Understood - but guards managed to identify station staff for nearly 200 years without needing hi vis! Of course on pre hi vis days operational railway staff wore a clearly identifiable uniform with peaked cap which is much smarter than the hi vis worn today. You even see on train survey team members wearing hi vis!
Times change, and so must our behaviours with it. It’s now available so it can be used, and there are benefits to it being used. It certainly isn’t what I would call an ‘unnecessary distraction’!
Disagree.
In fairness Avanti uniform is very eye catching without being hi vis. That said it still seems odd that the old standard ' no red, yellow or green uniform colours' got dropped so easily. I guess Virgin Trains wouldn't budge on that.
Oh, I agree. So many people wear it out and about, and it’s entirely unnecessary and dangerous. Much like people wearing lanyards emblazoned with the word ‘Staff’. You might be staff somewhere, but not here! The system doesn’t rely on it per sé, it makes it easier to spot the dispatchers. It also helps that they are usually in the same place, and you get very acquainted with where they will be and when.
My TOC rules are that we have mandatory dispatch assistance at two stations (three during morning peak). Everywhere else, if dispatcher is not present I am authorised and trained to dispatch alone. They are generally there to assist with crowding more than anything.
Oh absolutely. My comments directly relate to my experience, the TOCs I have worked at have all had platform staff in the vests, and I feel like it works. I acknowledge it isn’t the practice at other TOCs, and if that works for those companies and Guards/staff, it works! It would be a wild difference for me, because as you say… it is the norm for me!
I can't speak for the original posters location, but Haymarket (Edinburgh) has a hybrid dispatch situation - 8 car (E&G), HSTs and LNER & Avanti services are dispatched, anything else is self dispatch - however I have been dispatched on a 2 car 158.....
I’m fairly new to the railway but I was told that before covid dispatchers always used whistles but stopped during covid as apparently they were told not to put things in their mouths. Personally I only use the whistle if I have a busy platform or there’s children about or any potential risks
When I last dispatched the rulebook had changed from compulsory whistle to discretionary whistle due to noise complaints from neighbours.
If ever there are staffing issues, in which a call to the relevant department of said TOC needs to be made.
