Virgin train fails to stop at station - how does this happen?

[Kristofferson]

Just saw this tweet to VT: Why did the 15:20 from Birmingham not stop at Watford?

What's going on @virgintrains - why did the 15.30 from Birmingham not stop at Watford? Did the driver forget? Is he asleep???

I'm curious as to how this sort of thing happens, or what may have caused it?

 

[tsr]

It could be down to technical issues (perhaps poor adhesion meant the train could not stop and it was not practical to propel/change ends and return), driver error (maybe the driver was concentrating on restrictive signal aspects and didn't manage to remember to stop in time), a fault with the printed diagram/schedule, a delay earlier which meant that a stop was missed or was reinstated but not noted... quite a few things, and probably a few others as well! As VT said it was a mistake, I am inclined to think it was down to human error, but it doesn't necessarily have to be down to the driver. Whatever it was, these sorts of things are, as a general rule, logged and investigated very thoroughly (in case they are symptomatic of something like driver fatigue, a maintenance issue or a software/timetabling/scheduling issue - or something else).

 

[185]

Coffee stain on drivers docket?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y81294/2014/09/18

 

[tsr]

Coffee stain on drivers docket?

For some reason, I managed to go all serious and leave the humorous replies to others. You never fail to disappoint... Could also be a shortage of onboard tea, though!

 

[Minilad]

Well they didn't arrive awesome did they

 

[Saint66]

Well they didn't arrive awesome did they

Didn't stop at Watford, thus saving time... Those getting off at Euston were probably pleased that they arrived a few seconds earlier. Awesome for them.

 

[Kite159]

I'm sure any passengers who wanted to get off would be given a free ride on the next service to Watford Junction, via London Overground

 

[Howardh]

Ah, got it.
We can stop at the end of the line awesome stations on the way.

 

[jon91]

I'm sure any passengers who wanted to get off would be given a free ride on the next service to Watford Junction, via London Overground

So they'll technically still arrive awesome but will have to stop here, there and everywhere!

 

[whoosh]

Have you ever meant to stop off at the supermarket on the way home from work, but found yourself 'on autopilot' missing the turning for the supermarket, and taking the route towards your house?


A 'fail to call' as it's called on the railway is rare, but not unknow; there's a handful each month across the network. Often the driver will have had a trip not calling at the station concerned either earlier that day, or on previous shifts. The 'autopilot trap' can happen if going along on green signals just like the last few trips on the route, but realising too late that a stop at x station is required (just like the supermaket scenario).

Another common one is rather than having a normal approach to a station and braking at the given point, restrictive signals are encountered on the approach to the station, which then clear to green - the driver then accelerates and oops! Missed the stop.

 

[pdeaves]

Hi! First post here...

Many years ago my wife was on a train that failed to stop at Chippenham. Well, it failed to stop at the station, that was about where the brakes came on. After stopping and following whatever procedures were necessary the PA announcement told everyone that the driver simply forgot to stop.

I suspect that 'driver forgetfulness' may have been the cause here, too, especially as not all of that TOC's trains are supposed to stop at Watford.

 

[Kristofferson]

Hopefully it was a fault with the printed timetable, I wouldn't like to be that driver tonight...

I do sometimes forget the real railway isn't like Train Sim/BVE, where there's always a "next station in 000m" display Although I'm surprised the Pendo's train management computer doesn't have something similar tp be honest!

 

[Saint66]

In November last year, I was on a Virgin service heading to Euston. At our scheduled Watford stop, strangely, the final carriage was actually hanging off the end of the platform, but thankfully no one in the carriage wanted to get off there. That was an unexpected problem I've had at Watford with Virgin!

 

[dk1]

Only human & with different stopping patterns its very easy to drift away when on greens & then its too late.

 

[455driver]

So you all know its the drivers fault!
No need for an investigation then!:roll:

 

[6Gman]

So you all know its the drivers fault!
No need for an investigation then!:roll:

Oh, not at all. I was an office boy and on more than one occasion c***ed up the instructions issued to the driver.

 

[tsr]

So you all know its the drivers fault!
No need for an investigation then!:roll:

If you read my first post on this thread, I quite clearly explained a number of possible issues, but made the point that if it was publicly detailed as a mistake, it was probably due to human error.

That didn't have to be driver error, and as with what some others have said, it could easily be down to paperwork. Or something else.

So that's a bit of an overstatement!

