Question 7 – 18 Jun 2020: Safety on IETs

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

Safety announcements on IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) seem fewer than they were on HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)), and there are no safety cards at each seat. There are no light sticks at the end of each carriage in the way that there were (?). This has lead Coffee Shop members to question GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s committent to safety, and I wonder if you would like to comment?

[Samyutha Bala]

We remain deeply committed to the safety of our customers and colleagues. This is one of core values, and the baseline for everything we do. The frequency of the rail standard safety announcements on IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) meet the industry requirement of every 30 minutes.  We also have safety messages on the passenger information screens. 

Safety labels are seen throughout the saloon areas and vestibules and we are updating this shortly to include ‘Mind the Gap’ signs in the vestibules by the door threshold.

The HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) had safety cards removed a while ago and had them placed at the ends of the carriages and on some of the panels between windows. On the IETs there are safety notices at the ends of the carriage, throughout the carriage and we also promote the safety pages of the website when customers log onto the WiFi on the train.   

Light sticks are no longer required as the train is fitted with emergency lighting including light strips and signage that are clearly visible without train lights.

_{Edit: Remove blank lines}

[broadgage]

I am inclined to agree with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) on this.
On the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) the endless safety announcements did IMHO^▸ ('in my humble opinion') give the impression that train travel was dangerous, whereas in fact it was very safe, and getting safer.

I think that IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) are rather nasty (too short, no buffet, hard seats, limited luggage space, unreliable reservations, feel like a suburban DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit))
But I don't consider them less safe than the proper inter city trains previously used.

Elsewhere on these forums, a respected member posted details of the emergency equipment carried on IETs, this looked ample for the worst reasonably foreseeable emergencies.

Still no lifeboats though !

[eXPassenger]

Still no lifeboats though !

These will be added / removed at Exeter and removed / added at Newton Abbott as part of the Dawlish relief work.

[stuving]

Still no lifeboats though !

These will be added / removed at Exeter and removed / added at Newton Abbott as part of the Dawlish relief work.

I think they'll be needed a few miles before Exeter ...

[broadgage]

Many years ago I was in the Pullman on a train stuck in flooding.
In the gathering gloom I shouted out "first class to the lifeboats" and "lifeboats only for first class" These lighthearted remarks actually resulted in a panic in steerage class.

The train manager made the panic worse by stating that no boats were available.

Years afterwards, upon being urged to study the safety cards, I enquired as to the location of the lifeboats. The train manager replied "I thought that we had heard the last about that"

[bobm]

I think if I had caused panic on a train, albeit "many years ago", I probably wouldn't mention it even now. 

[grahame]

Many years ago I was in the Pullman on a train stuck in flooding.
In the gathering gloom I shouted out "first class to the lifeboats" and "lifeboats only for first class" These lighthearted remarks actually resulted in a panic in steerage class.

Fond memories of taking a crew of teenagers on a narrow boat trip through Blisworth Tunnel.  Lovely group - very much singing and having a good time.   They were into The Beatles and sadly I had to ask them to move onto the next song when they were screaming "Help ....".