I wonder if a station has no signal at the end of the platform if the driver could/would set back into the platform. Theoretically he would not need the signaller's permission as the train is the only train in the block from the previous signal.
This would apply to Track Circuit Block.
Once the train is into the signal section (and has therefore put the Stop Signal behind it to red) it "owns" the line through to the next Stop Signal. As a set-back is a "Wrong Direction Movement" - and would in this case be unscheduled and un-signalled (unlike any planned shunt) the Driver is supposed to contact the Signaller. One reason for this is that, while the length between two Stop Signals usually shows up on any indication that the signaller sees (whatever kind of Box or Signalling Centre he/she is working) any long section of line is usually a number of consecutive track circuits feeding the same indication. If a set-back were to cross from a forward TC to the one behind it, it might well confuse the system and either record a TC failure or just lock-up the system.
Two other things apply.
1. Rather less likely - if the over-run has passed onto or over any points a whole can of worms about movement could arise. (These days in TCB the points can be quite a long way beyond the protecting signal).
2. Beyond each Stop Signal there is an "Overlap". This is normally 200 yards - or 200 metres now. As soon as any part of a movement occupies the Overlap it shows the Signaller that the TCB Section is occupied - whether this puts the signal just past to Red at once or shortly after depends on how the particular TC and signal are arranged. In some places you will see the signal go to red immediately - "First Axle Red" (the more common, more modern arrangement) while in other (usually older arrangements) the signal will not be put to red until most or all of the train has past the signal... (This allowed for the practice of guards observing the signal - in which case they needed to be able to see a Proceed Aspect from the back of a train). That part is easy...
While any part of a movement occupies the Overlap the Signal(s) protecting the TCB Section that the train is leaving (or has left) will be held at Red. Then, once the Overlap id cleared any signal protecting the TCB Section that has been left will be released to be changed either automatically or as required by the controlling Signaller.
This all works "backwards" - if a Wrong Direction Movement enters the Overlap it will put the Stop Signal protecting the next Section back to Red - or hold it at Red. Clearly a "put-back" can be a significant problem. Although the highest aspect that signal could have been showing would be a single Yellow Drivers do not like to see a Yellow drop to a Red as they approach them. These days "sliding by" wouldn't be counted as a SPAD because it wouldn't be the Driver's "fault". However, - so long as the Driver saw it - the "put back" would cause an emergency stop. More seriously a movement might have past the single Yellow legitimately. In that case the movement would be continuing normally toward the Red - but would have lost the protection of the 200 yards of overlap beyond the (Red) Stop Signal it would be approaching.
I hope that lot makes sense!
In Absolute Block a train "In Section" is completely "In Section" and owns the line. For the most part the line will be "dark" to the two Signallers at each end of the Block Section - so they are unaware of any "goings on" within it - unless any movement gets itself in sight of either Box.
With Intermediate Block and Automatic Block conditions very similar to TCB would apply.
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The overshoot was certainly not 1/4mile - it's my guess that as the line has a minor downhill (1:100) that it's morelikely leaf fall from the large crops of broadleaf trees at Clench could be a factor - not ruling out the fact that people do brake too late or fail to call. Welcome to October again.
One consideration with a "slide-by" caused by rail head conditions is - whether a unit will be able to get sufficient traction to set back up a slope. It's possible that an experienced Driver will know that he doesn't have a hope of getting back to a platform and will therefore give up on it and carry on to the next platform.
A related problem can be that a slide by - despite the fact that it is sliding - will end up with significant "flats" on the wheels. This may influence the way a Driver works his train to try and get a good stop - although with modern stock (not the old stuff I worked with) the computers play games with the braking anyway. I'd guess that it might have been the train's "brain" over-riding the braking to prevent wheel damage that contributed to the slide-by (if that's what occurred).
Risk of the computer causing a SPAD? This is why Drivers now use "defensive driving" techniques.
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I can certainly remember doing this on a very wet day on the Central Wales line when we overshot one of the request stops because the joining passenger was sheltering until the train entered the platform.
AH! Request stops!
The 8 car Thameslink I intended to get home from an early turn on had a door lock failure at Sevenoaks. After some "discussion" it was decided to run it ECS back to its north London depot. Being staff I was able to scrounge a ride on the out-of-course working. We took a weird route between regular trains with a lot of signal checks - until we escaped onto the Catford Loop... Building up to line speed we approached whatever station it was down hill... And a nice lady - possibly from Mid Wales - stepped to the platform edge and held out her arm...
EEEEK!
The Driver hardly had time to hit the horns and hardly touched the brake - there wouldn't have been much point anyway...
Fortunately the nice lady's companions realised what was going on, grabbed her and yanked her clear.
We never heard anything about it...
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Whatever the actual length of the overshoot, it's a pity that none of the comments above acknowledge the disruption for the passengers. Yes the Vine show might have overplayed the issue, but the comments above seem largely to take the attitude 'it happens occasionally. Tough luck'. Yes it does happen sometimes but a customer service-facing response would reflect more concern about the correct solutions for the customers as the starting point.
"Customer Care"...
Yes - relevant - for a couple of people so far mentioned...
(A) Perhaps an "on-the-ball" manager of some sort might have organised a taxi for each of the disrupted customers and got them where they were going as promptly as possible. It's certainly what I would be looking for.
(B) To be cynical - it's fortunate for the one that got over carried that he didn't get a penalty fare if he (oops - "or she") didn't have a ticket right through to where he or she ended up... :roll:
(C) More seriously - in these days of penalties for TOCs a considerable factor - that wouldn't have been mentioned to Mr Vine - it would potentially be that the time it would have taken to organise a set-back into the platform and get it done would have so disrupted following movements - freight included - that the penalties that would have built up on the original train (that "slid through") would have made it a rational "business decision" to send it forward...
That said - it would have made sense to get the customers to their destinations more efficiently.
In the old days - when railwaymen ran the railway (rather than politicians and accountants) we would have made a local decision and stopped whatever trains were appropriate to get the
passengers to the destinations. Sometimes this would have involved a "Special Stop Order" from a local Station Master. Ah! Those were the days!!!
If the "inconvenienced" passenger had been "forces" we'd even divert a Class 1 - e.g. through Redhill instead of round the Quarry Diversion - so that the passenger could be scooped up and returned to barracks inside their pass time. A few unscheduled stops got made at Guildford on late Sunday evenings for RN heading back to Pompey as well.
There is no way anyone could do that these days! These days of "customer service"...
(D) Another consideration - that everyone has possibly missed - would be that the time setting back for two - or even a dozen or so customers could easily have disrupted the running of a number of other trains - at least the back-working and subsequent workings of the train involved - possibly resulting in some cancelations. This could "inconvenience" several hundred other customers.
I still think that some taxis should have been used!
I would
suggest that, if this happened to anyone here, they should contact the TOC immediately - assistance point or media - and ask them nicely to sort the problem out - with a taxi... it would be a lot more practical than having it discussed on the radio a few days later. Of course - if the TOC failed to sort it out - when asked nicely - that could get into the media... As they know this - they'd potentially get their act together... With these wizzo modern phones one might even film the train shuddering to a halt and then going forward...
- that could well be, agreed.
