Driver riding a Virgin

[Bittern]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2542450/Sex-act-at-wheel-of-speeding-Virgin-train.html

A TRAIN driver faces the sack over claims he was caught pleasuring himself at the controls of a 125mph locomotive.

The randy railway worker is accused of ogling porn and performing a sex act while operating on one of the country's busiest lines.

A colleague allegedly wandered into his cabin mid-journey and spotted that his privates were exposed.

The driver approached bosses himself when details of his antics circulated among staff.

Virgin Trains have suspended him pending a disciplinary hearing. He is likely to be sacked if the allegations are proven.

A source close to the probe said: "He was considered a reliable driver but his career looks like it has hit the buffers.

"He had no choice but to inform bosses himself when it got around the depot. A train manager is said to have walked in to his cabin to find him gazing at a porno.

Amusing

"Some colleagues found it amusing. But there could have been more than 400 passengers on that train and it's difficult to see how he could have been concentrating fully on the controls."

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Drivers' cabins on the majority of Virgin trains have tinted windows.

Front windscreens are transparent but the cabin position makes it difficult for passengers to see inside.

Modern trains are designed to safely stop themselves if a driver becomes distracted or incapacitated and doesn't touch the controls for several minutes.

A Virgin Trains spokesperson refused to discuss the incident that happened earlier this week.

He said: "In order to properly observe due process, Virgin Trains is not able to comment on suggestions that disciplinary action may be pending against staff."

 

[O L Leigh]

It had to be the "Currant Bun".

It might be just the reporting but, as a driver myself, there are many things about that story and the way it has been written that strongly suggests overembellishment. There may be some elements of truth in it, but I have to say that it sounds too much like a made up story. A driver of a "Virgin train" is found "looking at a porno" and "pleasuring himself"...? Oh please. It's right from the top drawer of tabloid wish-list stories.

O L Leigh

 

[Broken Viking]

Well...If there is any truth in that story, then I can imagine that the driver will no longer be welcome at Virgin Trains... :roll:

...Indeed after that little stunt, he'll definitely need to find another job. I'd suggest that he should start driving for the Bakerloo Line...The rolling stock there is already ****ed, so he should fit right in! :razz:

 

[Mintona]

I reckon it is more ikely he had a magazine in the cab. Not that he was looking at it. And when the TM saw it, he told someone else at the depot and it got exaggerated.

Although why is the TM going into the driver's cab anyway? Unless he/she was called by the driver to go there, they shouldn't be there, and it is unlikely the driver would have called them if they were in a compromising position. Cab to cab phone is for the purpose of speaking to the driver.

 

[Metroland]

It's silly season, need we say more. Quite a few stories in tabloid newspapers are partly or completely made up. Why ever some trust what some of these papers say when they have a track record for being take to court for fabrication and lying I don't know, that's apart from the enormous bias, sensationalism and speculation they contain.

I'm glad I'm not a driver, that story brings the profession into enormous disrepute.

 

[37401]

read somethinng like this before only it was southeastern or souther, one of those only he was on CCTV (or so they say)

 

[43021HST]

I bet all drivers do it in there cabs when no one is looking. That story sounds made up. Still funny though.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

As Mintona said, a TM should not be going into the front cab unless the driver had asked him to... all sounds a bit far fetched to me...

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I think there is a probability that there is truth in it. I remember a driver from Midland Mainline being sacked for having relations with a woman whilst in his cab.

 

[route:oxford]

He was probably ogling page 3 of the sun...

Either way... I didn't realise it was so easy to enter a drivers cab. It kind-of suggests an inappropriate party could overpower the driver and take control of the train.

125mph into a tight bend or bay platform anyone?

 

[HSTfan!!!]

He was probably ogling page 3 of the sun...

Either way... I didn't realise it was so easy to enter a drivers cab. It kind-of suggests an inappropriate party could overpower the driver and take control of the train.

125mph into a tight bend or bay platform anyone?

