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Emergency stop buttons
- Thread starter eastrail
- Start date
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R
RailUK Forums
I believe the Central Line does and possibly the Victoria.
Dstock7080
Established Member
On these Lines, the only ones fitted, a train operated in Restricted Manual will not be stopped by a platform stop plunger.
Ah okay, I've no idea how they work, I've just noticed he buttons on the platforms!
Central
Member
They kill the code to the train,at least the original Victoria Line ones did.
I ask because I have seen a post or two on social media about people panicking about what to do when they see a person on the track. My immediate reaction was to activate the emergency stop or plunger, until I realised I don’t think I had ever seen one on the Tube. Glad to know they do exist on some lines, though I imagine it would beneficial to have it on all lines? I think trains in RM not being stopped is fine since the train should be travelling slow enough for a swift stop.
Interestingly, many Asian metros are equipped with emergency stop buttons on platforms, despite the platforms having platform screen doors.
Interestingly, many Asian metros are equipped with emergency stop buttons on platforms, despite the platforms having platform screen doors.
bcarmicle
Member
- Joined
- 11 May 2018
- Messages
- 404
In practical terms, if you do see someone on the track, hit the emergency button on a Help Point, or if someone has already done so, stand between where a train would enter and the person (though on the platform of course), with two hands straight up in the air.
Two arms waving above your head. Straight up in the LU Rules is "stop at me" whereas waving is "stop immediately". I understand this is different in the Network Rail rules which is where the confusion may be from.
contrex
Established Member
The Victoria had them from the start.
Central
Member
Used to get a lot of malicious operations.If I remember correctly an alarm sounded as well if one operated.They only had paper seals.
MaidaVale
Member
The plungers on the Central and Victoria lines aren't actually Emergency Stop plungers so to speak, but known as "Codebreakers". All they do is kill the ATP/ATO code which provides the train with instructions when in Protected (Coded) Manual or ATO driving modes. This won't necessarily guarantee the train will stop, so they shouldn't be used as the only method to stop a train in an emergency, at least not by staff.
As mentioned by someone else, it won't have any affect on a train in Restricted Manual driving mode. All it does is drop the target speed indication to zero which will bring a train in ATO/CM to a regular stop. Getting a zero code is also not unheard of in regular operations if there's an ATP failure or simply if there's another train ahead, so it wouldn't necessarily indicate an emergency ahead to the train operator, and in theory wouldn't stop a T/Op continuing in RM (although obviously this would be a major rule-break without speaking to the Signaller/Controller first).
It won't switch traction current off, it won't necessarily immediately emergency stop all trains in the area, and depending on the location it might not affect both travel directions (for example on an adjacent track) so should only really be used in conjunction with a hand signal to the driver or one of the other ways of bringing a train to an emergency stop in accordance with the rule book. Best to think of it as an extra step, and not the only step to stopping a train in an emergency. It's certainly better than nothing though.
As mentioned by someone else, it won't have any affect on a train in Restricted Manual driving mode. All it does is drop the target speed indication to zero which will bring a train in ATO/CM to a regular stop. Getting a zero code is also not unheard of in regular operations if there's an ATP failure or simply if there's another train ahead, so it wouldn't necessarily indicate an emergency ahead to the train operator, and in theory wouldn't stop a T/Op continuing in RM (although obviously this would be a major rule-break without speaking to the Signaller/Controller first).
It won't switch traction current off, it won't necessarily immediately emergency stop all trains in the area, and depending on the location it might not affect both travel directions (for example on an adjacent track) so should only really be used in conjunction with a hand signal to the driver or one of the other ways of bringing a train to an emergency stop in accordance with the rule book. Best to think of it as an extra step, and not the only step to stopping a train in an emergency. It's certainly better than nothing though.
Northerngirl
Member
Are the dlr ones a similar system, or does that cut the power. Its such a shame that there is misuse, as it would be a fantastic safety tool
SECR 65
Member
Stopping an LU train arriving into a platform must be tricky. Given that braking is already quite 'harsh', how much additional brake force do the trains have? E.g. if a train operator recieved a stop signal when just arriving into a platform, would they be able to stop any sooner than the normal stop marker?
Can only speak for '73 stock, but at the speeds I come into platforms, the answer is "not much" - perhaps a car length prior to the actual stopping mark, at the most. Obviously slower drivers have more opportunity for stop shorter.
Central
Member
On the Victoria Line if someone pushed an emergency button it killed the code giving an emergency brake application.
Egg Centric
Established Member
Do 73 stock have a Westinghouse brake like the 72 stock? if so do you have enough time to react to an EPB failure without an overshoot? Doesn't sound like it - I assume this is fine cause there's plenty of signal overlap and it's a backup brake rather than something to allow normal driving?
Dstock7080
Established Member
Westinghouse Westcode seven step brake.
Not sure on the misuse in practice, but they basically haven't resulted in prosecution:
Tube Emergency Alarm - Penalties for Improper Use
Questions to the Mayor: Broken down by month, how many penalties for improper use of the emergency alarm on Underground trains have been issued since 2016?
www.london.gov.uk
I think it's a bit like people calling 999 because the Chinese takeaway messed up their order - the authorities don't generally want to penalise people for misuse because in the event of a real emergency they want people to feel empowered to use them still without fear of getting a criminal record. I think you would have to be very obviously trying to cause disruption for a prosecution to be pursued.