Should trains be held for late running buses?

[AxelGrowth]

Even though I thought I had allowed myself enough time, an unexpected diversion caused my bus to the station to be rather late (our station is a combined bus and train station) and by the time the driver was pulling into the bus bay to let us alight, I could see my train pulling away!

Why can't there be a system in place for these kind of situations where the bus driver has a walkie talkie where if the train is only just starting to pull away from the platform, he radios through to the train driver for them to bring the train to a stop for so I can board it or if it has already cleared the platform, asks the train driver to reverse the train back to the platform allowing me to board it?

It's no wonder public transportation in this country is the epitomy of a joke!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Why can't there be a system in place for these kind of situations where the bus driver has a walkie talkie where if the train is only just starting to pull away from the platform, he radios through to the train driver for them to bring the train to a stop for so I can board it or if it has already cleared the platform, asks the train driver to reverse the train back to the platform allowing me to board it?

Somehow, doubt that's ever going to happen!

By the way, where exactly was the station in question, how long did you have to wait for the next train, and was your rail ticket an advance ticket?

 

[island]

Welcome to the forum.

Such a system would be rather impractical, given the wide range of bus and train companies, not to mention the chance of such a walkie-talkie coming into the possession of a troublemaker.

How would the bus driver know and remember which passengers are making train connections and onto which train? Would the drivers also be able to tell which train is which, and know whether the departing train is yours or a preceding one?

How far out of the station would the train need to be before it would no longer “reverse back”? Are you aware how train drivers can’t see to reverse, so reversing is a very tightly controlled operation?

What would happen in your scenario if a train having “reversed back” then got ready to go again only for another late running bus to turn up? What if it happened again and again at subsequent stations? Isn’t that a bit disrespectful to the passengers who showed up on time?

How would this affect the very tight pathing on busy parts of the railway?

 

[spag23]

Aside from the practicalities mentioned above, delaying the train would make it late at all the following stops. This would cause loads of passengers to miss their connections.

 

[skyhigh]

where the bus driver has a walkie talkie where if the train is only just starting to pull away from the platform, he radios through to the train driver for them to bring the train to a stop for so I can board it or if it has already cleared the platform, asks the train driver to reverse the train back to the platform allowing me to board it?

Right, so we're going to give every bus driver a walkie talkie, and every train driver? How does the train driver know the bus driver is adressing them? Do we have a kind of "everyone in range bring their train to a stand" and just deal with the mass disruption? How does the bus driver even know he's got a passenger who wants the train? How does a train reverse without bidirectional signalling?

And who pays for all this?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2022 ==

Aside from the practicalities mentioned above, delaying the train would make it late at all the following stops. This would cause loads of passengers to miss their connections.

Well how about the drivers of the late trains radio to the drivers of the connecting trains to get them to stop and turn back...?

 

[CharlieSpotted]

The points about how it isn't practical to reverse or hold trains or have communication between bus drivers and train drivers have been made, with increasing degrees of ridicule (perhaps somewhat unfairly - the OP may not have realised that "reversing" a train is not straightforward).

However harsh it seems though, the real point is that... sh*t happens sometimes, it's nobody's fault, sometimes it's just not your day. You just have to get over it and carry on.

 

[AlterEgo]

Even though I thought I had allowed myself enough time, an unexpected diversion caused my bus to the station to be rather late (our station is a combined bus and train station) and by the time the driver was pulling into the bus bay to let us alight, I could see my train pulling away!

Why can't there be a system in place for these kind of situations where the bus driver has a walkie talkie where if the train is only just starting to pull away from the platform, he radios through to the train driver for them to bring the train to a stop for so I can board it or if it has already cleared the platform, asks the train driver to reverse the train back to the platform allowing me to board it?

It's no wonder public transportation in this country is the epitomy of a joke!

You could also issue everyone in the country with a walkie talkie too so they can randomly radio bus drivers if they pull away while you're still walking to the stop!

 

[WesternLancer]

You could also issue everyone in the country with a walkie talkie too so they can randomly radio bus drivers if they pull away while you're still walking to the stop!

I bet some bus drivers might still do it though....

 

[miklcct]

We should have a unified Delay Repay system covering all modes of public transport though, including buses, coaches, trains, ferries, and aeroplanes.

 

[Titfield]

I dont see why this isnt possible! After all when I go on my holidays, if they have closed the departure gate before I get there I can ring the pilot and he brings the plane back to the gate. They even put the number on the side of the plane so I dont have to google it.

