Leaves Again?

It is reported that on 8 November, a train from Charing Cross sped through one station and over a level-crossing in East Sussex and carried on for more than two miles before stopping. Because of leaves on the line.

I thought we had sorted out the ‘leaves on the line’ problem years ago?

Fortunately, the line was clear at the time and the level-crossing was closed to traffic. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch are now to carry out a full investigation to see went wrong.

I hope they report quickly, for it doesn’t bear thinking about what might happen if a similar incident occurs when the line ahead is not clear.
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A Farce

I suppose we often say that things were simpler long ago and sometimes that is right as two reports this morning remind me.

In the ‘old days’ when trains broke down within sight of a station, you waited patiently for a little while and then opened the doors, climbed out if you could and hoofed it along the track to the station. I’ve done that myself at least a couple of times. But you can’t do that easily these days as there are few ‘slam-door’ trains left. Most of them now have electrically-operated doors controlled by the driver.

So when a rush-hour train from Kings Cross to Cambridge conked out on Friday evening, around fifteen passengers got fed-up with waiting more than thirty minutes, forced open a door, climbed out and walked 500 metres along the track to Foxton station. You’d have thought ‘Good luck to them!’ but the driver thought otherwise, locked the other 360 passengers in with a warning that they could be arrested if they tried to leave the train, and then called the police.

The first set of trapped passengers were released from the blacked-out train ninety minutes after it broke down and ferried, not to Foxton nearby, but back to Royston. Nearly three hours after the train broke down, the others were ferried back to Royston again where a fleet of 28 buses took them all to Cambridge.

I suppose that in the case of this train, there might have been a risk that some dimwit escaping from the trapped train might have fallen over and injured himself so, possibly, First Capital Connect were right to lock the other passengers in.

On the other hand, contrast the 32 ladies of the Bucknell Women’s Institute who for the last quarter of a century have tended a garden alongside their local railway station, even winning a Wales in Bloom award in 1992.

But no longer. For Network Rail has told them that they need to complete a detailed risk assessment, arrange insurance, sign a five-page licence that would restrict their activities, undergo safety training and fence off their garden. And all this for a station that has eight trains a day travelling at two miles an hour because of a level crossing nearby.

What a farce!
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All Aboard - Not!

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What a wonderful world we live in.

London Midland won the franchise to operate around 1,200 services with trains calling at 149 stations between London, the Midlands and the North West. In submitting its application to operate these trains one assumes that certain commitments were made - like to operate trains every day.

It transpires that it relies on its drivers to volunteer to run trains on Sundays, and that today most of them have decided to put their feet up and remain at home. The result is that London Midland have cancelled all but one of its routes because of a lack of drivers.

So thousands of people face chaos today just because London Midland’s employment agreements are ridiculous to say the least, and expecting staff to work an essential service on a voluntary basis is an astonishing state of affairs.

The General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union helpfully said, ‘Their contracts of employment say they haven't got to work on a Sunday. It’s their choice.’

Fair enough. But the government ought to look a bit more closely at this franchise and the silly way it is organised.
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I Hate Driving In London!

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I hate driving up to London and cannot think of a more intimidating and stressful experience for a driver. I was up there this morning and am glad I don’t have to drive there again for a while.

There are bus lanes that sometimes operate five days a week and others that work for six. There are changing speed limits, often for no apparent reason especially when you are on a three-lane road that stretches miles ahead. There are thousands of signs, many of them quite unnecessary or irrelevant, all of which have to be taken notice of while you drive along. And there are pinch-points and two- or three-lane roads that squeeze you into one lane.

There are pedestrians with suicidal tendencies who wander straight into your path and glare at you as if you are in the wrong. There are cyclists who believe that the normal rules for traffic are meant for other people and who ignore traffic signals and weave about without warning. And there are plenty of just bad drivers who are a menace to everyone on the road and who seem to get away with their bad driving without being caught.

There are closed circuit television cameras, bus lane cameras, speed cameras, crossing cameras and average speed cameras. Maybe there are more. Who sits watching all the stuff that goes on for heaven’s sake?

This was a Saturday morning. Lord knows what it must be like during the week! I’ve changed my mind. Bus and taxi drivers are worth all they get.

Next time I’m going up by train!
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