VT train too long for platform at Wolverhampton?

[dvboy]

Can anyone shed any light on what might have happened here?

A @VirginTrains driver forgot his train was too big for platform at #Wolverhampton tonight and left with passengers on who couldn't get off!

https://twitter.com/thetomstokes/status/626862294002237440

Subsequent tweets suggest this was a southbound train.

As far as I'm aware, all of the through platforms at Wolves are more than long enough to accommodate 11-car trains.

 

[richw]

Something doesn't add up. Only the bay at Wolves won't accommodate an 11 coach train, and it didn't terminate.
Also corridor connections mean passengers can move to another carriage in the event of not being platformed

The driver definitely didn't forget as the signaller would have routed him to which ever platform

Every down service has used either platform 2 or 4 today, so no unusual choice of platforms.

 

[Class 170101]

Stop Short?

 

[mbreckers]

Same guy on twitter now saying that it was his mum on the train that told him, apparently train continued to Sandwell & Dudley.

There was a fatality up north I think so potential for longer trains.

Well it did happen. My mom was on it and had to go to Sandwell and Dudley and come back.

 

[HA25322]

Did they press the door open button?

 

[455driver]

Did the train stop short and the SDO system only open the front 9 coaches?
Did the woman sit there until the train stopped before gathering her things and heading towards the doors meaning that by the time she got to the doors they had already been closed and locked!

 

[Darren R]

There was some fairly major disruption further north on the WCML this afternoon due to a person having been hit by a train south of Preston. Could it have been two trains (not necessarily two Pendolini) coupled together as a result of the disruption?

 

[mbreckers]

There was some fairly major disruption further north on the WCML this afternoon due to a person having been hit by a train south of Preston. Could it have been two trains (not necessarily two Pendolini) coupled together as a result of the disruption?

I would imagine there would be lots of people tweeting then from all the stops the service in question served

--

Edit: Ok, maybe not lots but definitely more than one

 

[Darren R]

I would imagine there would be lots of people tweeting then from all the stops the service in question served

--

Edit: Ok, maybe not lots but definitely more than one

Maybe the rest were sensible enough not to be on Twitter! (Get your point though; you're probably right!)

 

[MCR247]

There was some fairly major disruption further north on the WCML this afternoon due to a person having been hit by a train south of Preston. Could it have been two trains (not necessarily two Pendolini) coupled together as a result of the disruption?

A 15 car voyager perhaps? (No idea if this is the case, just speculating!)

 

[driver_m]

Can anyone shed any light on what might have happened here?


https://twitter.com/thetomstokes/status/626862294002237440

Subsequent tweets suggest this was a southbound train.

As far as I'm aware, all of the through platforms at Wolves are more than long enough to accommodate 11-car trains.

Platform 3 can only accommodate a 9 car pendo or a 10 car voyager.
There is no SDO at Wolves. Only at Cov and Rugby's short platforms.

 

[mbreckers]

Platform 3 can only accommodate a 9 car pendo or a 10 car voyager.
There is no SDO at Wolves. Only at Cov and Rugby's short platforms.

Only two VT south-bound services calling at Wolverhampton and Sandwell & Dudley used platform 3:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P55182/2015/07/30/advanced

and

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P55189/2015/07/30/advanced

 

[Stats]

He has told Virgin it was this train
www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P55200/2015/07/30/advanced

 

[The Planner]

Driver M has it, before the resignalling platform 1 was tight for 11 cars too.

 

[HLE]

How can the driver be at fault here? Surely it's the guard who does the doors, unless VT have gone DOO overnight? Or does the driver operate/set the SDO?

 

[ainsworth74]

Driver releases the doors themselves on 390s and 22xs without guard involvement. They also close them but this is on instruction from the guard.

 

[185]

VT is effectively DOO.

Opening doors is done by driver.

The TM effectively only instructs the driver using a bell (1,2) when it's time to shut the doors. The TM's key in the door stops his own (local) door from shutting with the rest. He then shuts his own door and signals the driver to proceed (2).

drat beaten to it :P

 

[LowLevel]

That's only the case on Voyager units. The guard closes them on 390s.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

So with nearly 9minutes to get off the train, or to otherwise indicate that there was a problem, and did anyone bother to tell the traincrew? NO! Far easier to tweet a message that takes 9 hours to reach the company than contact the on board, on active duty and working train manager who is ina position to act IMMEDIATELY!!!

 

[Quakkerillo]

If the 9 stop sign is displaced compared to the 11, and the driver thought he drove a 9, and not an 11, the lady in question still had 7 minutes according to Realtimetrains to sort out moving 2 carriages, and getting off.
I wonder what went on there.

 

[mbreckers]

If the 9 stop sign is displaced compared to the 11, and the driver thought he drove a 9, and not an 11, the lady in question still had 7 minutes according to Realtimetrains to sort out moving 2 carriages, and getting off.
I wonder what went on there.

Something tells me it's more a case of wasn't paying attention so missed the stop, blame everyone else

 

[Skimpot flyer]

If the 9 stop sign is displaced compared to the 11, and the driver thought he drove a 9, and not an 11, the lady in question still had 7 minutes according to Realtimetrains to sort out moving 2 carriages, and getting off.
I wonder what went on there.

Smart phone. Stupid user ?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

He has told Virgin it was this train
www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P55200/2015/07/30/advanced

If it really was 9M60, it was pretty much on time and waited 7 minutes at Wolverhampton P4.
Doesn't seem like a problem to me.

 

[ainsworth74]

That's only the case on Voyager units. The guard closes them on 390s.

Interesting, I didn't realise that thanks

 

[mbreckers]

Question.

driver_m says that

There is no SDO at Wolves.

Would that not mean that when the driver opens the doors, all doors would be able to open in this case? Even if the train did stop short, the doors would be able to open?

 

[HLE]

VT is effectively DOO.

Opening doors is done by driver.

The TM effectively only instructs the driver using a bell (1,2) when it's time to shut the doors. The TM's key in the door stops his own (local) door from shutting with the rest. He then shuts his own door and signals the driver to proceed (2).

drat beaten to it :P

Cheers you learn something new everyday.

 

[IanD]

Maybe train did stop short. She looked out of the window and saw no platform and assumed they were being held outside the station but wondered why everyone else with luggage was moving to the next carriage. Train sets off and she sees platform sailing by realises what a numpty she's been and has to blame someone else.

 

[driver_m]

Question.

driver_m says that

Would that not mean that when the driver opens the doors, all doors would be able to open in this case? Even if the train did stop short, the doors would be able to open?

Yes. The doors are fully enabled on any platform unless the SDO does its job at specified platforms or we do it manually from our cab. And let's kill that other thing. We are NOT DOO. Just because we enable the doors, The function of the TM remains the same. The safety of the passengers. As has been said the TM shuts them on a 390 and does 1-2 on a voyager. It is not 'effectively' DOO at all.

 

[dggar]

Has there been any confirmation that the train did stop short?

 

[Andrewlong]

So with nearly 9minutes to get off the train, or to otherwise indicate that there was a problem, and did anyone bother to tell the traincrew? NO! Far easier to tweet a message that takes 9 hours to reach the company than contact the on board, on active duty and working train manager who is ina position to act IMMEDIATELY!!!

9 hours to reach the company? Tweets get to the recipient in minutes if not seconds and are often a quick way of getting a response from the TOC. Plus in this digital age, it doesn't require any verbal contact which many are incapable or unwilling to do!