In the event of an emergency affecting the safety of the line the Driver is required to go and protect other lines by walking along the line and placing detonators on lines coming towards his train. If he has time he has to do the same at the back of the train.That is after he has spoken to the Signaller and told him of the circumstances.

As for an emergency a recent safety video we saw dealt with a fire on a train where the Driver was advised of a fire by a passenger and he went back to deal with it. In the meantime passengers panicked, forced open the doors, jumped out onto an open line and one got struck by a train in the opposite direction.

One man, two actions required. Good case for additional staff on the train.

Disability issues, different kettle of fish. There is a thread on here presently about a wheelchair passenger wanting to travel to an unsuitable station.

Scenario. Train stops, Driver goes back, Driver says this isn't a suitable station, argument ensues, passenger insists, Driver gets passenger out, train leaves (with delay), passenger is now stranded on an unmanned station without means of exiting, complaints to the local paper.

Can't win mate.

Trains have been DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) in the Thames Valley since about 1994, I don't know what the problem rate has been but very low I should imagine. There is a system in place, it seems to work. It would be difficult in more rural areas

In favour of Driver assisting - no.

The article quoted in the Guardian / Telegraph just above in this thread talk about Network Rail managers forgoing rises / bonuses,

Not just the Managers. The bonus system is based on annual performance of the company as a whole ending on the last day of July each year and is paid to each employee on a percentage basis.

However some peoples bonus are rather larger than others, but rather a matter of a few pounds in my case rather than thousands, but equally important to me. If I remember correctly my bonus this year was about 30% of the maximum figure available.

Nichola Charvis, from Burnham, said her confidence was destroyed as she made her first solo journey in her wheelchair from Burnham to London Paddington.
Miss Charvis, 31, suffers from a neurological condition which means it is difficult for her to walk. She attempted the journey on Wednesday last week to try and build confidence having only been wheelchair-bound since July.

I'm not sure what's "really?" about that, unless on top of everything else you're calling her a liar?

No, I am not because if you read the article further she was said to be travelling from London to Burnham. So, how did she get to London to travel back, it certainly wasn't from Burnham because as it appears that Burnham has no facility for dealing with disabled passengers. Reading it again it may have been from Slough where they have disabled facilities, so why try travelling to Burnham where they haven't.

If so, it's rather strange that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), having (presumably) investigated rather than just speculated, have apologised and admitted that "We’re really sorry Nichola had a bad experience travelling with us, this did fall short of the standards we set to provide for our customers".

The usual corporate response when dealing with a reporter who demands a quick answer with little time to provide a considered and investigated response, although we don't know the time frame for that.

Is it really so painful for the GWR/railway advocates on here to admit that maybe, just maybe, the railways get it wrong sometimes and need to up their game? (especially as the Company admits this is the case) - you will probably find that the sky doesn't fall in.

Everybody gets it wrong sometimes, but it is easy to present a one sided case and blame the system as a whole.

Let's all hope for our own sakes that we never find ourselves in the same position.

Indeed, but if it does I will be investigating the in and outs of everything before I venture out. As richardwickwar says "In all honesty if I was new to a wheelchair I would be researching accessibility before I make any journey to ensure it is possible, no stairs, lift or level access. It sounds like she lacked responsibility for planning her trip, and the railway lacked customer service to her travel" Exactly.

Too many unanswered questions due to lack of information and poor reporting. I am afraid public transport is an easy target and will be leapt upon by the press.

Protective, yes I suppose so, but I am an advocate of fairness, and this is certainly very unfair, it isn't all the railways fault.

I think there are a few issues here before it all gets a bit heated.

I see from the Slough Observor report that she was in a mobility scooter. What size was it because there are restrictions anyway on the size allowed to be carried? According to the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Assisted travel and Accessibility information if it exceeded 65cm wide it cannot be carried on a Turbo. I had the unpleasant job many years ago of telling a lady passenger that she wasn't allowed to travel from Hungerford to Newbury with her four wheel scooter because it was too large. And that was after she kicked up a real stink about access and assistance as here.

Only when it was looked into properly was it discovered it was oversize anyway and not allowed and she was refused travel with it.               

That same document also advises to arrive thirty minutes early and request assistance from staff. Was that done?

Please correct me if I am wrong but isn't Burnham an island platform which requires access via stairs from a subway under the tracks so there would be no access for anybody who isn't able enough to climb stairs. Here is an excerpt from the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site on facilities at Burnham.

