Should all trains services stop for 2 minutes on Remembrance Sunday?

[GLC]

I saw a tweet from Scotrail this morning, announcing that:

To honour Remembrance Sunday, Scotland’s Railway will be observing two minutes of silence from 11:00 today. We welcome everyone to pay their respects for the service and sacrifice of all those who have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.

x.com

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A wonderful Gesture for those who “ Lest We Forget”. But it made me think that, given that Scotrail mentions that the entire railway will be observing the silence, how feasible would it be for every train to come to a stop mid journey, in time for 11am, so that drivers, guards and passengers may also pay their respects in an appropriate way?

I understand that it may affect some timetabling, but as every train will have stopped for 2 minutes, I believe the net effect will be cancelled out, and of course, allow for the entire Nation to come together to remember those fallen. It would be a heartfelt gesture I feel, from an industry so involved with the war

 

[TomTankEngine]

I saw a tweet from Scotrail this morning, announcing that:

x.com

x.com

A wonderful Gesture for those who “ Lest We Forget”. But it made me think that, given that Scotrail mentions that the entire railway will be observing the silence, how feasible would it be for every train to come to a stop mid journey, in time for 11am, so that drivers, guards and passengers may also pay their respects in an appropriate way?

I understand that it may affect some timetabling, but as every train will have stopped for 2 minutes, I believe the net effect will be cancelled out, and of course, allow for the entire Nation to come together to remember those fallen. It would be a heartfelt gesture I feel, from an industry so involved with the war

Slowing a train down to a stop, wait for 2 minutes and then accelerating again would be a longer delay than 2 minutes.

I also imagine the last on the grid with all trains accelerating at full tilt at 11.02 could cause a spike

 

[deltic]

The longer ago it was and the fewer survivors there are the more fuss we seem to want to make. Why not shut all the roads at 11am, switch off the power etc.

I would imagine less than 5% of the population pause at 11am to reflect on those who died.

 

[Statto]

No.

Stopping trains for 2 minutes is not as simple as that, trains can't stop on a sixpence, getting them to stop from line speed (particularly trains going at 100mph plus) is going to take a few more minutes, then getting up to speed again will take a few more extra minutes,

 

[JonathanH]

The longer ago it was and the fewer survivors there are the more fuss we seem to want to make. Why not shut all the roads at 11am, switch off the power etc.

Did a complete shut down or railways, roads, power etc ever happen?

While I recognise that point, and we are remembering those who pay the supreme sacrifice in today's conflicts, not just those in the world wars, is it true that we are making less fuss?

 

[Trainguy34]

Some trains would probably having to begin breaking any second to stop by 11, so I'm assuming a 6 minute delay for some trains would be realistic?

 

[Peter0124]

What about freight trains aswell?

 

[43066]

Generally a bad idea - and why is it necessary? People can observe the two minute silence while trains are running if they wish.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I would imagine less than 5% of the population pause at 11am to reflect on those who died.

Inclined to disagree. Suspect it's much more than that. Is the 5% a figure that you've simply plucked out of thin air?

 

[GLC]

What about freight trains aswell?

Yes, all trains on the network, I’m sure freight drivers wish to take a moment to reflect too

Generally a bad idea - and why is it necessary? People can observe the two minute silence while trains are running if they wish.

we can all agree a signaller contacting a driver during a 2 minute silence would be disrespectful to those who have fallen, which of of course includes former railwaymen, so to maintain the safety of the railway, pausing the trains would be a sensible precaution.

 

[simonw]

Yes, all trains on the network, I’m sure freight drivers wish to take a moment to reflect too



we can all agree a signaller contacting a driver during a 2 minute silence would be disrespectful to those who have fallen, which of of course includes former railwaymen, so to maintain the safety of the railway, pausing the trains would be a sensible precaution.

I don't know on what basis you say "we can all agree..." I don't agree it's, disrespectful.

 

[43066]

we can all agree a signaller contacting a driver during a 2 minute silence would be disrespectful to those who have fallen, which of of course includes former railwaymen, so to maintain the safety of the railway, pausing the trains would be a sensible precaution.

It wouldn’t be disrespectful at all if done for good operational reasons. The world isn’t supposed to grind to a halt - it’s an optional two minute period of reflection.

Stopping every train on the network out of course would create its own safety risks, and not doing so doesn’t imply any disrespect to the fallen.

 

[RPM]

There are some activities that cannot be interrupted by remembrance day silences, and the operation of train services is one of them. It is a matter of practicality, not lack of respect.

 

[NewcastleBrown]

we can all agree a signaller contacting a driver during a 2 minute silence would be disrespectful to those who have fallen

Can we? It doesn't seem disrespectful to me that people who are carrying out their jobs contact other people who are carrying out their jobs

 

[Sun Chariot]

I

What about freight trains as well

Indeed. Let's add commercial and military flights too....

 

[Trainguy34]

Yes, all trains on the network, I’m sure freight drivers wish to take a moment to reflect too



we can all agree a signaller contacting a driver during a 2 minute silence would be disrespectful to those who have fallen, which of of course includes former railwaymen, so to maintain the safety of the railway, pausing the trains would be a sensible precaution.

I personally don't agree, but surely if would be more disrespectful to not contact a driver about something safety-critical if it leads to risks that could've been easily avoided?

 

[Mgameing123]

Yes, all trains on the network, I’m sure freight drivers wish to take a moment to reflect too



we can all agree a signaller contacting a driver during a 2 minute silence would be disrespectful to those who have fallen, which of of course includes former railwaymen, so to maintain the safety of the railway, pausing the trains would be a sensible precaution.

