"Man entered train drivers cabin, switched off breaks and 'began moving controls'"

[randyrippley]

Man entered train drivers cabin, switched off brakes and 'began moving controls'

Detectives are investigating a report of someone 'endangering people on the railway'

www.lancs.live

Press report today of a man entering a train cab at Preston station and messing with the controls.
Perhaps relevant considering the recent threads about availability of keys?

Detectives are investigating a report of someone 'endangering people on the railway'

Police have issued a CCTV appeal after reports of a man "endangering people on the railway" at Preston station.

Officers from British Transport Police (BTP) said a man entered the drivers cabin of a stationary train and began "moving the controls", including turning the electricity off on the train. Then then attempted to "switch off the breaks".


The incident happened at around 3.20am on Saturday, July 27. Officers believe the man in the CCTV image (above) may have information that could help their investigation and are asking anyone who recognises him to get in contact.

In a statement, BTP said: "Do you recognise this man? Detectives investigating a report of someone endangering people on the railway are today releasing this image in connection.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Aug 2024 ==

And please don't moan about the spelling in the title - that's a quote from the news report

 

[185]

I assume Avanti have already called him and asked him to work a rest day.

In seriousness though, not surprising, I've been in Preston station at 3am, and the place is deserted. No security, no staff, no BTP, no-one.

 

[Horizon22]

NRES states the station only has staff available from 0400-0100

• Staff Help Available Monday to Friday: 04:00 - 01:00
• Staff Help Available Saturday: 04:00 - 01:00
• Staff Help Available Sunday: 04:00 - 01:00

I presume it would be locked up/closed if it wasn't for the sleepers?

Doesn't anything routinely stable in Preston Friday-Saturday?

 

[HST125Scorton]

NRES states the station only has staff available from 0400-0100



I presume it would be locked up/closed if it wasn't for the sleepers?

Doesn't anything routinely stable in Preston Friday-Saturday?

A handful of stock from Northern, TPE and Avanti usually are the usual suspects that stable at Preston. TPE/Northern usually use both Pitt/Croft Street and one Pendolino from Avanti stables on either RES, P5 or 6 for a morning ECS to Lancaster. The occasional 15x is stabled in 3/4C bay platforms. I've been on Preston Station many weekday nights from early 2011 and staff generally go by midnight and back on shift by 5am. A station manager and couple of platform dispatchers usually stay on overnight for the safe dispatch of the sleepers Exclu Saturday into Sunday when then don't run.

Sat 24 July 0000-0500 only stock in the station was the following:

Plat 5 overnight stable 390103 formed 5C06 0438 to Lancaster forward as 1A06 to London Euston
Plat 4C overnight stable 156461 formed 2N11 0624 to Colne

 

[skyhigh]

If they "turned the electricity off on the train" it sounds as if it was an EMU that was panned down.

 

[greatkingrat]

In this case it is not ill-informed journalists who can't spell, the original BTP press release uses the term "breaks"!

 

[Bikeman78]

In this case it is not ill-informed journalists who can't spell, the original BTP press release uses the term "breaks"!

It's a common mistake. Also in the past tense, I broke instead of I braked. A lot of people don't seem to know the word brake exists.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Press report today of a man entering a train cab at Preston station and messing with the controls.
Perhaps relevant considering the recent threads about availability of keys?

If this is the work of an enthusiast, which it probably is, then it doesn’t help the already varied image of the community.

 

[BlueLeanie]

In this case it is not ill-informed journalists who can't spell, the original BTP press release uses the term "breaks"!

But was it accurate?

Are there circuits breakers in the cab?

 

[HST125Scorton]

Turns out the person boarded a Class 92, namely 92010 on the lowland sleeper (1S26) which arrived at 0304hrs 36 Early and resulted in a 32 late departure from Preston at 0422hrs instead of 0350hrs.

 

[tram21]

But was it accurate?

Are there circuits breakers in the cab?

From my limited knowledge from the game TSW4, yes there are in most trains.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Aug 2024 ==

Turns out the person boarded a Class 92, namely 92010 on the lowland sleeper (1S26) which arrived at 0304hrs 36 Early and resulted in a 32 late departure from Preston at 0422hrs instead of 0350hrs.

Where was the driver?!

 

[HST125Scorton]

From my limited knowledge from the game TSW4, yes there are in most trains.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Aug 2024 ==


Where was the driver?!

On their break in the mess room after coming in with 1M11 sleeper.

 

[Tester]

On their brake in the mess room after coming in with 1M11 sleeper and exchanging with 1S26s driver.

I saw what you did there

 

[43066]

But was it accurate?

Are there circuits breakers in the cab?

Circuit breakers aren’t generally called “breaks”, though.

From the appalling standard of writing used in the article I can’t tell whether he was tripping circuit breakers or attempting to release the train brakes!

 

[Narrowgauge725]

Just written to the 'Chief Reporter' as he is described to complain about his spelling

 

[Horizon22]

On their break in the mess room after coming in with 1M11 sleeper.

