Oxford commuters put on 'trial' with crazy idea to save delays...

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

And should the glorious moment arrive when a Voyager actually does roll in behind a terminating Turbo

I did actually see it happen yesterday morning.  I forget whether it was the 07:07 or 08:07 to Newcastle, but it crawled into the platform on time behind a Turbo that had arrived about 3-4 minutes earlier.  After coming to a stand the Turbo could then get the signal into the siding.  From what I could see, the Turbo's doors were shut and it was ready to leave for the sidings much earlier but when a train is signalled in permissively behind then a route can't be set for the sidings.  The Turbo then departed from the north end of the platform after the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) had come to a stop.  When it cleared the route for the XC was set and it departed nearly three minutes late.  Wonderful.

[inspector_blakey]

Right then folks, there's a good chance I may end up catching a few of those terminating trains to Oxford when I'm back in those parts in October. Any chance we can get this little farce nixed by then...? Ta  

[willc]

And should the glorious moment arrive when a Voyager actually does roll in behind a terminating Turbo

I did actually see it happen yesterday morning.  I forget whether it was the 07:07 or 08:07 to Newcastle, but it crawled into the platform on time behind a Turbo that had arrived about 3-4 minutes earlier.  After coming to a stand the Turbo could then get the signal into the siding.  From what I could see, the Turbo's doors were shut and it was ready to leave for the sidings much earlier but when a train is signalled in permissively behind then a route can't be set for the sidings.  The Turbo then departed from the north end of the platform after the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) had come to a stop.  When it cleared the route for the XC was set and it departed nearly three minutes late.  Wonderful.

Which would suggest that it still took five minutes or so to get an empty Turbo off the platform. Not good enough, wherever it pulled up.

[IndustryInsider]

That's right.  And judging by the length of time the dispatcher and driver were chatting with the doors shut on the Turbo waiting the signal, I think, in this case at least, it would have been quicker using the old more customer friendly method.  Dread to think what the scenes will be like today with persistant, heavy at times, rain for most of the day.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

The time it takes from the arrival of a terminating Turbo at Oxford Platform 2 and it departing into the sidings is, in my view, one of the major causes of Down CL train delays from Oxford. If this new practice eased such delays then all would be good but it seems as though from reports above that little is improved. Lets hope the powers review this practice before too long.

[Oxman]

Much has been said about the time it takes to prepare an empty DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) for dispatch to the sidings, so allow me to explain what goes on.

The train has to be empty of customers before it heads to the sidings. That is the condition that determines the process of checking that a train is empty. Why?

Because, if a train goes to the sidings with a customer on board, anything could happen. The worse scenario is that the customer will realise they are stuck on a train, will use the emergency egress switch, and will exit the train, only to be mown down by a passing train. Would you care to be responsible for this scenario?

So, the competency managers, in conjunction with the the station managers, have implemented a system for checking that stock is empty. The dispatcher walks thru the set, making sure every one is off (you would be surprised how many people need to be told its time to get off), then walks back along the outside of the set, checking it is still empty, and locking the carriages (using the knob at the end of the carriage), after which the driver can be given the right away. It is not unusual to find that someone has run down the stairs and jumped on the train, without checking the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System), so the second check is essential.

Sending a customer to the sidings on an empty stock is a regarded as a safety  incident that has to be reported and investigated. Dispatchers that regularly offend would be in danger of the sack. So it doesn't happen very often.

Four minutes is allowed for the whole process (same for HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train), but a different process). Thats pretty good going, and is achieved most of the time.

As far as I can see, the station team is between a rock and a hard place. Cut corners and you are likely to be subject to a disciplinary. Follow the safety driven process, and you are asked why it took so long (even if it took less than the allotted time).

Putting the terminators at the far end of the platform can only make things worse!

[ChrisB]

So, the competency managers, in conjunction with the the station managers, have implemented a system for checking that stock is empty. The dispatcher walks thru the set, making sure every one is off (you would be surprised how many people need to be told its time to get off), then walks back along the outside of the set, checking it is still empty, and locking the carriages (using the knob at the end of the carriage), after which the driver can be given the right away. It is not unusual to find that someone has run down the stairs and jumped on the train, without checking the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System), so the second check is essential.

Having watched the dispatchers at Oxford, what they *actually* do is this....walk through the train front to back, clearing passengers; then walk back up the train on the outside closing doors using the inside door buttons as they pass. Then speak to the driver to say its clear. I guess the driver then locks the doors.

Then the two stand gassing.....which causes the delay.....

The gassing used to go on for several long minutes,. but is better these days.

[IndustryInsider]

Much has been said about the time it takes to prepare an empty DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) for dispatch to the sidings, so allow me to explain what goes on.

The train has to be empty of customers before it heads to the sidings. That is the condition that determines the process of checking that a train is empty. Why?

Because, if a train goes to the sidings with a customer on board, anything could happen. The worse scenario is that the customer will realise they are stuck on a train, will use the emergency egress switch, and will exit the train, only to be mown down by a passing train. Would you care to be responsible for this scenario?

So, the competency managers, in conjunction with the the station managers, have implemented a system for checking that stock is empty. The dispatcher walks thru the set, making sure every one is off (you would be surprised how many people need to be told its time to get off), then walks back along the outside of the set, checking it is still empty, and locking the carriages (using the knob at the end of the carriage), after which the driver can be given the right away. It is not unusual to find that someone has run down the stairs and jumped on the train, without checking the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System), so the second check is essential.

Sending a customer to the sidings on an empty stock is a regarded as a safety  incident that has to be reported and investigated. Dispatchers that regularly offend would be in danger of the sack. So it doesn't happen very often.

As far as I can see, the station team is between a rock and a hard place. Cut corners and you are likely to be subject to a disciplinary. Follow the safety driven process, and you are asked why it took so long (even if it took less than the allotted time).