Entering the cab is easy, most cabs are only protected by a standard carriage key.
Obtaining power of a train you'd need a BR master key for most stock... much harder to get hold of but not impossible.
But even if you're average idiot managed to a.) enter the cab b.) get the train moving, how long would they be able to keep it moving for. In most areas afaik the signaller can also stop a train remotely as well as the various safety systems involved.

 

[GB]

In most areas afaik the signaller can also stop a train remotely

Not quite, there are things he can do to help stop a train, but he **can't stop it remotely.

**DLR or similar not included.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I was under the impression a stop message could be sent via NRN in an emergency. Would I be then right in assuming that it would just be a message for the driver to action rather than the train being remotely stopped?

 

[37401]

Also you say about someone entering the train well, A. where are they gonna get the key to start the train up from and B what are the chances of the person knowing how to use DRA,AWS,TPWS and other systems to get it to 125mph, its not as easy as putting the key in and pressing the on button to get it started. chances are they wont even get it moving.

 

[scrapy]

surely a signaller could just get power to the overheads cut??? assuming its a pendolino.

 

[kestrel]

I was under the impression a stop message could be sent via NRN in an emergency. Would I be then right in assuming that it would just be a message for the driver to action rather than the train being remotely stopped?

Its just a message saying 'STOP' followed by a loud 'BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP' or we can get a 'GENERAL STOP' msg,

neither will Actually stop the train the driver has to do that


Scrapy: the ECO could cut power to the OHLE but it again wouldn't actually stop the train, which in theory depending on local geography could coast for many many miles at speed

 

[37401]

surely a signaller could just get power to the overheads cut??? assuming its a pendolino.

i think you have gotten abit mixed up here, we`re talking about how easy it could be to gain access to the cab of any train, if someone steals a trains and somehow manages to drive it with no DRA,AWS,TWPS problems then there is no way of stopping them if it is a Diesel loco.

 

[ukrob]

Assuming that the train was doing 125mph, that is 55.55 meters per second, or half a kilometer in nine seconds. I would like to know what someone else was doing letting themselves into the cab (not arranged beforehand with the driver) therefore distracting the driver who no doubt turned around to see what was going on.

To me, that is the driver being distracted, just the same as he was distracted doing whatever he was up to.

It would be ironic if it was page 3 of The Sun, being the 'paper' that 'reported' the story.

 

[ChrisTheRef]

OK. Say I rob a voyager (being scouse it's quite likely).

As a signaller, you know, because I'm doing my own thing and not slowing down for yellows.

How do you stop me?

Personally, I'd evacuate a nearby station, then route me into a bay platform. One mighty crash, but better than hitting another train.

 

[ukrob]

I would like to think that the guard could do something.

Anyway, the signaller could set you to SPAD therefore the TPWS would hopefully stop you before incident, and hopefully the 'hijacker' would not realise what is going on before he has time to activate train-stop overrides. Bit easier than deliberately destroying a station and a train.

 

[37401]

OK. Say I rob a voyager (being scouse it's quite likely).


How do you stop me?

tell you Man U won ill get my coat and apply for the school of telling good jokes

Note: im a LFC fan, athough im not really into fooootball

 

[TDK]

surely a signaller could just get power to the overheads cut??? assuming its a pendolino.

It all depends on how knowledgeable the person in the cab is with the systems whether the signaller can stop the train or not, I did read a story of an enthusiast driving trains on the southern with an illegally gained uniform by relieving drivers at certain points (excuse the pun), this went on for weeks I believe before the person was rumbled.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I would like to think that the guard could do something.

Anyway, the signaller could set you to SPAD therefore the TPWS would hopefully stop you before incident, and hopefully the 'hijacker' would not realise what is going on before he has time to activate train-stop overrides. Bit easier than deliberately destroying a station and a train.

