How secure are jobs on the railway?

[Leebob34]

I was just reading a few old threads on here and I happened to come across a thread which was all about how the railway and London underground will all be going computer operated in the future and wanted to know how true this is ? Surely if this was /is the case then why would there be the need to keep advertising trainee train driver jobs,conductors etc etc for only to have to go through the training costing thousands id imagine for them to be told to do one later down the line when things change over !!
Is there any truth to this and should all trainee drivers,drivers and every body else be concerned for the future or is it just rumours .i for one have secured a place for MTR and was hoping it was a job for life .now I'm not so sure !!

 

[Aivilo]

ATO on the Mainline isn't gonna happen anytime soon so I wouldn't worry.

 

[NSEFAN]

Full automation will happen extremely slowly. It's not even being seriously considered yet for the big railway. The underground might move to fully driverless trains in the next few decades but will probably still require all trains to be staffed. In today's world you can't expect a job for life, but given how slow things are to change on the railway I would expect the role of driver to be safe for most of our lifetimes!

Current disputes are more about the role of guards on trains, but completely unstaffed trains are almost certainly not going to happen.

 

[yorkie]

I was just reading a few old threads on here and I happened to come across a thread which was all about how the railway and London underground will all be going computer operated in the future and wanted to know how true this is ?

LU already has computer operated trains (ATO) on several lines and has done for many years, but still require a train operator. DLR is driverless but the trains are all staffed.

So if you are asking if trains are "all" going to be computer operated, that may be true eventually but would take many decades (we have had numerous threads on the subject).

But if you are suggesting trains are going to operate without staff, that is not true.

 

[ComUtoR]

.i for one have secured a place for MTR and was hoping it was a job for life .now I'm not so sure !!

 

[Leebob34]

yeah I believe somewhere on the line there will be a section that is ,not excatly sure where though as heard diffrent stories but I thought it was the the mid section tunnels ,I'm sure that's what they told me in interview ,could be wrong ,seems so long ago now ..
Thanks for the replies .ive seen afew threads but these were dated 2013 and that's why I put up the thread to hear the latest on the topic .thanks for the replies ,,still it's quite worrying to think that maybe someday it's all run by sky net , I just hope it won't be anytime soon as like every one else on here ,I got a family I need to look after

 

[387star]

My understanding is the 700s will have ATO in the central section

why? does this speed things up or what?

not quite sure why

will find out soon enough!

 

[ComUtoR]

As a Driver I support automation. The less we do the better.

 

[Leebob34]

700s ???

 

[NSEFAN]

Class 700 is the train to be used for Thameslink, which will have automatic operation (with driver supervision) in the Thameslink core.

 

[ComUtoR]

why? does this speed things up or what?

not quite sure why

will find out soon enough!

Yes it is alleged to speed things up. It's going to be very crazy through the core section and I hate to say it but the computer will drive it better us.

 

[Leebob34]

core section? Do you mean when the train enters into London or London suburbs or something. So if this is the case then .with regards to mainline trains never going computerised this isn't correct as it will be similar set up to MTR

 

[Dave1987]

The DLR is "driverless" and has been for a very long time. Yet it has 'train captain' that is a fully qualified driver. There hasn't been a mass push towards full automation because of the shear cost and politics of it all. I don't believe we need to be scared by automation on the railways.

 

[ComUtoR]

core section?

Blackfriars to St Pancras

 

[NSEFAN]

core section? Do you mean when the train enters into London or London suburbs or something. So if this is the case then .with regards to mainline trains never going computerised this isn't correct as it will be similar set up to MTR

The point is that the driver will still need to be with the train to ensure its safety. It's only the section between about Blackfriars and Kings Cross which will have ATO. This is relatively "easy" since all trains on that section will only be class 700s. Further afield the Thameslink trains have to mix with other kinds of mainline stock, all using the existing signalling and working practices, hence it's cheaper to keep these sections operating as they are.

In the very long term these may go towards ATO, but it would require all rolling stock to have harmonised controls etc which is certainly not the case right now. Moving over would also be a logistical nightmare. And all the while you will still almost certainly require that there be someone on board all trains for emergencies.

 

[Aivilo]

Automated they can run more trains per section so most London sections will be ato re cross rail.

 

[ComUtoR]

but it would require all rolling stock to have harmonised controls etc which is certainly not the case right now. Moving over would also be a logistical nightmare.

Silly question but isn't that exactly what is happening now. ETCS is the new standard with a more universal cab design. It will be slow and incremental for sure but it is happening.

 

[Leebob34]

So going forward then ,why would anybody want to apply for train drivers job when chances are your just sit there and babysit the controls incase something goes wrong,get paid half of what you get now and possible lose your job altogether ! Or I am being a bit dramatic ?��

 

[ComUtoR]

Because being functionally employed may better than sitting in the job centre. It may also still be a fairly decent wage with little hardship.

It is still a dream job to some and they just want to drive trains. Being happy in their job doing something they love might be more important than money.

How many people apply for the DLR ?

 

[miami]

So going forward then ,why would anybody want to apply for train drivers job when chances are your just sit there and babysit the controls incase something goes wrong,get paid half of what you get now and possible lose your job altogether ! Or I am being a bit dramatic ?��

It's going to take a long time to happen, and you still need drivers to replace those retiring.

I note that you can't become a tube driver though, although why would you want to live in London, let alone drive a victoria line train 40 hours a week.

With ATO I don't understand why train drivers can't read newspapers while they're working?