No it wouldn't. The last thing the fallen ones would want to have are more casualties because of rail accident.

 

[Buzby]

It’s badly worded. As in previous years, it means there will be no PA announcements at stations (anything scheduled to depart at that time will be slightly delayed) - but anything moving continues to do so.

 

[skyhigh]

we can all agree a signaller contacting a driver during a 2 minute silence would be disrespectful to those who have fallen

We definitely can't.

 

[The Planner]

This forum is gold every so often.

 

[D6130]

This forum is gold every so often.

Perhaps (rusty) tinplate would be a more accurate description!

 

[whoosh]

The longer ago it was and the fewer survivors there are the more fuss we seem to want to make. Why not shut all the roads at 11am, switch off the power etc.

I would imagine less than 5% of the population pause at 11am to reflect on those who died.

I think you are forgetting more recent conflicts, and servicepeople who have lost their lives in those. It's not only about World War 1 and World War 2 you know!

I would say it's a lot more than 5%.

Did a complete shut down or railways, roads, power etc ever happen?

While I recognise that point, and we are remembering those who pay the supreme sacrifice in today's conflicts, not just those in the world wars, is it true that we are making less fuss?

After World War 1, yes. Traffic in London stopped for the two minutes, which took place on 11th - whichever day of the week it was (it was moved to the Sunday during World War 2). Tram drivers were given special instructions to notch up power slowly afterwards so as not to blow the circuit breakers at the substations.


Edit: I've found a quote from 'The Wheels Used To Talk To Us', which were the memories of London Tram Driver.

"I didn't get on well with Fred Shepherd, I
don't know why. By that time the War had
started and I was a big lad for my age, and after a few weeks he started saying wasn't it about time I joined the Army, and that sort of thing, but I was too young. He kept on about it, and then one day on Brixton Hill a girl put a white feather on my shoulder, as if to say I was a coward, so that was that. A pal of mine at the
CRD who was on the plough-van came to me
one breakfast time and told me he was going up Deptford Town Hall to enlist, so I went up with him. I didn't ask permission, so I didn't get paid while I was in the Army. I knew that if I'd gone up to see Old Knight, the Superintendent, he would have said no straight away, because I
wasn't old enough.
My pal walked in first, he was older than I
was, he was nineteen, so the Recruiting Sergeant - he had a big moustache, asked what he wanted. They were forming a battery of artillery at the time. 'How old are you?" said the
Sergeant, and my pal said, 'Nineteen'. So then I
walked in. 'How old are you?' said the Sergeant. 'Fifteen', I said. 'You're no good to us son,' he said, 'go out the door and come back in and you'll be nineteen.' I walked out on the pavement, came back through to him, and he asked me how old I was now. 'Nineteen,' I said. 'Come and take the King's Shilling,' he said, and that's how I came to join up. It was the thirteenth of October 1915. A few weeks later I was in France...."



"....On Armistice Day, at eleven o'clock in the
morning, we used to have to stop our trams, put our hand-brakes hard on and stand down in
front of the tram, stand to attention. The
conductor would do the same. It was orders.
What we were worried over was that you might
not hear the guns go at eleven o'clock, but we
sort of fumbled through it, you'd see other
Drivers looking at their watches.
Everything stood still in those days, everything, even people crossing the road would stand in the middle of the road. People would even stand to attention inside the tram, and if men didn't take their hats off they'd get them knocked off. It seemed a long two minutes, standing in front of your tram. When we started again we had to go very steadily for a few minutes, otherwise you'd blow the switch out at the generating station.
You knew all these instructions, though, they were pinned up and you couldn't go wrong. That's all dead and gone, that sort of thing. It didn't last for many years after the Second World War started, and they moved it to the Sunday afterwards. Nowadays they don't want to know, but I still stop what I'm doing at eleven o'clock on Armistice Day, and it all comes back to me, there's so much to remember about that War."

 

[Adam Williams]

Who would pay all the delay ⏳ minutes?

 

[waveyswirley]

 

[GLC]

I

Indeed. Let's add commercial and military flights too....

Whilst I agree this would be an also fitting gesture, the logistics of stopping a plane mid air are more tricky than a train. I understand that in times of emergency, planes may use suitably wide parts of the road network as “landing strips”. I think even with these measures in place though, I fear that landing a plane in this manner would do more (unintentional) harm than (respectful) good

 

[MrJeeves]

Who would pay all the delay ⏳ minutes?

Noone? These stops would, of course, be timetabled and could even allow Network Rail to perform some short-term nationwide engineering works on the line during the stoppage. Network Rail should be paying the operators for the benefits this would present.

 

[whoosh]

Noone? These stops would, of course, be timetabled and could even allow Network Rail to perform some short-term nationwide engineering works on the line during the stoppage. Network Rail should be paying the operators for the benefits this would present.

What??? Like standing still in silence at the side of the track for a whole two minutes?

This forum is gold every so often.

You're not kidding!

 

[MrJeeves]

What??? Like standing still in silence at the side of the track for a whole two minutes?

I think maintenance of the railway to ensure its safety could be given an exemption, provided the engineering works weren't disruptive. For example, they should use hand tools instead of noisy power tools.

 

[D6130]

Why not cancel all train services on Remembrance Day?

 

[JonathanH]

Why not cancel all train services on Remembrance Day?

We would still need to enable people to get to remembrance events.