High Speed train hits shopping trolley near Folkestone

[cooldog]

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone/news/high-speed-train-hits-obstruction-94907/

High speed services were stopped from Folkestone West this evening after a train hit a shopping trolley left on the line.

Southeastern confirmed a train hit a trolley just after 5pm on the line between Folkestone and Ashford.

Power to the line was turned off while workers removed the trolley, and checked the train for damage.

The train suffered minor damage, and was stopped at Ashford and withdrawn from service for repair.

British Transport Police are investigating how the trolley came to be on the line.

A Southeastern spokesman told KentOnline: "Leaving obstructions on the tracks can be extremely dangerous....."

What kind of idiot puts a shopping trolley on the tracks?

 

[nottsnurse]

Idiots is the correct word.

 

[Kite159]

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone/news/high-speed-train-hits-obstruction-94907/

What kind of idiot puts a shopping trolley on the tracks.

Probably bored kids doing it for a dare to make themselves look "cool".

 

[ComUtoR]

I was held at a station a while back because someone had launched a shopping trolley at a moving train, which it hit.

 

[Bald Rick]

Shopping trolleys / bikes; happens about once a month somewhere in the Southeast.

 

[ComUtoR]

Shopping trolleys / bikes; happens about once a month somewhere in the Southeast.

I remember being stuck at Gill because someone threw a bike on to the track. It managed to weld itself to the rail !

 

[Master29]

A Southeastern spokesman told KentOnline: "Leaving obstructions on the tracks can be extremely dangerous....."

I may be a bit pedantic here but isn`t this statement the bleedin obvious? How much was this guy paid to say that I wonder.

 

[richieb1971]

Overtook a train slowly south of Bedford once. A 319 hit a shopping trolley there. It was stuck under the wheel all mangled up. The train did not derail.

 

[stevescan]

kids leaving objects on the line was a common problem when i was driving for Metrolink, trolleys were common down the Altrincham line.

 

[DarloRich]

A Southeastern spokesman told KentOnline: "Leaving obstructions on the tracks can be extremely dangerous....."

I may be a bit pedantic here but isn't this statement the bleedin obvious? How much was this guy paid to say that I wonder.

it is about using the opportunity of publicity to reinforce the key message. Whilst it may be obvious to many the people doing this (often bored kids/younger teenagers) don't understand the potential for disaster.

What do you suggest is said instead?

 

[Deepgreen]

A Southeastern spokesman told KentOnline: "Leaving obstructions on the tracks can be extremely dangerous....."

I may be a bit pedantic here but isn`t this statement the bleedin obvious? How much was this guy paid to say that I wonder.

Life is crammed with obvious statements - let's start (and stop) with 'mind the gap'...

 

[DarloRich]

Life is crammed with obvious statements - let's start (and stop) with 'mind the gap'...

I assume, you haven't ( as i have) had to pull a small child out of the "mid the gap" gap. Not nice for the mini person.

 

[rf_ioliver]

A Southeastern spokesman told KentOnline: "Leaving obstructions on the tracks can be extremely dangerous....."

I may be a bit pedantic here but isn`t this statement the bleedin obvious? How much was this guy paid to say that I wonder.

Sadly, "bleedin obvious" isn't obvious to some...particularly those who throw shoppingtrollies on railway lines....

Isn't there a quote: "common sense isn't common" ?

Ian

 

[bb21]

it is about using the opportunity of publicity to reinforce the key message. Whilst it may be obvious to many the people doing this (often bored kids/younger teenagers) don't understand the potential for disaster.

What do you suggest is said instead?

I don't know whether there were other things he said that were simply not included in the story, but I would have thought that as a reinforcement message, it would have been much more effective to include an actual example of the damage done - It can be quite dangerous, and resulted in someone being killed at xxx a couple of months ago. A fatality is always a good one. An example really hammers the message home whereas for many, especially youngsters, an empty message about something being dangerous but now why it's dangerous will simply get dismissed and ignored.

 

[pdq]

How about 'is dangerous' rather than 'can be dangerous'? Removes the idea that the action may be of little or no consequence.

Sent from my HTC One M8s using Tapatalk

 

[tsr]

Life is crammed with obvious statements - let's start (and stop) with 'mind the gap'...

When I need to advise pax of such things, if there is a particularly extreme hazard then I'll generally describe it as an "unusually large gap" or something similar, to emphasise anything which they might otherwise ignore as run-of-the-mill. I'll also say where on the platform it may be particularly hazardous. Some examples of what I would say at various points on the Southern network... at Selhurst Platform 4 I would advise to "mind the large gap, especially if you are towards the front of the train"; Salfords Platform 1: "take care to mind the large step onto the platform from the front 2 coaches"; Wandsworth Common: "be aware of the uneven platform surface and the gap which varies along the train". Etc. From my direct experience, I generally get a much better response from this, and it seems to reduce platform-train interface incidents hugely. "Different" phrasing really helps.

Sometimes I will even get station staff at major stations to do it, if the train's next stop is a special call where there is a particular hazard. For example "This train will stop additionally at [x] around 3 minutes after leaving this station. We will leave plenty of time for all passengers to alight at [x]. For those of you wishing to do so, please make sure you are ready to leave calmly and safely as there is a large gap at the next station platform. Once again, this train calls additionally at [x] - if you are alighting there please take care as there may be a number of passengers and the platform has a large gap. Thank you."

 

[DarloRich]

I don't know whether there were other things he said that were simply not included in the story, but I would have thought that as a reinforcement message, it would have been much more effective to include an actual example of the damage done - It can be quite dangerous, and resulted in someone being killed at xxx a couple of months ago. A fatality is always a good one. An example really hammers the message home whereas for many, especially youngsters, an empty message about something being dangerous but now why it's dangerous will simply get dismissed and ignored.

it will have been cut. Unless it is a slow news day you will get one line chosen by the sub editors, no matter what you put in your "comment"