IS such a convuluted procedure really necessary though?  Up until around 10 years ago a quick check from the outside of the carriage from the back to the front, locking as you went, killed 99.9% of germs dead so to speak.  And took about a minute less.  Reading station, when sending trains to the sidings - i.e. the same potential scenario - don't deem it so necessary, but they are in a position where two or more can check.

I'd be inclined to agree with your post much more if there wasn't such a blatant inconsistency with trains arriving in the bay platform at Oxford and terminating, when all of a sudden it's deemed quite adequate for the driver to check the trains are empty and bugger off to the sidings when they get the road without any dispatch staff in site.  Quieter trains and platforms, yes, but draconian rules for one platform and no rules at all for another is hardly... well, I'll let you make your own minds up!

Then the two stand gassing.....which causes the delay.....

The gassing used to go on for several long minutes,. but is better these days.

Any gassing is whilst waiting for the signal to come off most of the time I would guess.

[ChrisB]

Oh no, sometiomes they gas even with the road given.....for some minutes, just finishing our conversation, gov!....

Not so bad these days, but a year or so ago, the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) rep would be vbriefing his members there!

[Oxman]

Ten years ago it was acceptable to allow 0.1% of germs to escape. Now its not.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not an elfandsafety addict - but the process was changed to attempt to remove any possibility of an overcarry, regardless of the actual risk involved. It could be done quicker, if the risk was accepted and the dispatcher was not disciplined for it (union reps step forward please!).

You are right about Reading - they usually have two staff available so one does the inside whilst the other locks up from the outside. Oxford only has one dispatcher. Incidentally, the competency team regard the Oxford process as best practice - so there!

The arguement about drivers locking out sets is a running sore - its particularly a problem at Reading. Drivers don't like to wait for a dispatcher to check the train, so lock it out themselves and then call the panel to get the road to the depot. When a a passenger is found on board at the depot, they try to blame the station staff!

Of course, the station staff are happy for the driver to self dispatch - less work for them!

[willc]

The train has to be empty of customers before it heads to the sidings.

No one is questioning that, just the time taken to achieve it.

I have been observing the emptying of Turbos at Oxford for 10 years now and with the previous, simpler, quicker procedure, of dispatchers walking through the train from the back to the front, never, ever saw anyone overcarried, nor indeed saw anyone develop a sudden urge to get back on board behind the dispatcher, which would have meant reopening a set of doors to do so - providing a bit of a clue there was someone on board when the dispatcher looked back down the train before telling the driver to lock the doors and move off.

The odd person running down the footbridge steps in the belief they are missing a train towards Worcester or Banbury always lunges for the door nearest the steps, ie the last one the dispatcher closed when leaving the train under the old method, so again anyone boarding at that point would be spotted and removed.

The competency team may be highly delighted with their preferred procedure but if four minutes is allowed per train, then on the basis of the public timetable, regular delays to the arrivals and departures of a number of Cotswold Line trains are near-inevitable.

And is it competent to operate a procedure that blocks a platform for up to 16 minutes an hour (even longer if the shunt signal is not cleared promptly) at a station with just two through platforms to start with?

It might be okay if trains were more evenly spread across an hour but they aren't, they are bunched up by the timetable in both directons, often with freight trains thrown into the mix as well. Addressing any of these would likely assist punctuality more effectively than inflicting a hike on FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s passengers, just in case an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service is late.

[CLPGMS]

Possibly the most often delayed HST^▸ (High Speed Train) is the 1551 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains). 

On Thursday 11th August, I witnessed a most crazy situation.  The 1457 PAD-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) local duly pulled into platform 2, possibly a little before its booked time of 1643.  It pulled right up to the end of the platform, but then it became a farce.  The driver turned off the engines and left his cab.  In the meantime, the platform staff checked the train.  After a delay of about 5 minutes, another driver appeared and took the train into the sidings.  All this time, the calling on signal was off.  For at least 4 minutes, the 1551 ex PAD was waiting at the signal to enter the platform.  It eventually did come in about 4 minutes late and departed at 1651 instead of 1647.  So much for this time saving procedure.

Of course, the 1457 is booked to wait in Platform 3 at Didcot Parkway between1619 and 1625, apparently to allow 1445 Bournemouth to Manchester XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) train to overtake it round the Didcot curve.

Two questions come to mind:
1) Why did the driver who brought the train into the platform not take it to the sidings?
2) What is the real benefit of making passengers walk almost 100 yards along the platform, especially if it happens to be tipping down with rain?

A question was asked above why the trains need to be checked.  I noted one delay late in the evening a few weeks ago, when a man had fallen asleep on the incoming train and it took about 5 minutes to wake and remove him.  In the meantime, the 2020 PAD-GMV was waiting for the platform.

[ChrisB]

Answer to 1)....

Only drivers on a turn with a further trip out of Oxford will take a set to the sidings. A driver who completes his shift on arrival at Oxford will leave his train to be taken to the sidings by either the driver of that trains next trip, or more likely, a shunter.

[bobm]

Where is the drivers' signing on point at Oxford?

[Btline]

Once again - there is no excuse for this sloppy operation.

London Midland terminate 2 tph (up to 4tph peak) at Kidderminster. The train is then sent up to sidings.

The train (up to 6 coaches in peaks) leaves seconds after the commuters have all poured out. The guard simply walks up through the train closing the doors, gets to the end, checks none have been re-opened, locks then, hops off, and the train leaves. There are no platform staff to help (so the same as a DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) train with platform staff).

Anyway - this just demonstrates that OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) needs a new station with 4 through platforms (plus bays). But there's no money - unless it can be tagged onto the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) modernisation. But that's a new thread...