Action to Take if Train Does Not Stop When Booked to Call

[pdeaves]

Surely it could happen that a train is stopped at a signal in a station where it should stop, and the passengers going to get on/off, and it moves off without the doors opening?

That's happened on a rail tour I was on once. Fortunately I didn't want to leave the train at Crewe but some people did. They were given an 'unofficial' opportunity to leave again at Birmingham (not supposed to be a passenger call).

 

[greatkingrat]

Yes, the driver cannot reverse, so would have to head to the next station anyway. on a 377 the pass-comm would be the best way. The driver can override the stop until a safe, or better place is found.

I've had the other, where the driver stopped and opened the doors at a station where we were not due to call. As on board staff you feel a tit.
Change here for XXX, this train does not call at XXX
Reminder, the next station is XYZ, we don't call at the XXX.
Train stops at XXX, driver opens doors.
Bahhhh,
Mind the punters on the platform waiting for the next train get a nice little bonus.

That can cause its own problems. I was once on a train supposed to be fast Finsbury Park to New Southgate that made an unscheduled stop at Harringay, where several people got on who intended to catch the Hertford North stopper immediately behind us.

 

[infobleep]

This has actually happened to me before when last year the driver on a Southern 377 in the evening peak forgot to stop at Cooksbridge station. Nobody pressed the alarm but a lot of people were annoyed. Everyone had to get off at Lewes and then wait around for just over an hour and then get a train back. I personally think pressing the alarm is the worst thing to do in this situation as it will just delay the train even more which will delay you getting to your destination even more. The best thing to do on a DOO train is just wait until you get to the next station and then tell the driver.

Was there another train in that hour which passed through Cooksbridge and could that have made an unscheduled stop?

 

[GW43125]

Surely it could happen that a train is stopped at a signal in a station where it should stop, and the passengers going to get on/off, and it moves off without the doors opening?

Was on a diverted Reading once (engineering diversion via Kingston), and due to a 455 unable to gain interlock at Teddington, we were delayed heavily. The decision to call additionally at Teddington was made. We pulled in, stopped, punters moved up to get on, but... guard evidently hadn't been told. he didn't release. We just sat there until he gave the driver two on the bell about 20 seconds later. Don't think the punters were too happy.

 

[387star]

Slightly off-topic, but I seem to recall an incident, perhaps 25 years ago, when a train rolled out of Shanklin station without a driver on board, and picked up speed down the gradient. Passengers on board noticed something was wrong when the train went through Lake station without stopping. Someone managed to get into the cab and bring the train to a stop.

Any old reports on this?

 

[penrithsteve]

Any old reports on this?

I had a good search online, but couldn't see anything, other than a reference in the archive section of the Isle of Wight County Press to this happening in 1990 or 1991. However I distinctly remember watching a report about this on the local BBC news, including interviews with the passengers.

Does anyone have any further information, if only to confirm that my memory was correct?

 

[Johncleesefan]

I would argue that it is absolutely the right time to use a pass comm. You have just missed your stop due to the train not stopping. Whilst I don't think it would be a case that the driver is incapitated or other dangers due to vast safety systems that prohibit it. He will have missed the station down to human error and the pass comm will at least sort the incident out sooner

 

[edwin_m]

I would argue that it is absolutely the right time to use a pass comm. You have just missed your stop due to the train not stopping. Whilst I don't think it would be a case that the driver is incapitated or other dangers due to vast safety systems that prohibit it. He will have missed the station down to human error and the pass comm will at least sort the incident out sooner

This will probably lead to the train stopping in the middle of nowhere and on many trains one of the crew has to locate the passcom that has been used and reset it (is this still needed on the latest trains?). There would be almost no chance of setting back to the missed station so any over-carried passengers would still have to alight at a later station and find their way back - just a lot later than if the passcom hadn't been operated.

I think the only exception might be if several other stations where scheduled to be skipped before the next call, in which case it might be more sensible to make an extra stop at the first of those rather than making everybody alight and return from somewhere much further away.

 

[Parham Wood]

The operation of any passcom should stop the train, even in the very very unlikely event that the driver has expired *and* the DSD has failed 'wrong side'. Even on those newer trains where the driver has the opportunity to override it, the brakes will quickly go in if he does nothing. It's a fair bet that AWS and/or TPWS will have already intervened by the time you recognise that something might be amiss though.

Agreed. It would be more of a concern if the route was cleared a long way ahead but there were bends that required a significant speed reduction and there were no automatic systems on the line to stop the train if going too fast.