Though I probably expected you to say that, anyway

 

[Crossover]

In November last year, I was on a Virgin service heading to Euston. At our scheduled Watford stop, strangely, the final carriage was actually hanging off the end of the platform, but thankfully no one in the carriage wanted to get off there. That was an unexpected problem I've had at Watford with Virgin!

Were you on an 11 car? Maybe the driver forgot and stopped at the 9 car stop instead?

 

[Saint66]

Were you on an 11 car? Maybe the driver forgot and stopped at the 9 car stop instead?

Yeah, it was an 11 car! That could explain it...

 

[thelongestroad]

Nice to see it's a bit of a joke for the TOC accounts on Twitter.

 

[dakta]

It's an error (machine/systematic/human), it inconvenienced people it didn't kill them.

I don't make any attempt to minimize anyone's suffering, especially if they had genuinely needed to be somewhere by a certain time, but it's public transport isn't it. It suffers from problems like this.

When you've so many people in one train relying on so many different systems, it's actually amazing in my own mind it doesn't happen more, especially given some of the repetitive workloads some drivers have to work with.

 

[Mark62]

A few weeks i was traveling on the 17.38 Sheffield to London. I was due to alight at Belper.When we arrived the doors wouldn't open in the two rear coaches and we pulled of leaving stuck on board. i went to see the guard and asked what had happened. She said the platforms were too short at Belper for the rear two coaches. This is absolute nonsense of course with a five coach train. I asked her how I was supposed to get home as that train connected with my last bus home.The only alternative is a taxi which can be very hard to get in Belper. The guard was totally unconcerned and I when I asked for her name she refused to give it. So I took her photo.At Derby I went straight to the manager who said it was crazy to suggest that the platforms were too short at Belper.He immediately got me a taxi home and said that he would talk to the guard about alighting protocols. The manager was very professional and helpful

 

[GarethJohn]

A few weeks i was traveling on the 17.38 Sheffield to London. I was due to alight at Belper.When we arrived the doors wouldn't open in the two rear coaches and we pulled of leaving stuck on board. i went to see the guard and asked what had happened. She said the platforms were too short at Belper for the rear two coaches. This is absolute nonsense of course with a five coach train. I asked her how I was supposed to get home as that train connected with my last bus home.The only alternative is a taxi which can be very hard to get in Belper. The guard was totally unconcerned and I when I asked for her name she refused to give it. So I took her photo.At Derby I went straight to the manager who said it was crazy to suggest that the platforms were too short at Belper.He immediately got me a taxi home and said that he would talk to the guard about alighting protocols. The manager was very professional and helpful

What if that had happened at a time or place where Staff were unavailable? If GP's, Hospitals and Dentist's start charging for missed appointment's or even Court Dates can the Railway be held accountable?

 

[Tibbs]

So you all know its the drivers fault!
No need for an investigation then!:roll:

Bit like how that was no doubt plenty of seats when this post states it was full and standing in A&B.

But hey, don't let me get in the way of your usual frothing at the mouth. :roll:

 

[The Decapod]

I was on a bus that got lost once, and some passengers had to tell the driver how to get back on the route. At least that can't happen on a train !

 

[Clip]

So you all know its the drivers fault!
No need for an investigation then!:roll:

Yup, the man on the platform told them so.

And as if by eerie coincidence Ive just had an email from Virgin enter my inbox!! Awesome!!

 

[infobleep]

I was on a bus that got lost once, and some passengers had to tell the driver how to get back on the route. At least that can't happen on a train !

Actually I think it could, if a signalman accidentally routed a driver onto a route he didn't know and he accepted it. If that's wrong then correct me. It's very unlikely of course.

 

[GarethJohn]

I've known Guards to get the wrong side of the Train when opening doors at Platforms.

 

[Tomnick]

Actually I think it could, if a signalman accidentally routed a driver onto a route he didn't know and he accepted it. If that's wrong then correct me. It's very unlikely of course.

If it did happen, it certainly wouldn't be down to the passengers to help the driver out! Usually they'd set back behind the junction signal and try again or, less likely, have to wait for a route conductor if the train was to go forward on the wrong route.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

I was on a bus that got lost once, and some passengers had to tell the driver how to get back on the route. At least that can't happen on a train !

I did that once (in 1974) when I was rostered as spare and working a route that wasn't my usual. "Naw, son the 13 disnae go this way!"