NXEC - missed station

[Lee_Again]

Was at Stevenage station today just watching trains. The 12.09 NX to Kings Cross (ex Darlington 09.52) was announced and about 30 passengers shuffled to the platforms edge awaiting its arrival. Then... doing about 100mph... it shot through the station. This was followed about 5 minutes later by an appology by the station announcer.
I was once on a GNER service that over ran Stevenage northbound by about 3 train lengths. After a short delay we reversed in to the platform (yes, we had passed the platform end signal).
Was interested to know how often this happens.
I didn't check the signal before the train passed so no idea if it SPAD'd but usually they stop on a Green.

 

[djw1981]

I;d suggest a 100mph SPAD is unlikely. It is more likely to be a forgot to call, or even an instruction from control not to call.

 

[O L Leigh]

It happens from time to time, and there could be any number of reasons why the train didn't stop none of which I really want to delve into in any depth.

Suffice to say, us drivers are in the highly pressured situation that mistakes are not tolerated. While our managers can hit the delete key or reach for the Tippex to cover their bloopers, it is honest-to-goodness mistakes that can cost a driver his/her livelihood. A momentary lapse of concentration or something causing a distraction can be all it takes for one of us to join the back of the dole queue yet again. Even stuff that is not a potential breach of safety, like a "failed to call" or station overrun, could eventually cost us our jobs just as surely as SPAD's or attempting to book on while still tanked from the night before.

Makes my blood boil.

one TN

 

[me123]

To be fair, so few GNER trains stop there that it's easy to make such a mistake. Thankfully it's never happened to me. Only once has a train overshot a station, at Blairhill and it was only by a few metres so he/she reversed. Then therewas the time I opened the rear door and there was no platform, but that was an undershot, on the opposite end of the spectrum.

 

[Metroland]

Signals are usually off at Stevenage on the up and down fast lines...

Been on one train that failed to stop at Watford Junction, most people on board thought it was quite amusing.

 

[Z12XE]

I've been on one which completly missed Marks Tey, just had to double back via Kelvedon.

It also happened recently at Needham Market, the early morning service off Cambridge slightly overshot the platform. The locals acted as if their station had been axed, wanting enquiries and the mayor was in the local rag going on about it and how important the station/town is.....

Pointless news story here

 

[Tom B]

Who knows, I (as non railstaff) do think oneTN makes a good point from a driver's POV about the pressure of the job. I've heard before of drivers who mistakenly thought they were doing a different run with a different stopping pattern.

Would the procedure in the case of driver forgetting to stop, be to stop at the next possible station (even if this is not a booked calling point) and passengers asked kindly to get on the next train back with profuse apologies?

 

[trains2]

Saw an amusing one at Pangbourne last Wednesday, a 5-car Turbo (3-car+2-car) pulled in to stop, driver stopped at the 3-car marker board, and so the last coach and a half were not in the platform. Driver (female may I note...) obviously didn't notice this and all doors were unlocked. Luckily no-one got off from the rear 2 coaches!

 

[Mojo]

I was on a train once which failed to stop at Saunderton (between High Wycombe & Princes Risborough) and the driver made no announcements whatsoever so I guess she forgot and never realised. There was about 3 people asking at the ticket office at Princes Risborough why the train didn't stop.

 

[Z12XE]

passengers asked kindly to get on the next train back with profuse apologies?

The one I mentioned above the driver remembered that he was on an all stations just too late, When we stopped at Kelvedon he announced "We are now arriving at Kelvedon, passengers for Marks Tey and the Sudbuy branch should change here, on leaving Kelvedon the next stop is Witham" A weird route but luckily the all stations back to Colchester Tn was a few mins late so the passengers got on that.

 

[Juniper Driver]

Try doing a Guildford New Liner a Hampton Court and a couple of Kingston Rounders in the same day and then different trips on different days with different stopping patterns especially if you have been getting up at 3am all week or doing long jobs.The other week the Readings were diverted via Wimbledon over the weekend.On one day the Readings didn't stop at Wimbledon and on another they did.Suffice to say some drivers made the mkistake.Also the P.I.S on the platforms can be misleading.I have had it that this train in not booked to stop there when I actually it is.Have also had my train up on the screens when I am not booked to stop there.

 

[332 > 444]

Worst i heard was a HEX driver driving along the GWML and the points never changed and her country end unit was just past the OHLE and it stopped, lucky enough the London end unit was still in the OHLE area and was able to reverse.

Saw an amusing one at Pangbourne last Wednesday, a 5-car Turbo (3-car+2-car) pulled in to stop, driver stopped at the 3-car marker board, and so the last coach and a half were not in the platform. Driver (female may I note...) obviously didn't notice this and all doors were unlocked. Luckily no-one got off from the rear 2 coaches!

Couldnt drivers lose their licence over that, its like opening the doors on the non platform side.

 

[O L Leigh]

Perhaps, out of respect to my colleagues, we ought not be too specific about real incidents lest the managers hear of it and decide to take matters further.

Failed to calls, station overruns, stopping short and releasing the doors and releasing the doors on the wrong side can all secure you tea and biscuits with a manager, points (what do points make...?) and an action plan. It's not a nice thing to have happen but, as Juniper Driver says, there are so many ways for the powers-that-be to try and trip us up, of which irregular stopping patterns, long jobs, early starts and widely varied jobs with fast and slow services are just a few.

one TN

 

[Respite]

I find a problem with working the first (5:19) Heart of wales service, it's request stops all the way. Second part of that days diagram is a trip to new street & back. It's easy when tired on the new st service to stare at a booked stop's empty station platform & go to power back up without stopping after doing that just beforehand on the HOW line.