 

[skyhigh]

We should have a unified Delay Repay system covering all modes of public transport though, including buses, coaches, trains, ferries, and aeroplanes.

And would you be happy to see bus, ferry and air fares increase to cover the cost of this scheme?

 

[ComUtoR]

Well how about the drivers of the late trains radio to the drivers of the connecting trains...

This is already possible......

 

[miklcct]

And would you be happy to see bus, ferry and air fares increase to cover the cost of this scheme?

I'd like to see it funded by increased ridership instead when people living away from the railways can book Advance tickets with confidence.

 

[skyhigh]

This is already possible......

I can't think of any obvious way of doing that - unless there's some feature of the GSMR we've never been trained on? Would be interested to know

 

[Bertie the bus]

Connecting trains don't even wait for delayed rail replacement buses so they're certainly not going to wait for random service buses on the off chance someone on it wants to catch the train.

 

[HSTEd]

No trains would ever run on time again if this was done!

 

[ComUtoR]

I can't think of any obvious way of doing that - unless there's some feature of the GSMR we've never been trained on? Would be interested to know

You can link GSMR's from two or more trains using the multi call feature. Generally it would be used during assistance so Drivers can communicate with each other. I think its labled 'build marti-party call. You select Lead Driver then Driver 2, 3, 4 etc.

You can call 'all trains in area' too but I've been to scared to use it 'accidentally' so I'm unsure of how that feature works.

 

[skyhigh]

You can link GSMR's from two or more trains using the multi call feature. Generally it would be used during assistance so Drivers can communicate with each other. I think its labled 'build marti-party call. You select Lead Driver then Driver 2, 3, 4 etc.

You can call 'all trains in area' too but I've been to scared to use it 'accidentally' so I'm unsure of how that feature works.

Ah I see - from what we were briefed we were told we had to request a code from the signaller to do that. Thanks

 

[miklcct]

Connecting trains don't even wait for delayed rail replacement buses so they're certainly not going to wait for random service buses on the off chance someone on it wants to catch the train.

This isn't true on the Cambrian line as the last time I took it, the train was held for a connecting rail replacement bus.

Holding trains for connections isn't practical for mainline railways, but on such rural line there is no operational barrier to hold a train and the train company definitely won't want to let dozens of passengers to wait in the middle of nowhere for 2 hours for the next train!

 

[ComUtoR]

Ah I see - from what we were briefed we were told we had to request a code from the signaller to do that. Thanks

yes, the signaller gives both parties a code which they register with and then join the call. Or you can use the hold feature with an incoming call. But yep. Totally possible

 

[PeterC]

Reminds me of the time in the 1970s when we were making a rather tight bus to train connection on the Cambrian Coast Line. The train was in the platform and the Crossville driver waited, with the bus across the level crossing, until he saw us on the platform.

 

[Irascible]

Reminds me of the time in the 1970s when we were making a rather tight bus to train connection on the Cambrian Coast Line. The train was in the platform and the Crossville driver waited, with the bus across the level crossing, until he saw us on the platform.

Hah! brilliant.

-

If it was a properly integrated bus service ( do we have some anywhere atm? not a rhetorical question ) then the train really ought to wait if there's enough recovery time available, but nothing should ever wait at all costs.

 

[dk1]

Connecting trains don't even wait for delayed rail replacement buses so they're certainly not going to wait for random service buses on the off chance someone on it wants to catch the train.

You beat me to it.

 

[6Gman]

This isn't true on the Cambrian line as the last time I took it, the train was held for a connecting rail replacement bus.

Holding trains for connections isn't practical for mainline railways, but on such rural line there is no operational barrier to hold a train and the train company definitely won't want to let dozens of passengers to wait in the middle of nowhere for 2 hours for the next train!

There can be lots of operational barriers to holding trains on rural lines, particularly where there are single track sections (such as the Cambrian) where a 15 minute delay to one service can rapidly multiply if crossing points have to be changed.

 

[randyrippley]

No trains would ever run on time again if this was done!

So what's new?

 

[30907]

Have we not had a very similar query recently involving trains reversing? Can't find it in a quick search though.

 

[matacaster]

One should bear in mind that in yorkshire, the bus information displays regularly tell you when the next 3 busses are coming. You stand expectantly, the time arrives, but the bus is nowhere to be seen - it never does arrive, it simply disappears off the screen. In fairness the rail information system is generally reliable and commendably accurate. Trying to marry the pathetic bus info system to rail system is worthy, but quite impossible as it stands.