Dispatch procedures

[curlybloke85]

Rail travel newbie here. Got a question about platform dispatch procedures.
Just ran 250m up the platform at Chester from the late Merseyrail train trying to get on the hourly Northern train to Manchester.
Guy in the hi-viz watched me run like a nutter and the train left with me 30 feet away. He told me he'd already "locked it up" and there was nothing he could do despite him watching me exert myself like a 62year old bloke probably shouldn't.
Just want to know if he was doing his job 100% to the rules or was he being a little bit dickish?

 

[WAB]

Rail travel newbie here. Got a question about platform dispatch procedures.
Just ran 250m up the platform at Chester from the late Merseyrail train trying to get on the hourly Northern train to Manchester.
Guy in the hi-viz watched me run like a nutter and the train left with me 30 feet away. He told me he'd already "locked it up" and there was nothing he could do despite him watching me exert myself like a 62year old bloke probably shouldn't.
Just want to know if he was doing his job 100% to the rules or was he being a little bit dickish?

The policy is trains need to be sent as close to time as possible. If it was less than 40 seconds before the advertised time, it’ll be their discretion (and they’ll be responsible for any delays both primary and reactionary).

In the majority of cases, staff will be doing this in the interest of punctuality, although the odd few will be a bit spiteful with it.

 

[tumbledown]

The guy on the platform isn't the one "locking up", that's done by a person on the train. Once they've done so, they might not be able to see you running down the platform - and as said above, they are expected to keep to time.
The guy on the platform could have signalled you to save your breath though...

 

[curlybloke85]

The policy is trains need to be sent as close to time as possible. If it was less than 40 seconds before the advertised time, it’ll be their discretion (and they’ll be responsible for any delays both primary and reactionary).

In the majority of cases, staff will be doing this in the interest of punctuality, although the odd few will be a bit spiteful with it.

Thanks.
It's the stopper all the way to Manchester but has a couple of long runs where it can pick up a minute or two if needed.
I suspect he could've been a tad more helpful but maybe he's had a ****ty day.
Nobody died and I've got out of cooking tea tonight!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Mar 2025 ==

The guy on the platform isn't the one "locking up", that's done by a person on the train. Once they've done so, they might not be able to see you running down the platform - and as said above, they are expected to keep to time.
The guy on the platform could have signalled you to save your breath though...

Wish he had to be honest.
If he knew me, he would've been impressed I got as close as I did.

Thanks for the info mate

 

[Toby268]

Thanks.
It's the stopper all the way to Manchester but has a couple of long runs where it can pick up a minute or two if needed.
I suspect he could've been a tad more helpful but maybe he's had a ****ty day.
Nobody died and I've got out of cooking tea tonight!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Mar 2025 ==


Wish he had to be honest.
If he knew me, he would've been impressed I got as close as I did.

Thanks for the info mate

The latest a merseyrail arrived today was 5 minutes behind. Most however arrived between a minute either early or a few minutes late. Even 5 late would give you 5 minutes to make the connection, it’s not far between platform 7 and 6. Trains have a schedule to keep to. It’s not his fault you were running late for it. Regardless of whether it has make up time in route the other passengers on the train want it to depart on schedule. What if that train leaving late causes another train to be late because it’s crossing in front of it? or because another train is awaiting its platform. Is that fair on the other passengers on those trains? There’s a much bigger picture and the day the dispatcher is having has nothing to do with it, I’m afraid.

Yes he could’ve signalled to you to stop running, however I suspect he was focused on giving the train a safe and punctual dispatch from the platform.

 

[Krokodil]

Which Merseyrail did you actually arrive on? I've scrolled through a few hours and struggled to find one running late enough that it would have missed a CLC stopper.

 

[Purple Train]

It's a matter of discretion whether they wait for someone running or dispatch exactly on time as far as I'm aware, but once the dispatch process has been initiated, I don't think there's anything they can do to stop it as platform staff. When the driver or guard is in sole control of the doors, I believe they can pause to let you on. As an example, I travel regularly on the branch line from Slough to Windsor and Eton Central. At Slough, the dispatcher on the platform raises a baton, the driver closes the doors, and then the dispatcher presses a button to tell the driver to set off. Once the dispatcher's raised the baton, I've never seen them pause the dispatch process to let any stragglers on. At Windsor and Eton Central, the driver closes the doors themselves using cameras, or they step out onto the platform and close the doors as if they're a guard. I've seen them pause the process to let people on there multiple times. I don't know the rules in each case, being a mere commuter, but I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a difference in dispatch procedures for people running between single-person dispatch and "the guy in the hi-viz".

