Northern Practice at Stations

[Krokodil]

But what is a conductor goung to do if they see a spot on the platform that needs repair? Not let the passengers off the train? That a matter for reporting for repair, nothing to do with disembarking passengers.

If it's unsafe (say an entire edge slab is displaced) then they might prevent passengers from disembarking from the adjacent door

 

[Bletchleyite]

If it's unsafe (say an entire edge slab is displaced) then they might prevent passengers from disembarking from the adjacent door

Who do we think is more likely to see a dangerous platform defect?

1. A guard, who may be 8 or more coaches away from it?
2. A passenger, who opens a door right next to it?

Hmm

This in my view is just a waste of time.

 

[Krokodil]

1. A guard, who may be 8 or more coaches away from it?

How many 8 coach trains do Northern operate?

2. A passenger, who opens a door right next to it?

The passenger will probably be staring at their phone rather than looking where they're going. There's a reason why selective door locking had to be invented, it's because you can't rely on passengers noticing that there's no platform at all outside their door (never mind the "do not alight here" signs still erected at some stations).

 

[Bletchleyite]

How many 8 coach trains do Northern operate?

They operate 6 x 24m trains which are of a very similar length.

The passenger will probably be staring at their phone rather than looking where they're going. There's a reason why selective door locking had to be invented, it's because you can't rely on passengers noticing that there's no platform at all outside their door (never mind the "do not alight here" signs still erected at some stations).

I would suggest it's more the "sue everyone" culture that caused the need for SDO (i.e. it's the railway's fault if someone falls out, not the passenger's), plus providing for blind people who may not be able to see that the platform isn't there.

In a sensible world, mobile phone zombies who cause delay to trains by falling out onto the track because they're too stupid to check if the platform is there should be able to be sued for the cost of the delays caused by their stupidity. Though obviously we do still need to consider blind people, but most would have the sense to use their cane to check before stepping anyway!

Having said that, stepping out like a zombie at a low platform like some on the Conwy Valley would probably be just as dangerous as stepping out onto ballast at the platform end. It's a good two foot drop at Tal y Cafn, for instance.

 

[muz379]

Who do we think is more likely to see a dangerous platform defect?

1. A guard, who may be 8 or more coaches away from it?
2. A passenger, who opens a door right next to it?

Hmm

This in my view is just a waste of time.

Depends on the defect I guess ,ive pulled in at a platform and seen straight away 5-6 coaches away that a coping stone was missing . Often these things look out of place even at a distance .

Yes passengers trying to alight at the closest door might have noticed it as well, but also they might have panicked about the doors being closed and them being left on the train so rush to step out onto something dangerous .

 

[Dieseldriver]

Since in my view drivers are paid a handsome salary I would expect them to be able to stop a train at the required place!

So double our pay and you’ll halve the number of incidents, genius.