In most countries on even moderately busy lines, everything is highly signaled. Even stations and yards are highly signaled, so that most switching moves within a station can be authorized by signal indication.

There are separate "shunting" signal for this purpose.

Yes, there is some use of road channels, but it is quite sparse and not at all chatty, like on most U.S. railroads.

I once rode on the (electric) engine of a heavy passenger train that received a rear-end helper at the beginning of a short mountain grade in south central Austria. The entire process of adding the helper consisted of a radio conversation of two words. After the train had stopped, the engineer of the rear helper reported (in German, of course): "Coupled." To which the engineer that I was riding with replied "Departing." That was it.

-- Ernest