Staff Help Available
Monday to Friday – 06:10 to 19:30 Saturday – 08:10 to 15:00 Sunday – 09:15 to 16:45 Staff assistance is available; please request assistance from any member of staff if you have not booked assistance in advance. Please note station is staffed part time only.

This station does not offer
Accessible Booking Office Counter, Accessible Public Telephones, Accessible Taxis, Accessible Ticket Machines, Impaired Mobility Set Down, Ramp For Train Access, Step Free Access, Wheelchairs Available

Funnily enough the article also says she was on her first journey in a scooter from Burnham to London. Really?

There are too many inaccuracies in the report to believe it one hundred per sent. As for the rudeness of staff quite often that is the resort of those wanting to really hammer home their complaint knowing that those allegedly concerned will never get their say.

Hard, yes, well afraid so. Stand by for the flack, but a little bit of research would have found that her journey wasn't possible. Everybody will help everybody if they can, but I think this has been stretched a bit.

The boundary signalling wise is between Heyford and Tackley, and is also the 'county boundary' between the Midland and Western Zones.

The railway is a funny industry, a relatively small number of men covering the country, working on their own and with little need to deal with anybody else. I dealt with Banbury North, or vice versa, if either of us had freights that were running early and wanted to keep them moving and a phone call got the ok or not as to whether they could be handled at the other end or not. You built up a relationship with that voice on the phone because you may speak to them a couple of times a day, and then not again for a week, but because you worked the same shifts you knew who was going to be at the other end.

In the days of lots of signal boxes many knew each other both workwise and socially. In these days of boxes long distances apart you are never going to get that. The day I retired from Oxford Panel I put a note on the train desciber boxes ' I RETIRE IN 2 HRS BYE BYE' and got a message from Swindon B with 'GOOD LUCK' on their describers from people I had never met but spoken to. A bit like a big family really.

The number if up to 3000 now with names on the list to visit. I was visitor 1351 last Wednesday.

Gave me a chance for one last visit to Banbury North and to finally meet a Signaller who was only a voice on the phone when I was at Oxford Panel.

Well organised and planned, and the whole thing was professionally run throughout from the safety fences alongside the line, to rigging up the bells and blocks so they could be seen (and heard) as they should be.

Nice souvenir booklet as well.

A lot of thought gone into this, and those in charge deserve a pat on the back for what they have produced. I think there are plans afoot now to recover some of the kit to Prices Risborough box and the plan is, for now, to board Banbury North up rather than demolish it straight away.

Go if you get the chance, there are a few spaces left apparently.

Delay attribution requires a presence in the Control Offices at Swindon, passenger compensation is dealt with somewhere in Scotland, I think it might be Aberdeen, so neither are a lot of use in the situation you describe.

The Delay Clerks are one or two to cover the whole of the Western Zone so not a lot of resources available as you describe, but also when they get back later they have to pick up their work load. Believe it or not is requires relatively real time to keep on top of the delay attribution system. I have seen them at work and when you look at their screens and there are over a hundred delays waiting attribution you realize what a hiding to nothing they are on. Standing on a platform being shouted at by irate passengers must be quite relaxing by comparison.

Perhaps try writing in and asking for a visit to the Control at Swindon and go and see those who actually make the decisions on what runs or not in these circumstances. Years ago I borrowed the idea from the Ops Manager at Waterloo and invited the biggest complainer in the Thames Valley in to work a late turn with us. He did, and never complained again.

It is very easy to say "get some people in", but where from if they can't get to Padd because the line is closed.

Sorry for the jargon, it comes naturally after a while, even if it doesn't apply anymore.

Three weeks into retirement, and never given it a thought. My replacement who was due to start today bailed out yesterday morning, so the few that remain will be working extra hours to provide the cover required to keep the job going.

If you might be looking for a little job that pays reasonable well, lovely location, decent public to deal with then keep an eye on the vacancy list for NR^» (Network Rail - home page). Downside 24/7 cover on rotating eight hour shifts including a week of nights every five weeks, and two Sundays in five.

The workload rate is high at some locations and actually requires ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) to help out, the idea being that it frees up the Signaller to deal with other matters.

Get involved with something else and the ARS will route the train as per the programme and a more obvious move gets overlooked.

For some of the reasons mentioned by  Electric train staff are difficult to come by, the natural progression from smaller boxes is quickly disappearing, and in some cases existing Signallers don't want to work in these places so won't apply for any vacancies and would rather sit down the ladder a bit but in more agreeable surroundings.

