Train driver caught reading newspaper at 60mph (25 July 2011)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Mirror:

Train driver suspended after being caught reading newspaper at 60mph, on commuter train

With his paper spread across the dashboard of a speeding commuter train, a lone driver appears to take his eyes off the controls.

The terrifying image was taken as he raced out of a tunnel around 60mph ^ allegedly at the expense of passenger safety.

Instead of focussing on driving the train and the track signals ahead, he looked like he was catching up on the day^s news.

Now shocked bosses have suspended the First Great Western driver while they carry out an investigation.

Jim Hales, 64, who took the photo, said: ^I was completely stunned. It looks so dangerous. He was apparently responsible for driving a train full of people. That takes every ounce of someone^s concentration or else it could be a total disaster.^

The high-speed train, which had set off from Plymouth at 5.53am on July 4, is usually packed with hundreds of people by the time it reaches Paddington, London.

The shot was taken earlier this month at Coryton tunnel close to Dawlish, Devon, at 6.37am. First Great Western traced the driver using the train^s ID number ^ along with details provided by our witness.
 
One former train driver said: ^A driver should be constantly adjusting the speed of the train. They should also be on a constant look-out for signals, whether they are green or red. If a driver runs through a signal by accident then it could potentially cause the train to crash. It takes a driver^s full attention to drive safely.^

First Great Western said: ^First hand this photograph is frankly astonishing and appears to show behaviour that falls way short of the professional standards we expect from our train drivers. He has not driven a train since we were alerted and remains suspended.^

- DO you know this driver? Call our newsdesk free on 0800 282 591.

[IndustryInsider]

A FGW^▸ (First Great Western) driver has been caught on camera reading a newspaper near Dawlish.

Note that the actual photo itself isn't on the link - I'm sure it will be printed somewhere soon.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/train-driver-seen-reading-paper-092129631.html

There are still a tiny minority of people who take risks that let the vast majority of the driving grade down.  For the record 'cab discipline' especially regarding mobile phones being switched off at all times when in the cab, has been a prominent topic in briefings, posters, and so on over the last few years.

[IndustryInsider]

Sorry, Chris - you beat me to it by 39 seconds!  Feel free to merge...



Edit note: Topics now merged. CfN.

[ChrisB]

It is on Chris's Mirror link at the top of this thread.

Truly shocking, but we must be careful not to tar every driver. THey are a professional bunch.

[Electric train]

The Southall crash 19 September 1997 was in part due to the driver "packing his bag" also the AWS^▸ (Automatic Warning System) and ATP^▸ (Automatic Train Protection) were faulty

[inspector_blakey]

Small technical point... At Southall the ATP^▸ (Automatic Train Protection) was not faulty. It was switched off because driver Harrison was overdue for refresher training in its use.

[LiskeardRich]

Photo in todays Mirror of the driver reading the paper! seen that whilst browsing round the papers at work on my break, we have in our staff room whatever other staff have left, and i was cutting it tight and didnt have time to get my own paper this morning!

[bobm]

While not condoning a driver reading a newspaper I do object when newspapers use expressions like "speeding commuter train". There is no evidence he was running over line speed.

It's sloppy journalism.

[Sprog]

There is also no evidence that he was atually 'reading' the paper.....

This is the problem with the "spotter police" they take a 1 second snap of a 12hour day and then cant wait to sell it if there is even the slightest hint that something is not right (even if they need to fib a bit to do this)

There are loads of reasons that could explain the picture:

The train is stood at a red
Folding the paper to swat a fly or wasp
Folding paper to plug a draughty window or door (the tunnel would have amplified this noise)
Folding paper to make a sunshade
Picking up a paper that had blown off the desk due to the suction of the tunnel or the harsh airflow that the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) power car A/Cs put out.

The cash hungry spotter fakes it completely........

In realty, not one of them are unsafe if the driver knows the road well. Drivers will regularly check their diagrams on the move to see if they are on time & scheduled to stop at the next station.

So on the face of it this is more than likely nothing unsafe or worth bleeting about, but since a snapper has snapped it they must get their blood money so they sell it to a tabloid and let the tabloid make up whatever headline they want 

....and people wonder why staff are often hostile towards spotters?

[Sprog]

Pictures btw:

[IndustryInsider]

'Sprog' does make some possible alternative explanations, though I have to say the position of his hands and head does make it look like he's reading it, rather than about to swat a fly.  I guess the outcome of his suspension and subsequent hearings will decide whether he's guilty or not.

[devon_metro]

The train is stood at a red

Whilst I generally agree with you it's not anything too much to worry about, this particular scenario is not applicable since there are no signals where the photo was taken.

It is my belief that he is reading the paper - the location of his hands suggests so. Do I care? - not particularly.

[LiskeardRich]

to me if the train  was travelling at such speed, surely the picture would be blurry, and not so perfect.

photos of movement at speed will create slightly blurry effect. is there any evidence the train is moving, is there anyone else in control we cant see from that one photo? the zoomed in potentialy photoshopped picture above isnt strong enough evidence to me!

[Ollie]

Depends on the camera, there are some good cameras out there, a colleague of mine has one, and took pictures on an hst passing through Ealing BW and it came out very clear.

[Phil]

I don't suppose there's a possibility that this driver was actually sat at the tail end of the train when the photo was taken? i.e. not actually driving it at all?