Signing routes

[W230]

When they re signalled the Hertford branch as bi-di they came up with a very interesting idea-they videoed a trip in the back cab, ran it in reverse and superimposed signals in what looked like the pre-installed painting programme you got with windows 95.

We got the same so they could show how the SIMBIDs run on the Brighton Mainline. They did a computer generated one for section of the Thameslink core when it was resginalled. That just looked weird with a very sterile line side though!

 

[RPM]

I didn't said they never go out road learning. I said we always get the question paper before the assessment. They get other drivers to help them with some of the answers.

My route exams have always been done as a ride out assessments with a selection of verbal questions to cover anything that didn't occur on the ride out. I've done written papers for resignalling but never for a new route.

 

[dk1]

My route exams have always been done as a ride out assessments with a selection of verbal questions to cover anything that didn't occur on the ride out. I've done written papers for resignalling but never for a new route.

We get both. Unfortunatley much is a botch of the GE/AR TOCs thrown together for the GEML. Several questions have nothing to do with our depot. We are told 'oh, ignore that one, & that, & that...

 

[A-driver]

The worst written papers about are FCCs signal risk assessments. It's like doing lines. Pretty much every single signal between London and Peterbourgh/Cambridge is listed and you have to list the risks and what you can do to control the risk for each of them.

Only so many times you can write 'read across', 'hidden by curvature' and 'risk triggered commentary/set the DRA' before you start loosing the will to live.

 

[RPM]

The worst written papers about are FCCs signal risk assessments. It's like doing lines. Pretty much every single signal between London and Peterbourgh/Cambridge is listed and you have to list the risks and what you can do to control the risk for each of them.

Only so many times you can write 'read across', 'hidden by curvature' and 'risk triggered commentary/set the DRA' before you start loosing the will to live.

That sounds very tedious. Not had to go through anything like that myself. Seems some TOCs really like to treat their drivers like idiots.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Most SWT guards are learning Platform 20 at Waterloo via a classroom briefing and a DVD, same goes for small sections such as the Byfleet curve.

My route route learning assessments consisted of an accompanied ride with observation of door protocol and random questions thrown in at unexpected locations such as 'How many coaches can be accommodated at New Milton (for example) or 'If leaving Waterloo on the Windsor lines where is the last point you can cross to the mainlines?'

Guard's route knowledge is not as detailed as it is for frivers but we do need to know additional things such as platform disabled access, station staffing levels, taxi information etc.

 

[dk1]

The whole modern driver training thing is tedious. This aversion to signals on the right hand side has always done my head in. All we get is HIGH RISK!! For goodness sake, its easier to see :roll: Definatley not railway.

 

[6Gman]

In a nut shell, YES. Everything on the route. Stations, Dead ends, Loops, signal routes (for the ones you dont want to take) speeds and in any eventuality any route you could be signalled. Especially important on multitrack lines stations and loops/yards.

Well, Arriva Trains Wales drivers (Cardiff presumably?) only sign certain platforms at Crewe. During Chirk diversions an attempt to use 12 led to a delay as train ran into Bay 7, relieved by Crewe (?) men who reversed past South Junction then out via 12!!

 

[TOCDriver]

My route exams have always been done as a ride out assessments with a selection of verbal questions to cover anything that didn't occur on the ride out. I've done written papers for resignalling but never for a new route.

Me neither. Quite a few rides with note-paper and the usual stuff, then a couple of actual drives with a conductor followed by the DM ride and questions along the way. After that, 30 minutes tea and biscuits discussing anything we may encounter that we didn't on the actually assessment ride. Shake hands and DM autograph for completion. Bobs your uncle,fanny's your aunt.

 

[Beveridges]

It makes me wonder how the Drivers of the yellow test trains (Serco Infrastructure Monitoring) learn and retain the route knowledge, they sign over 50 routes, the biggest route card of any driver by far. There are many routes they only work once every few months, so won't know them as well as (for example) a TOC driver who does the same few routes all the time repeatedly.

 

[455driver]

Most SWT guards are learning Platform 20 at Waterloo via a classroom briefing and a DVD, same goes for small sections such as the Byfleet curve.

Its a pity both the map and DVD have 2 different errors on them!

 

[A-driver]

It makes me wonder how the Drivers of the yellow test trains (Serco Infrastructure Monitoring) learn and retain the route knowledge, they sign over 50 routes, the biggest route card of any driver by far. There are many routes they only work once every few months, so won't know them as well as (for example) a TOC driver who does the same few routes all the time repeatedly.

They will have plenty of road refresh days in their roster. It's no different to how freight drivers sign numerous routes which they may only drive once in a while or intercity drivers sign diversions - it's not unusual to sign a route and have more work on it through route refreshing than by actually driving over it.

At FCC some depots sign yards with as few as 1 rostered job in there. They retain knowledge through refreshing the road as you can easily go over a year at those depots without driving into that yard.

Plus fort he test trains their route knowledge like freight drivers doesn't need to include things like station braking areas, dispatch procedures, various train length stopping points etc (not saying they learn less of the route and certainly not suggesting it's easier or dumbed down in anyway but it's a slightly different way of road learning to a passenger driver).

 

[the sniper]

Most SWT guards are learning Platform 20 at Waterloo via a classroom briefing and a DVD, same goes for small sections such as the Byfleet curve.

We had a 20 mile stretch of line resignalled with 8 stations having signalling changes, starting signals added, starting signals removed, OFF indicators added/moved, signalled routes changed, ect... For that we just signed for a two page brief, a brief that omitted various minor and major details. Luckily only half of us got a copy of the brief that omitted any mention of the new signalbox phone numbers though...

Still, we got a day's pay for it on the Guards side and I had an amusing encounter with my manager, who I don't have much to do with, when they asked me whether I signed that route. Given that the route is one of the core routes on my route card/at my depot, I could only presume that they had no idea who I was or that I was on their 'team' at their depot!

 

[ainsworth74]

It makes me wonder how the Drivers of the yellow test trains (Serco Infrastructure Monitoring) learn and retain the route knowledge, they sign over 50 routes, the biggest route card of any driver by far.

I thought those trains were done by a FOC now and that Serco were out of the infrastructure monitoring game?

 

[met331]

we got 2 days for nottingham and a copy of the dvd complete with the dodgy commentary. we also once it was complete had driver managers and instructors out and about to help out with any uncertainty. Overall well managed