Staff are now recruited from 'off the street' into quite busy positions lacking the skills and railway knowledge to make the job go well. They may well be proficient and rules trained, and deemed competent but the Signallers art comes in when it starts going wrong and I am afraid that lack of knowledge shows sometimes.

There is a well known 'overlap trap' at the West end of Newbury Station where, if you let a train down one signal too far the safety features stop the job for two minutes by locking up the routes and signals. All perfectly safe, and doing what it is supposed to, but the inexperience shows when it happens, normally at about 1700 hrs in the evening as I used to see day after day. It was there when I worked Reading Panel years ago, it hasn't changed, and you can tell when the less experienced are on duty because all of a sudden everything stops. The B and H was a bore to work as an NX panel where everything had to be route set, just because it wasn't that busy. Now it is an operator looking at a screen with the ARS running the show. It must be mind destroying. The Crossing Keepers at Colthrop and Kintbury are far, far busier overall, but don't get paid for it!

West Midlands Signalling Centre is known as the Bunker as it was built to withstand a nuclear attack if you believe the rumours, TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) is known as the Stalag, horrible places to go and so far away from the traditional role where, even in an NX panel, the Signaller actually had some input into what was going on.

ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) was described to me as being like a very small child, it had to be watched all the time to try and stop it doing something stupid. The only ones who don't seem to mind are new entrants and they know no different. It certainly takes the initiative away from the operator.

At least one Signaller has quit TVSC to go back to more traditional style of operation, and another is waiting to go.

Off the subject I know but it does have a bearing on the manpower available.

Spare staff are available, but they have meal relief duties during their twelve hour shift and it could well be they were involved with one of those and could not step over quickly.

Each desk in TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) is of a different grade, the busier it is the higher the grade, the longer the training, and a higher salary to boot. Padd is of the top grade which reflects the busy position it is. Not everybody is passed out to work it.

I can't say what happened, but I endorse Electric trains comment that Signallers are in short supply. In fact there is one man still at TVSC who has a job elsewhere who has been waiting to be released for several months now but he cannot be done without so can't go.

Very much the same all over the country. In the recent closures at Banbury the staff there were being asked to go elsewhere to fill in the holes that exist at other boxes, but seven took the money and left the company.

However that doesn't forgive the situation that occurred.

 

A train of many routes, some of which seem to change as it goes along.

Expect the Down Sleepers about 0100 in Newbury, only to find it got diverted via Didcot for some reason.

Enjoying the peace of night and suddenly up pops 1A40 having been diverted  from via Swindon to via Bristol, Bath, Westbury and up the B and H, again no particular rhyme or reason. A real mystery tour on that one.

I think you might find many in the industry think the same. They seem very selective about what they take on on behalf of their members.

Insider, thank you for that correction I thought it was.

There is a thing called 'harmonisation' that has been going on since GW^▸ (Great Western) took over Thames and Wales and West in 2004, and as far as I know remains unresolved, despite years of meetings.

The difference is that GW Drivers have a working week that includes Sundays, neither of the others do. And there is the nub of the matter. If you joined a company where Sundays are not part of the week then that is that. You lose out by some thousands on your basic salary because of it, but you can make it up by working some.

Rostering was mentioned earlier on and you will find that Drivers with no Sundays are actually rostered to work on some, perhaps one in four, and at a premium rate. They have the option of working it, or turning it in and hoping some of the 'gobblers' at the depot will snap it up. If they don't then they have to work. It is an anomaly going back to the dawn of the railways and I have never been able to fathom out why Sundays is 'a special day' within the industry unless it was because of religious grounds back in the days of yore.

The idea that you can just change it may be ok, but what do you change it to? You have three old companies still arguing about who has the best deal, and at the moment, as I understand it from a local union rep who is a Driver for the former Thames Trains company they have the best, and the others want it as well, and that does not include Sundays as part of the working week.

I am open to correction here but as I understand it original GW drivers, known as HST^▸ (High Speed Train) links, have a basic salary of around £8k a year more than the others because of the included Sundays, and funnily enough some want to give that up to go for the non-Sunday working conditions.

Where do you go based on that? Years ago family life, and quality time off (a much vaunted phrase in the industry) were not quite so important as they are now. Ask any industry that involves shift work and see how they are getting on, todays generation don't want it, especially weekends.