Cab passes

[strange6]

Hi all,

Waiting to leave Manchester Victoria today on the Wigan Wallgate service (Northern) when a First Employee entered the cab with the driver (I saw him show a pass to him so I assume it's a cab pass) and left the train when it reached Salford Crescent. What do Cab passes actually authorise and under what circumstances? I thought another person being in the cab with the driver unless it was for training or assessment was forbidden these days.

 

[Kingfisher200262]

Hi all,

Waiting to leave Manchester Victoria today on the Wigan Wallgate service (Northern) when a First Employee entered the cab with the driver (I saw him show a pass to him so I assume it's a cab pass) and left the train when it reached Salford Crescent. What do Cab passes actually authorise and under what circumstances? I thought another person being in the cab with the driver unless it was for training or assessment was forbidden these days.

It is my understanding that when someone has a Cab Pass that has been issued to them by a TOC, it indicates that the issuing company considers it necessary and appropriate from time to time, for the person to travel with the driver in the cab.

However, it is also my understanding that the person holding the Cab Pass must ask the driver for permission to ride in the cab, that the driver has the right to decline, without offering a reason for doing so and that this decision must be respected by the holder of the Cab Pass.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

It is my understanding that when someone has a Cab Pass that has been issued to them by a TOC, it indicates that the issuing company considers it necessary and appropriate from time to time, for the person to travel with the driver in the cab.

However, it is also my understanding that the person holding the Cab Pass must ask the driver for permission to ride in the cab, that the driver has the right to decline, without offering a reason for doing so and that this decision must be respected by the holder of the Cab Pass.

usually frieight drivers do cab rides (e.g. hope line) for route knowledge purposes, I think the Driver of the train has to have atleast 2 years under his belt tho before he can allow a route learner etc in their cab (can't be 100% tho)

 

[southerner2174]

For my TOC its 6 months after qualification before route learners can accompany us in the cabs, before then only a Driver Manager, Fitter or HMRI or RAIB are allowed in, as long as it is in line with their duties and as long as they have the correct cab pass

 

[The Decapod]

On his TV series 'Great British Railway Journeys', Michael Portillo has a cab pass to ride with the driver on a train between Ely and King's Lynn. He showed the pass and explained to viewers what it was, so evidently there must be special cases for issuing cab passes other than route familiarisation.

By the way, I have a spare train-surfing pass for the London Underground, if anyone wants it

 

[Hydro]

He showed the pass and explained to viewers what it was, so evidently there must be special cases for issuing cab passes other than route familiarisation.

Part of a PWay section supervisor and engineer's duties is to cab ride the entire patch to assess the route and ride at directed intervals. You get a cab pass that is like a booklet with your photo on the front, and authorisation from the relevant authority. The driver signs and dates it, and away you go. I had one for a few jaunts around the patch when I was new to familiarise myself with the route, known bad areas and specific geography. Nowadays I quite enjoy riding up front occasionally, bit of a different perspective.

 

[455/8]

There are different types of cab passes out there, all of which must be show to a driver before entering and it is then driver's choice to allow this person to travel in the driving cab and as said by Kingfisher200262 the driver doesn't have to give a reason for refusal. SWT state that new drivers that have been productive less than a year are not allowed any one in the cab with them but as southerner2174 said Driver standards managers (DSM's), HMRI, RAIB or Fitter's are permitted as long as it is in line with their duties. As I said there are different types of cab passes Issued the most common ones are a Red cab pass is for a visitor (anyone with one of these needs to be acompanied by a green cab pass holder), a Green cab pass is for an assessor (Driver Instructors, DSMs and Fitters), a yellow cab pass is for a compitent person (such as a trainee Driver) and a violet cab pass is for signallers under going route learning.

I'm not sure about other TOC's but any driver under going route learning isn't issued with a cab pass instead they have a "route ticket" which is a bit of paper with their details on and the route they are learning, the route learner then fills out the details of the train they are on (train ID and time of departure/arrival and station they got on and off the train) and again has to ask permission to travel but is then allowed in with this bit of paper instead o a cab pass.

Alan

 

[GodAtum]

By the way, I have a spare train-surfing pass for the London Underground, if anyone wants it

Whats one of those?

I sometimes see staff get into cabs on Southern's trains.

 

[route101]

On his TV series 'Great British Railway Journeys', Michael Portillo has a cab pass to ride with the driver on a train between Ely and King's Lynn. He showed the pass and explained to viewers what it was, so evidently there must be special cases for issuing cab passes other than route familiarisation.

By the way, I have a spare train-surfing pass for the London Underground, if anyone wants it

Michael Portillo s pass was printed on Ticket stock !!

 

[scotsman]

Whats one of those?

I sometimes see staff get into cabs on Southern's trains.

Much sarcasm. Train Surfing is intentionally riding on the roof of stock for the thrill, unsurprisingly it hasn't really caught on.

 

[ungreat]

It is my understanding that when someone has a Cab Pass that has been issued to them by a TOC, it indicates that the issuing company considers it necessary and appropriate from time to time, for the person to travel with the driver in the cab.

However, it is also my understanding that the person holding the Cab Pass must ask the driver for permission to ride in the cab, that the driver has the right to decline, without offering a reason for doing so and that this decision must be respected by the holder of the Cab Pass.

Correct

We don't have to have anyone in...even inspectors,and we call the shots..no phones,shut the **** up,even HMRI have to back off

 

[I T S]

Folks,

I think discussing who's in cabs and not in cabs and what is being shown shouldn't be discussed on a public forum where management of TOC may see it. It wouldn't take much for them to carry out an investigation into these and it may be that the second person shouldn't have been in the cab.

Then a driver gets sacked because somebody posted it on railforumsuk?

Please think before you post,



I T S

 

[Greenback]

I think that is a bit extreme. It's primarily a discusssion of who would have a cab pass, and why. As something was shown to the driver in the OP, ther ehas been no suggestion that any driver is allowing unauthorised people into the cab.

 

[Kneedown]

There is also a Black cab pass. This is for route learning purposes when the route learner is required to use trains operated by another TOC. For instance, back in Central days, we had an agreement with Northern that we could travel on their services to route learn or review Liverpool via Chat Moss, and via Romiley, simply because very few Central services went on those diversions, and those that did were generally in darkness, so not much good for learning.

 

[Fred26]

Whats one of those?

I sometimes see staff get into cabs on Southern's trains.

Probably off-duty drivers travelling into/out of work.

 

[The Decapod]

Train-surfing, for those who asked, is an illegal and highly dangerous bravado activity practiced by youths who ride on the roofs of speeding trains, particularly in South America I think. Hence the reason why my London Underground train surfing pass is unused and remains unwanted!!!

It is something that should never be attempted!!!

 

[Fred26]

Not necessarily the roof. People have hung onto the back or the door way before.

 

[GodAtum]

Train-surfing, for those who asked, is an illegal and highly dangerous bravado activity practiced by youths who ride on the roofs of speeding trains, particularly in South America I think. Hence the reason why my London Underground train surfing pass is unused and remains unwanted!!!

It is something that should never be attempted!!!

Thanks I didnt get the joke :roll: