Police stopping trains?

[furnessvale]

*should* not go on the track...

I don't think a police officer in hot pursuit of a murderer would take much notice of a "should", any more than he would not entering any other private premises in that pursuit.

 

[GB]

I don't think a police officer in hot pursuit of a murderer would take much notice of a "should", any more than he would not entering any other private premises in that pursuit.

I doubt you would see them on an active runway or active MOD land/ranges. I also doubt you would see them follow through a closed level crossing.

 

[gledhill56]

I doubt you would see them on an active runway or active MOD land/ranges. I also doubt you would see them follow through a closed level crossing.

Obligatory police chase video involving a closed level crossing.

 

[Haywain]

Obligatory police chase video involving a closed level crossing.

Which, very clearly, shows the police not following through a closed level crossing.

 

[LAX54]

That also, regrettably, is a real possibility!

Not only a possibilty, fairly common ! The Civils seem to think they can do and go where they want on the Railway, even when they have been told not to !

 

[Stampy]

Obligatory police chase video involving a closed level crossing.

Yep, remember that chase from Peterborough Town Bridge, as I was in one of the cars that they passed..

The crossing that they smashed through was King's Dyke, btw

 

[357]

I've seen Metropolitan Police go onto the track without any authorisation many times, as frequently I was the one who then hastily got the lines blocked!

The civil police are told not to go onto any railway line, but often think they are above the law.

A (non-BTP) officer has no more place on a railway line than any other member of the public.

 

[Ediswan]

I found this Metropolian Police policy document from 2007:
https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAs...licies/incidents-on-or-near-railways---policy
It states:

There is no call so serious that would justify a Police Officer or Police Staff going on or near railway lines before a 'Safe System of Work' has been agreed and implemented with the rail operator and then only to save life.

Interestingly, the reason given is that they are not suitably trained. No suggestion that railway legislation trumps police powers to enter private property.

 

[furnessvale]

I doubt you would see them on an active runway or active MOD land/ranges. I also doubt you would see them follow through a closed level crossing.

I was referring to a chase on foot across running lines. When I was working, I would no more have given up such a pursuit across running lines than I would have across a busy road or even a motorway.

 

[frediculous]

I once witnessed the police pull up at Rainham (Kent) run on to the platform but the train was departing. They radioed about getting it at Gillingham and when I went through on the next train, it was in P1 with the doors locked shut.

 

[Egg Centric]

Interesting! What time of night was this?

Late, may have been past midnight

 

[Falcon1200]

I don't think a police officer in hot pursuit of a murderer would take much notice of a "should", any more than he would not entering any other private premises in that pursuit.

Is catching a suspected (because innocent until proven guilty) murderer worth risking a Police Officer's life ? Because that is what they are doing going onto the line without authority. The railway is different from other private premises in being extremely hazardous, in both obvious (ie trains) and less obvious (eg third rail) ways. Sadly the number of staff involved in incidents shows that even those who know what they are doing, and have authority to be there, can get caught out.

 

[londonboi]

I am well aware of how things work on the railway, and as for the signaler being aware of who was on the line, I have been involved in lots of incidents where the signaler has no idea where or who is on the line be it BTP or regular police, and the signals just get replaced everywhere till some form of communication is found, which could well be what happened here

Then you would be aware the the police would not throw signals to danger like you said in your reply I previously replied to.

 

[Horizon22]

This sounds as others have alluded to a totally normal response to a suspected or known tresspasser (possibly one that walked off the platform) on the track possession a danger to themselves or trains.

Often trains are run a caution with only a sighting or vague location but can be brought to a stop if seen and known to be on the track. The signaller could have done this at the request of the BTP or a driver - which might have gone out as a REC (emergency) call, especially if the driver is on the move and can see them.

Only the signaller has authority to put the signals to danger and the police - civil or otherwise - certainly don’t have the power and wouldn’t be “short-circuiting the signal”. They’d probably be in attendance as a result of some intelligence - either from control or direct by the public. Civil (local) police have a higher tendency to go on track without permission, but they’re getting better at not doing this.

 

[Geeves]

Then you would be aware the the police would not throw signals to danger like you said in your reply I previously replied to.

I said the TOC and NR wouldn't be too happy, I didn't say the police would actually be able (or want to) to do it. My post was in response to the original post saying the police were short-circuiting the lines! Which as we both can agree is madness!

 

[Horizon22]

I said the TOC and NR wouldn't be too happy, I didn't say the police would actually be able (or want to) to do it. My post was in response to the original post saying the police were short-circuiting the lines! Which as we both can agree is madness!

If it’s regarding safety on the railway and an imminent risk to life, then TOCs & NR would be absolutely fine with it.

 

[Geeves]

In the days of mobile phones it does not seem sensible to be having folks down the line putting short circuit bars down, I suppose like you say if there is a imminent risk to life then I do agree you do what you do.

 

[Horizon22]

In the days of mobile phones it does not seem sensible to be having folks down the line putting short circuit bars down, I suppose like you say if there is a imminent risk to life then I do agree you do what you do.

You (if not a driver) call the signaller and tell them it is an emergency call and why. Drivers press the REC (emergency call) button.

 

[al78]

Is catching a suspected (because innocent until proven guilty) murderer worth risking a Police Officer's life ? Because that is what they are doing going onto the line without authority. The railway is different from other private premises in being extremely hazardous, in both obvious (ie trains) and less obvious (eg third rail) ways. Sadly the number of staff involved in incidents shows that even those who know what they are doing, and have authority to be there, can get caught out.

No, because when involved in a pursuit, there are alternative options like calling for ground based backup or a helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera. I'm sure the emergency services are trained not to be reckless when in the process of responding to an emergency. Certainly in the case of driving pursuits, if the offender is driving ever more dangerously in residential areas in an attempt to evade the pursuing police officers, they will back off in an attempt to encourage to offender to think he/she has lost them and ease off.

 

[Aaron1]

Perhaps we shouldn't watch too many reruns of "Heartbeat".

Wait! Are you telling me that when they run across the train roof as it is moving or dive onto the tracks to arrest a suspect that doesn't happen in real life?

 

[Western Sunset]

Only in North Yorkshire...

 

[riceuten]

I was travelling to Canterbury some time in the 1990s and there was a "kerfuffle" on the train, which I later found out to be a group of boys "steaming" through the train (basically robbing people and running away). The train stopped just short of the station, and the driver said that "there was a signalling issue" and we would be on our way shortly. About 5 minutes later, 2 police cars turned up, and the police walked up the track to the train and were let on by the driver and when we pulled into Canterbury, we saw 2 young gentlemen in some form of restraint being helped from the train, no doubt to assist Her Majesty's Kent Constabulary with their enquiries.