Still the driving cab wouldn't have been left unsecured surely? I suppose if it arrived very early then perhaps.

At 0300 I can only imagine it was some of opportunist enthusiast or an extreme drunk because who else would be around at that sort of time and take such actions.

 

[HST125Scorton]

Still the driving cab wouldn't have been left unsecured surely? I suppose if it arrived very early then perhaps.

At 0300 I can only imagine it was some of opportunist enthusiast or an extreme drunk because who else would be around at that sort of time and take such actions.

Most of the time if sleepers arrive early drivers usually leave the cabs after shutting down the cab and taking keys with them so they can go on there break. Some do stay depending on what time they arrive or if they are continuing forward. Preston on a Friday/Saturday evenings are rather strange with many drunks and uni folks.

 

[43066]

Still the driving cab wouldn't have been left unsecured surely? I suppose if it arrived very early then perhaps.

The cab shouldn’t be left live, ie “keyed on”, but there are certainly some rolling stock classes in use with cab doors that are routinely left unlocked, although I’m not going to say which .

 

[357]

The cab shouldn’t be left live, ie “keyed on”, but there are certainly some rolling stock classes in use with cab doors that are routinely left unlocked, although I’m not going to say which .

It depends on company policy.

Some companies have a set of keys that stay with the unit and there is a process for leaving a train secure but with a cab keyed on.

I won't say what that procedure is or what companies use that procedure though!

 

[driverd]

The cab shouldn’t be left live, ie “keyed on”, but there are certainly some rolling stock classes in use with cab doors that are routinely left unlocked, although I’m not going to say which .

In fairness, it depends on the traction type. If keying out stops the compressor from running and your passenger services (ie: toilets) stop working, it's less than ideal on a sleeper. Eg: key out a 37 and you'll loose air within 20 mins or so.

All this said, if man was equipped with T key and drivers key, it's likely all rather a moot point.

Quite scary that someone would tamper with a train full of passengers.

 

[43066]

In fairness, it depends on the traction type. If keying out stops the compressor from running and your passenger services (ie: toilets) stop working, it's less than ideal on a sleeper. Eg: key out a 37 and you'll loose air within 20 mins or so.

Thanks - sadly I’ve never driven anything quite so exotic as a 37!

All this said, if man was equipped with T key and drivers key, it's likely all rather a moot point.

Quite scary that someone would tamper with a train full of passengers.

Agreed. I hope he’s tracked down and the book is thrown at him, quite frankly.

 

[Travelmonkey]

There is some security failures there, hypothetically if he was gonna get the train moving how far would he have got before the train stopped itself or worse derailed

Hopefully the BTP continues to take this seriously and bring the lad too book,

 

[156gricer]

He’ll be drunk on the way back after night out. Needs to be a change in security procedures I think!!!

 

[driverd]

Thanks - sadly I’ve never driven anything quite so exotic as a 37!

Not too sure I'd call them exotic, more just dirty most of the time!

Agreed. I hope he’s tracked down and the book is thrown at him, quite frankly.

Whilst I'm usually quite laissez-faire about most things, in this case I do agree - there need to be strong repercussions. To do anything else sets a very dangerous precident.

 

[6Gman]

I am a little surprised that a passenger train would not be "GC xx reld at 03xx by PN" xx" and "PN xx relieve GC xx at the same 03xx".

Certainly in my day we would never leave a train en route unmanned.

(Though, having said that, "Change Cabs" was not unknown which I suppose has the same effect - though only for a couple of minutes.)

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

From the picture, it certainly doesnt look like a typical enthusiast and more a young person after a big night out thought he would play trains. If cabs are left open then you are asking for trouble the same as leaving your car open with things on show. He was wrong but I guess had no idea ( at the time) about the implications of living his train driver fantasy of a child out whilst off his head. Cab should be secured when empty, no excuse for that.

 

[MotCO]

To what extent do the video games give sufficient info for the untrained to drive a real engine?

 

[LUYMun]

A question I raise is how would the man know how to gain access to the cab? If perhaps he had a T-key or carriage key in hand, or fumbled around the exterior door release button, then it raises the possibility of an enthusiast wanting to get a feel for the controls, even with the risk of getting into trouble. That said though which enthusiast (bar bashers) would really be out at 3.20am at Preston?

 

[357]

hypothetically if he was gonna get the train moving how far would he have got before the train stopped itself or worse derailed

Depends how much he knows.

Think about that Alaska airlines plane that an enthusiast hijacked or Thomas Farooki the enthusiast who stole a bus...

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

A question I raise is how would the man know how to gain access to the cab? If perhaps he had a T-key or carriage key in hand, or fumbled around the exterior door release button, then it raises the possibility of an enthusiast wanting to get a feel for the controls, even with the risk of getting into trouble. That said though which enthusiast (bar bashers) would really be out at 3.20am at Preston?

If you look at the picture. I really doubt this is an enthusiast. Although you mustn't judge a book by its cover