 

[curlybloke85]

The latest a merseyrail arrived today was 5 minutes behind. Most however arrived between a minute either early or a few minutes late. Even 5 late would give you 5 minutes to make the connection, it’s not far between platform 7 and 6. Trains have a schedule to keep to. It’s not his fault you were running late for it. Regardless of whether it has make up time in route the other passengers on the train want it to depart on schedule. What if that train leaving late causes another train to be late because it’s crossing in front of it? or because another train is awaiting its platform. Is that fair on the other passengers on those trains? There’s a much bigger picture and the day the dispatcher is having has nothing to do with it, I’m afraid.

Yes he could’ve signalled to you to stop running, however I suspect he was focused on giving the train a safe and punctual dispatch from the platform.

Hi Toby,
Yes, ultimately my fault for being late for the 17:27 @ Hooton that left about 15 secs before time while I was stood there with my hand on the door button. The next one got into Chester at 17:56 which is the depart time for the once-an-hour Manchester train.
I ran approx 240m up an empty platform 7 to platform 6 and got to within 30 feet of the stationary train before it started moving. It would've been no more than 30 seconds late leaving. I'm a big man and me running full pelt is a highly visible and not pretty sight. My original query was about the amount of discretion available in this whole process, not about transferring the blame which was wholly mine

 

[800001]

Hi Toby,
Yes, ultimately my fault for being late for the 17:27 @ Hooton that left about 15 secs before time while I was stood there with my hand on the door button. The next one got into Chester at 17:56 which is the depart time for the once-an-hour Manchester train.
I ran approx 240m up an empty platform 7 to platform 6 and got to within 30 feet of the stationary train before it started moving. It would've been no more than 30 seconds late leaving. I'm a big man and me running full pelt is a highly visible and not pretty sight. My original query was about the amount of discretion available in this whole process, not about transferring the blame which was wholly mine

So by the time you were getting close, the guard would have already closed the doors and indicated to the driver for them to depart.
Nothing the plarform staff could have done, other than maybe signal to you that you were too late to save you running.

 

[curlybloke85]

Which Merseyrail did you actually arrive on? I've scrolled through a few hours and struggled to find one running late enough that it would have missed a CLC stopper.

Problem wasn't actually a late Merseyrail. I missed the 17:57 by a whisker, had my hand on the door button. The next one landed at 17:56 on 7B and my train was going at 17:56 from 6 which is a fast sprint up the same platform.
I guess I was hoping for a 17:56:59 to count as on time, especially as it was a once-an-hour service. Just wasn't my day I suppose.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Mar 2025 ==

Problem wasn't actually a late Merseyrail. I missed the 17:57 by a whisker, had my hand on the door button. The next one landed at 17:56 on 7B and my train was going at 17:56 from 6 which is a fast sprint up the same platform.
I guess I was hoping for a 17:56:59 to count as on time, especially as it was a once-an-hour service. Just wasn't my day I suppose.

Oops, meant "missed the 17:27 by a whisker"

 

[transportphoto]

I guess I was hoping for a 17:56:59 to count as on time, especially as it was a once-an-hour service. Just wasn't my day I suppose.

The railway aims for wheels rolling at :00 - doors advertised as closing typically thirty seconds before time (can be forty or sixty seconds in some locations.) I’d agree with your sentiment I’m afraid.

 

[curlybloke85]

The railway aims for wheels rolling at :00 - doors advertised as closing typically thirty seconds before time (can be forty or sixty seconds in some locations.) I’d agree with your sentiment I’m afraid.

Thanks

 

[Krokodil]

17:27 @ Hooton that left about 15 secs before time

You may wish to take it up with Merseyrail if that service left early without you (Real Time Trains seems to back this up). The dispatcher at Chester will not have been aware of this, as far as they are concerned there's no advertised connection and only Control can authorise a hold. Did you try to find the guard of the Merseyrail train you did get on?