If you can assign several speed profiles to a train, there seems to be no reason to why you can create macro profiles. The reason for this has much to do with different habits and requirements when working with speed profiles.

It has quite some advantages to manage speed changes or slow driving positions in speed profiles separated according to causes, for example, the deficits of the superstructure in one list and bridge deficiencies in another list. The generally permissible maximum speeds (basic speeds) are then also managed in a separate basic profile. Such a separation increases the overview and also simplifies the processing, if something changes.

In order for a train to take all of the speed profiles in account which are valid at the same time, you can either assign several speed profiles to the train, or you can create macro profiles that consist of several different speed profiles. Both possibilities have their advantages and disadvantages:

• When using macro profiles, the user cannot forget to click on all necessary and related additional profiles when inserting trains. You can also hide the basic and additional profiles. This is particularly useful when specific annual or one-day timetables are to be drawn up.
• On the other hand, it is usually more favourable for strategic planning if all the basic and additional profiles are available on the trains and can be switched on and off flexibly. Then, for example, you can quickly check how much the travel time shortens without certain deficiencies and compare different combinations.

However, there is also an important functional difference between the two possibilities: Macro profiles do not automatically inherit the functional properties (register side function) of their source profiles. You can, therefore, and you have to give a macro profile its own functional properties, and thus, if necessary, override or modify the properties of the source profiles, that means you can use a macro profile, for example also outside the validity of one of its source profiles. This is not possible with direct reference on the train.