Blanket Speed Restrictions - Single Point of Failure - significant risks

[WAB]

From my Control days I always found the imposition of BSRs a little less than optimal with restrictions imposed between A&B, C&D but not B&C and the like which was confusing and likely distracting for crews. From the RAIB report I do find it difficult to imagine that the Controller/SSM did not speak about upcoming BSRs being imposed as well as Controller/TOC, certainly with TfW as they sit in the same office and would expect GWR also as main operators.

I don’t see how TOC Control would have an input into this, as it’d still be a case of wiring out the BSR notice, which’d still be missed. It all seems to come down to what happens on the signalling floor, with some consideration of the late notices process too. Is the SSM role always covered?

 

[Omnishambles]

I don’t see how TOC Control would have an input into this, as it’d still be a case of wiring out the BSR notice, which’d still be missed. It all seems to come down to what happens on the signalling floor, with some consideration of the late notices process too. Is the SSM role always covered?

No input required from the TOC, comms for advice keeping them on the ball for the emailed notice. As for the SSM role if it wasn’t covered then direct to the controlling signaller. Seems dead simple and just my reflection of how I’ve managed things in the past

 

[Juliet Barvo]

When I worked for "We don't break the rules, we just bend them" Railfreight, I got an email about a 50mph BSR because of high winds which said it would end at 2100hrs. So I took my train out at 21:30 hrs and off I went at full speed 60mph, crossed on to Cambridge Box to get a radio call saying the BSR was still on as "we've still got trees coming down". I called control to suggest they get an email out,which took them over an hour.

Now I work for God's Own Liner, we get BSRs and other stuff by Text and when booking on, so it's not beyond the wit of man to write it down and put it somewhere sensible when driving along.

Re the comment about Late notice boards being cluttered with stuff months old: when I was on the payroll at the prestige project in London, their Notice boards had three month old stuff in them.