Sounds like a silly thing but can catch you out if you are not careful. Especially the first stop as you are still adapting to driving a disk braked 158 rather than the tread braked 150/153 you have just had for 3 hours on the trip before.

 

[Coxster]

Could it not have possibly had the stop cut-out for some reason (opposite to a SSO)?

 

[332 > 444]

I find a problem with working the first (5:19) Heart of wales service, it's request stops all the way. Second part of that days diagram is a trip to new street & back. It's easy when tired on the new st service to stare at a booked stop's empty station platform & go to power back up without stopping after doing that just beforehand on the HOW line.

Sounds like a silly thing but can catch you out if you are not careful. Especially the first stop as you are still adapting to driving a disk braked 158 rather than the tread braked 150/153 you have just had for 3 hours on the trip before.

Without taking the thread OT, but how do you request a train to stop?

 

[AlexS]

Stick your arm out at the driver.

I would imagine it's easily done to zoom through a stop every now and then - I can see the 1733 Chester from New Street being fun as it calls Wolves, Bilbrook, Codsall, Albrighton, then RA Telford, yet the morning equivalent also calls at Cosford.

Opening the doors when the train has appreciably stopped short however is something the driver should be thinking carefully about, if just releasing the doors when you come to a stand is a reflex action to a driver then maybe the responsibility should be taken away from them and guards reintroduced

I don't like cost cutting measures such as DOO, it puts two appreciably different jobs responsibilities on one person and that leads to mistakes.

 

[O L Leigh]

Yes, but only at stations where such an arrangement is published in the timetable. If you thrust your arm out in front of an express service on, say, the ECML, the likely upshot of such an action is that you lose your arm.

one TN

 

[LucaZone]

Knowing several of the FGWL drivers ive heard many a time of drivers getting bored shuttling into and out of Paddington, followed by a 'failed to stop' at either Hanwell or West Ealing. They are told to continue onto Ealing Broadway and simply apologise. No backing up on those sections of line!

 

[O L Leigh]

You wouldn't be able to set back into the platform without the signaller's permission in any case. However, it would normally only be expected if you'd just slid a short distance out of the far end of the platform. If you'd just gone tanking through at linespeed because you'd forgotten that you should be stopping you would not expect to be asked to set back, in which case you'd make an announcement and continue to your next booked stop (provided you'd even noticed you'd done it)

one TN

 

[rower40]

Many Many Years ago, I was passenger on a KX to Royston class 312; (that's how long ago it was; Slam-door trains, electrified line that couldn't make it to a major University City, but stopped at a small market town instead.) The 8-coach train overshot Stevenage station by 5 coach-lengths. Ignoring the pleading of the guard's PA announcements to stay on board, all the Stevenage passengers just opened the doors, climbed down onto the platform ramp and ballast, and then just walked up the ramp onto the platform. Also ignoring the fact that the train would have to set back anyway.

 

[Pumbaa]

I've been at Stevenage a few times now, and my train has just sailed through... Grr! Seems to be a recurring problem.

 

[O L Leigh]

Many Many Years ago, I was passenger on a KX to Royston class 312; (that's how long ago it was; Slam-door trains, electrified line that couldn't make it to a major University City, but stopped at a small market town instead.) The 8-coach train overshot Stevenage station by 5 coach-lengths. Ignoring the pleading of the guard's PA announcements to stay on board, all the Stevenage passengers just opened the doors, climbed down onto the platform ramp and ballast, and then just walked up the ramp onto the platform.

We were shown some CCTV footage from inside a Cl315 on a GE Metro service where the train had stopped short and the punters did precisely the same thing. You could clearly see that the driver was desperately trying to shut the doors so he/she could pull up to the correct stopping point, but the punters kept coming up through the unit and obstructing the doors so that they could jump down onto the ballast and walk up the platform ramp.

Flippin' numpties.

one TN

 

[Gizmogle]

I've had this happen to me before!

I was waiting for the Liverpool Lime Street service at Nottingham.

It was on the board as the whatever time it was. So the time comes... I'm on the right platform.

Whoosh...there goes a 170 straight through the platform. The train is removed from the departure board.

 

[yorkie]

At Nottingham? :???:

 

[16CSVT2700]

I don't think a driver could forget to stop at Nottingham!! It's got slow approaches anyway!

 

[Donny Dave]

Isn't Nottingham a booked crew change point for EMT anyway?

 

[theblackwatch]

Several years ago I was on an A1A Charters "Cold Turkey" tour, which was booked to set down at Warrington Bank Quay. A load of us were getting ready to alight when we shot through the station non-stop at about 50mph. As the tour then approached Earlestown, someone pulled the communication cord which forced the train to stop despite the driver applying power. Around 100 of us alighted and had to catch the next unit back to Warrington a few minutes later!

 

[Gizmogle]

I don't think a driver could forget to stop at Nottingham!! It's got slow approaches anyway!

I swear it happened! At the time, my life pretty much depended on catching that train in order to get home with no suspicion!

I was stood there waiting for it, watching the board to make sure it was the right train, etc. But it just disappeared! Once the departure time came, the train disappeared from the board and a 170 came through the platform without stopping!

 

[Nym]

Don't they do assistive signaling at stevenage if an IC train is stopping?