Grand Central Staff...

[OMGitsDAVE]

This is on their site:
23rd December 2009

Due to the train guard breaking her leg on the way to work the following alterations apply:

0641 Sunderland - London Kings Cross - This service is cancelled.

1127 - London Kings Cross - Sunderland - This service is delayed by approximately 90 minutes.


Surely they could have got another train guard?

 

[RochdalePioneers]

My MIL caught up in this. She was planning to get the 11:27 (having arrived at KGX at 9am for some crazy reason!) and when the inbound x09:18 arrived and quickly departed 2 hours late she managed to miss it (she's deaf and must have missed the announcement).

Next plan was wait for the 16:50, except that the 12:30 off Sunderland appears stuck at Hartlepool with the line blocked. I have now "volunteered" to shell out £83 to get her on the 14:30 EC service as far as York, then a lift with me from there.

Still, the main concern is the guard and the broken leg - hope they are OK.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

looks like it's gonna be a fun shift later then...
Im actually surprised it took this long for one of us to break a bone given that it is like a skating rink out there!!
Ive just had trouble pushing the baby up our path, and it's not really much of a slope!!

 

[Aictos]

Sie Clagalot:

Could you be so kind to pass on my message of a speedy recovery to your colleague please, ta very much.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Other GC Services are now delayed because of the roof falling onto the track at Hartlepool - good job half of the platform was closed.

 

[Darandio]

Sounds like the Hartlepool refurbishment is going well then.

 

[djw1981]

Assume a replacement guard went pass EC to get there for the northbound service which traveled ECS?

 

[ChrisTheRef]

IMO, another perfect example why catering staff should be trained on how to operate doors. Even if they can't do tickets and stuff, at least the train would still run

 

[royaloak]

IMO, another perfect example why catering staff should be trained on how to operate doors. Even if they can't do tickets and stuff, at least the train would still run

If only it was that easy, the trains need 2 FULLY TRAINED staff members on board, doing the doors is the bit you see, but its the rest of what needs to be known in an emergency that you don't see that makes up most of the requirement, I take it Chris you are not rail-staff?

 

[ChrisTheRef]

If only it was that easy, the trains need 2 FULLY TRAINED staff members on board, doing the doors is the bit you see, but its the rest of what needs to be known in an emergency that you don't see that makes up most of the requirement, I take it Chris you are not rail-staff?

Haha! I wish!
Shouldn't the catering people know emergency crap anyway? Being staff and all?

 

[royaloak]

Haha! I wish!
Shouldn't the catering people know emergency crap anyway? Being staff and all?

Why should they, they are not safety critical.

 

[91101]

Chris, I am sorry, but your post is naive in the extreme.

A Train Guard is a member of operational, safety critical staff, that means as defined by an act of parliment, I cannot remember which off hand, that they are responsible for authorising the movement of trains which can have massive safety implications.

It's not quite as simple as opening and closing doors or selling tickets, it is about a thorough understanding of the railway environment, rules and regulations under which train operations are undertaken and how to apply them to any one of a myriad of out of course and dangerous situations.

Catering crew are trained in how to assist during an emergency and how to evacuate people in an emergency, but when your train has smashed into an other, the driver is dead, and there are two other running lines with trains running on them, you don't want a cup of coffee, you need someone with a thorough understanding who can manage that situation to ensure that the line, and the train you are on is protected from any further collisions.

 

[royaloak]

Chris, I am sorry, but your post is naive in the extreme.

A Train Guard is a member of operational, safety critical staff, that means as defined by an act of parliment, I cannot remember which off hand, that they are responsible for authorising the movement of trains which can have massive safety implications.

It's not quite as simple as opening and closing doors or selling tickets, it is about a thorough understanding of the railway environment, rules and regulations under which train operations are undertaken and how to apply them to any one of a myriad of out of course and dangerous situations.

Catering crew are trained in how to assist during an emergency and how to evacuate people in an emergency, but when your train has smashed into an other, the driver is dead, and there are two other running lines with trains running on them, you don't want a cup of coffee, you need someone with a thorough understanding who can manage that situation to ensure that the line, and the train you are on is protected from any further collisions.