Too much information in the current climate of terrorism, can these posts of train systems be deleted please?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Its just a message saying 'STOP' followed by a loud 'BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP' or we can get a 'GENERAL STOP' msg,

neither will Actually stop the train the driver has to do that


Scrapy: the ECO could cut power to the OHLE but it again wouldn't actually stop the train, which in theory depending on local geography could coast for many many miles at speed

You won't get a message on the NRN but an emergency braodcast, you may be confusing this with CSR (Cab secure radio)

 

[ukrob]

I would like to think that the guard could do something.

Anyway, the signaller could set you to SPAD therefore the TPWS would hopefully stop you before incident, and hopefully the 'hijacker' would not realise what is going on before he has time to activate train-stop overrides. Bit easier than deliberately destroying a station and a train.

Too much information in the current climate of terrorism, can these posts of train systems be deleted please?

That is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I have ever read on this site. Terrorism is not blowing up buildings, it is not crashing planes or trains, nor is it killing people. Terrorism is exactly what you have just done by making that post.

 

[Ticket Man]

think this thread has gone a bit off topic, theres a thin link between drivers fiddling in the cab and preventing terrorism :roll:

 

[jon0844]

First read that as 'thin line' which sort of changed the meaning of your post.

 

[156499]

Well well... that tells us how boring Pendolinos actually are then

 

[yorkie]

First read that as 'thin line' which sort of changed the meaning of your post.

is that a real thin line or an imaginary thin line in the imagination of a BTP officer?

Anyway back to the terrorism suggestion, there seems a lot less terrorism affecting the railway these days than there was in the days of the IRA. Remember the early 90s, and stations being closed for hours due to IRA bomb scares? Strangely people seem to pretend it didn't happen now. I don't think enthusiasts were harassed back then either. I wonder why the change in attitude.

 

[Spaceflower]

is that a real thin line or an imaginary thin line in the imagination of a BTP officer?

Anyway back to the terrorism suggestion, there seems a lot less terrorism affecting the railway these days than there was in the days of the IRA. Remember the early 90s, and stations being closed for hours due to IRA bomb scares? Strangely people seem to pretend it didn't happen now. I don't think enthusiasts were harassed back then either. I wonder why the change in attitude.

Helps justify of the war on oil, err i mean terror

 

[O L Leigh]

More "expert" opinion, I see.

Twice the transport network in London has been the target of terrorist attacks, with varying degrees of success. Nor should I have to remind folk of the Madrid train bombings. Who is to say exactly what is being plotted, where an attack may happen or what may be a target.

It may be the terrorists aim to make people afraid of things that might never happen, but it is equally true that complacency gives terrorists the latitude to carry out their plans. Lets not forget that the attacks on the World Trade Centre were made possible due to the conjunction of a number of factors that the airlines and security services did not consider important. People only hijacked planes to use them and their passengers as hostages. No-one had considered the possibility that the planes themselves could be used as weapons to perpetrate an even greater outrage, and so no-one thought to take precautions against this.

O L Leigh

 

[Broken Viking]

Too much information in the current climate of terrorism, can these posts of train systems be deleted please?

That is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I have ever read on this site. Terrorism is not blowing up buildings, it is not crashing planes or trains, nor is it killing people. Terrorism is exactly what you have just done by making that post.

To be honest, I think that the worst case of terror on our railways nowadays would be:...

• A Pendolino booked to run non-stop between Euston and Glasgow Central,
• About 80% of RailUKs forum membership being aboard, readying themselves for such a rare run,
• The tannoy crackling into life shortly after departure with "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your driver speaking..."
• Several people suddenly realising that it's my voice that they're hearing...

I don't think ye'd ever see so many people franticly bashing their mobile phones, trying to send their last wills and testaments out via SMS... hock:

Jocular stuff aside though, I don't think that widthholding information about operating trains would stop terrorists from conducting any form of high-speed crash or similar event. I know that additional security measures have been put in place since 9/11...But if Al-Q'ida managed to get at least six people trained up as pilots with American Airways for the 9/11 attacks, then I couldn't see them having too much difficulty getting a couple of people into driver positions at Virgin Trains... :?