Are Dispatchers Allowed To Stand Forwards Of The Yellow Line?

Are Dispatchers allowed to stand forwards of the yellow line at platforms? I've seen some who take care to stand behind and also seen some dispatch trains being just inches away from the side of the train. Does anyone know what the official policy is?

Of course they are! How could they possibly see the dispatch corridor on a busy platform if they weren't themselves in it?

Surely it's entirely logical that dispatch staff and train crew use that area to check it is clear and safe to dispatch.

That being said, if the platform is clear and they have an unobstructed view of the PTI (Platform Train Interface), then they are most likely going to stand behind the yellow line.

They can be over the line observing the platform, but should move behind the line as the train arrives.

Given the entirely random placing of yellow lines across the network a blanket rule would be daft. Some are forward of the tactile paving, some are behind it, some are formed from the tactile paving, on several platforms I know parts of the yellow line allow about six inches of standing room behind them before meeting the back fence. The irony being of course that back in the day when there was a real risk of being whacked in the face by an opening slam door if you stood too close to the edge, most stations didn't have any yellow lines at all.

thedbdiboy said:

Given the entirely random placing of yellow lines across the network a blanket rule would be daft. Some are forward of the tactile paving, some are behind it, some are formed from the tactile paving, on several platforms I know parts of the yellow line allow about six inches of standing room behind them before meeting the back fence. The irony being of course that back in the day when there was a real risk of being whacked in the face by an opening slam door if you stood too close to the edge, most stations didn't have any yellow lines at all.

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The yellow lines probably mean different things to passengers than they do to staff.

Guards are trained on having a clear PTI for safe dispatch. Easy to describe it as a box from the train to the yellow line, and as tall as the can't rail.

Passengers probably just see it as a safe distance from the edge of the platform - which can look strange on narrow platforms where there isn't much of gap further back as you say.

I would disagree that most stations don't have yellow lines, certainly from my experience it's nigh on everywhere (though not at Lime St as I see right now)

thedbdiboy said:

Given the entirely random placing of yellow lines across the network a blanket rule would be daft. Some are forward of the tactile paving, some are behind it, some are formed from the tactile paving, on several platforms I know parts of the yellow line allow about six inches of standing room behind them before meeting the back fence. The irony being of course that back in the day when there was a real risk of being whacked in the face by an opening slam door if you stood too close to the edge, most stations didn't have any yellow lines at all.

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Yeah, this feels like the question the other day about how passengers should stop a train in an emergency. Yes, rail staff are perhaps going to call the Network Rail emergency number or use the two hands above the head stop signal, but the average passenger is probably going to call 999, use the emergency alarms if nearby, or wave frantically at the driver. Passengers aren't and shouldn't really be expected to know a lot of safety critical stuff like when it may be safe to stand forward of the yellow lines. Staff on the other hand receive specific training and are sometimes even made to read policies and operating procedures.

SCDR_WMR said:

I would disagree that most stations don't have yellow lines, certainly from my experience it's nigh on everywhere (though not at Lime St as I see right now)

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I was referring to the past - most stations do indeed have them today. I am old enough to remember the very first ones, which were added to platforms passed by high speed services in the mid 70s as the HST fleet was being rolled out. This meant in many cases that stations only had them on those platforms passed for 100mph+ running. But it was a long time ago now.

SCDR_WMR said:

Of course they are! How could they possibly see the dispatch corridor on a busy platform if they weren't themselves in it?

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But not unless the stopped/stopping train is in the platform (or proper visual of line clear in accordance with traini ng): no driver wants to see anyone, hiviz or otherwise, as they fly through at speed, in that area.