A very good post 91101, I have highlighted what I consider the most important bit, they assist but do not take control.

 

[91101]

The Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994

"safety critical work" means work by a person—

(a) as a driver, guard, conductor or signalman or in any other capacity in which he can control or affect the movement of a vehicle;
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
http://195.99.1.70/si/si1994/Uksi_19940299_en_1.htm

Link to the legislation too.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
To be fair RoyalOak, from an outside perspective, the average customer wouldn't grasp the function of the guard, they would only see what was immediately obvious, that is selling tickets and operating the doors, although that is not always obvious.

Slightly off Topic, but I do loathe the term "Conductor" or even "Senior Conductor" as to me I am always reminded of busses.

 

[royaloak]

At least on SWT they are still Guards.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Chris, I am sorry, but your post is naive in the extreme.

A Train Guard is a member of operational, safety critical staff, that means as defined by an act of parliment, I cannot remember which off hand, that they are responsible for authorising the movement of trains which can have massive safety implications.

It's not quite as simple as opening and closing doors or selling tickets, it is about a thorough understanding of the railway environment, rules and regulations under which train operations are undertaken and how to apply them to any one of a myriad of out of course and dangerous situations.

Catering crew are trained in how to assist during an emergency and how to evacuate people in an emergency, but when your train has smashed into an other, the driver is dead, and there are two other running lines with trains running on them, you don't want a cup of coffee, you need someone with a thorough understanding who can manage that situation to ensure that the line, and the train you are on is protected from any further collisions.

glad someone knows what they are talking about couldn't agree more

 

[robertclark125]

This also proves that it's not so simple as getting another guard in. There may have been no other guard available. And hiring in staff from another TOC isn't straightforward either. GC proceudres may be different from other procedures, I don't know, but this means that the hired in staff would need to be fully trained.

IMO I think Grand Central made the correct decision yesterday, better to be safe than sorry option.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

Will pass on thoughts etc, apparently quite a nasty fracture.
The roof is off from Hartlepool anyway, think it was either some guttering or bits of the structure, and it wasnt the closed off bit neither... oh, and a train was due!! Just from what Ive been told (probably 80th hand so more than likely inaccurate!!)

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Will pass on thoughts etc, apparently quite a nasty fracture.
The roof is off from Hartlepool anyway, think it was either some guttering or bits of the structure, and it wasnt the closed off bit neither... oh, and a train was due!! Just from what Ive been told (probably 80th hand so more than likely inaccurate!!)

As far as i've heard (from Hartlepool), it was in the closed off section, and basically fell onto the tracks, although a train was due shortly after.

 

[91101]

From what I understand its was bits of guttering under the weight of ice and snow build up that collapsed onto the track rather than the roof itself.

 

[RochdalePioneers]

So is the line open again? Still planning a trip to that London on 28th. No seat reservations possible on any train that day - do GC not know if its HSTs or 180s on any diagram? Cannot believe that all 8 trains are fully booked.....

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

So is the line open again? Still planning a trip to that London on 28th. No seat reservations possible on any train that day - do GC not know if its HSTs or 180s on any diagram? Cannot believe that all 8 trains are fully booked.....

Depends what time of the day it is, then you can look at diagrams.
Not all seats are reserved - they have to let a certain % on without bookings.
And the line was open the same day.

 

[91101]

Was open once the contractors had been out and confirmed that everything was structurally safe.

 

[Wyvern]

This also proves that it's not so simple as getting another guard in. There may have been no other guard available. And hiring in staff from another TOC isn't straightforward either. GC proceudres may be different from other procedures, I don't know, but this means that the hired in staff would need to be fully trained.

Don't guards have to sign the route like drivers do?

 

[tynesider]

Drivers sign routes to say they are "fully conversant" with the route (in terms of line speeds, signals, structures, gradiants, running lines)

Guards sign routes to say they are "familiar" with the route (have a knowledge of the significant components of the route)

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Depends what time of the day it is, then you can look at diagrams.

I know what is booked - HST on the 1st one down and last one back. Doesn't mean that will turn out - last Saturday it was a 180 on an HST diagram