tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post5638904431095590861..comments2024-03-26T13:27:26.499+00:00Comments on Zelo Street: Hogwarts - Nearly A Nasty AccidentTim Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00726447899972084146noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-15046921667023289602015-04-06T21:15:30.830+01:002015-04-06T21:15:30.830+01:00SteveB:
There have been a number of concerns on N...SteveB:<br /><br />There have been a number of concerns on NR and the regulator's side regarding WCRC's response to previous incidents, hence the suspension. Major Toys have robust policies in place to deal with these events (exceedingly rare) - normally prosecution and sacking for isolation and Cat A SPAD without informing signaller - and considering how many trains a year are run, we are talking exceedingly rare occurrences. WCRC appear to have a number of incidents under their belt for relatively few trains run; hence the response from NR.<br /><br />The DCR incident was likely dealt with in a robust fashion by DCR internally; speaking to a Driver Competency Manager some time after the incident it appeared they had shaped up considerably.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-90357540231808880752015-04-06T14:33:09.507+01:002015-04-06T14:33:09.507+01:00The Mail (and BBC) were doubley sloppy. The RAIB r...The Mail (and BBC) were doubley sloppy. The RAIB report was published on March 27th and both missed it. It wasn't until Netrwork Rail's belated reaction and accompanying press release that anyone woke up. So question 1 should have been why did it take Network Rail a full week to react, especially since they would have had some advance warning of what RAIB had found? In actual fact WCR trains have not stopped (so far)because they have subcontracted others to do the "operational" bits that need a licence.<br /><br />What exactly RAIB have found is not clear. The data recorder has presumably shown that the crew isolated the AWS/TPWS, and telephone logs seem to have shown they didn't follow the rules. But rule breaches on that level happen (more accutately,are found out about) a few times a year and none of the big companies get suspended. And a couple of years ago one cowboy (well American owned...) outfit sent out a driver who wasn't licensed for a route with a diesel loco that wasn't legal for use and when he SPADed they didn't get this reaction. So, have RAIB found something even worse than they have announced? Or were WCR already on warning for things that haven't been publicised?<br /><br />Or are Network Rail just using this as an excuse to start banning steam locos from their (more accurately, OUR)tracks?<br /><br />This close to the election, it is worth mentioning that most of the "Not-ex-BR" end of the market are reliant on drivers on zero hour contracts who obviously can't argue about standards or the phone will stop ringing. More worryingly, WCR also use drivers who work full time for proper companies and then do a bit more for WCR on their days off. It's far from clear how accurate the "Hidden rules" records are kept.<br /><br /><br />So, all that the think about and the best the Mial can do is a reference to Harry Potter!SteveBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-57792607066717492462015-04-06T13:27:40.906+01:002015-04-06T13:27:40.906+01:00These safety systems were introduced following sev...These safety systems were introduced following several high-profile incidents where "SPADs" were the direct cause of several major, and unfortunately fatal, rail crashes, notably those at Purley and Ladbroke Grove in the last 25 years or so.<br /><br />Most of the current safety mechanism was put in after Southall 1997, where one end of a train had a TPWS failure and rather than cancel or turn the train, both costing time and money, the train ran without the safety net. WCRC have been pushing the limits for quite a while now, and this incident (and the slack response from WCRC) appear to have been the final straw for NR to act.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com