Train driver risked life to save woman

[DelayRepay]

Hello

I saw this News Report in The Argus:

First published Saturday 7 February 2015 in News
by Adrian Imms

A SELFLESS train driver has been lauded as a hero after risking his own safety to rescue a woman on the tracks.

The courageous driver was at the controls of the 9.38pm train from London Bridge to Brighton when he spotted the woman lingering in the darkness on the track in front of him.

Just as he was pulling into Burgess Hill Station, he slammed on the brakes and put out a call to stop other trains.

He then jumped from his cab and carefully negotiated the 750 volt tracks before reaching the distressed 28-year-old.

He took her back to the train, before driving her – and the rest of his passengers – to their destination, Brighton, where she was taken into the care of paramedics.

Well done to the driver for his actions and helping to prevent a disaster.

 

[red2005]

huge well done!

 

[theageofthetra]

Top Fella. Well done.

 

[carriageline]

Absolutely brilliant news, and hats off to him!

But the moany bugger in me says it must be a slow news day as

1) the press saying something good about train drivers?!

2) i would like to think any driver would of done that

3) there was a neglible risk to his life.

That's not to take away from a brilliant story, and I hope he gets recognised by his company and management.

 

[TDK]

Absolutely brilliant news, and hats off to him!

But the moany bugger in me says it must be a slow news day as

1) the press saying something good about train drivers?!

2) i would like to think any driver would of done that

3) there was a neglible risk to his life.

That's not to take away from a brilliant story, and I hope he gets recognised by his company and management.

Depends on the company and the managers, some would slate a driver for risking their life, I had a train fire once when DOO, I stopped at a station with the said coach off the rear of the platform, isolated the current within the train, got all the passengers off, made the emergency call to stop all trains, the fire went out, I tripped out the coach and reinstated the power to the other 3 coaches and took the train ECS back to depot. My manager at the time asked me why I didn't put down TCOC clips and said next time don't forget to apply the clips, no well done, no thanks and no asking whether I was ok!
Hopefully as this made the press this driver will be commended for his brave actions.

 

[TimG]

Absolutely brilliant news, and hats off to him!

But the moany bugger in me says it must be a slow news day as

1) the press saying something good about train drivers?!

2) i would like to think any driver would of done that

3) there was a neglible risk to his life.

That's not to take away from a brilliant story, and I hope he gets recognised by his company and management.

Not sure it is negligible, given the mental state of the person and the live third rail.

 

[TDK]

Not sure it is negligible, given the mental state of the person and the live third rail.

Train drivers are well trained on the dangers of a live conductor rail so therefore the risk of electrocution of the driver was minimal

 

[Murph]

Not sure it is negligible, given the mental state of the person and the live third rail.

I agree. A fully trained driver should be able to wander around the 3rd rail quite safely, especially with his train protecting one of the lines, but staying safe while dealing with a "distressed" and presumably unpredictable individual could be much higher risk. Kudos to the driver for showing compassion and bravery to directly aid (and probably save) the person.

 

[Antman]

Well done to the driver, he deserves some sort of recognition.

 

[fowler9]

Nice one to the driver.

 

[dakta]

Train drivers are well trained on the dangers of a live conductor rail so therefore the risk of electrocution of the driver was minimal

If you're a pro swimmer and see someone drowning, just dive right in!

Plus said driver was hardly 'out on their own'. You can manage your own safety, that's great. But you ain't alone.

Whether any driver would have done this or not, does not dent in any way the positive nature of the story, and the drivers got a lot to be proud of today. Well done I say.

 

[Murph]

If you're a pro swimmer and see someone drowning, just dive right in!

When I was taught open water life saving, the strong suggestion was to render an uncooperative or lost to panic casualty unconscious (as a last resort), to prevent them drowning you in their panic! Rescuing someone in a risky environment is a high risk activity if they are less than calm and cooperative.

 

[BestWestern]

Would the driver not have deployed a short circuiting bar? At the very least I presume an emergency switch off would have been requested when contacting the signaller...

Good result though, top job

 

[SS4]

Congratulations to the driver, I wonder how many passengers were annoyed that the train was late (possibly due to not knowing better)

A SELFLESS train driver has been lauded as a hero after risking his own safety to rescue a woman on the tracks.

The courageous driver was at the controls of the 9.38pm train from London Bridge to Brighton when he spotted the woman lingering in the darkness on the track in front of him.

Just as he was pulling into Burgess Hill Station, he slammed on the brakes and put out a call to stop other trains.

He then jumped from his cab and carefully negotiated the 750 volt tracks before reaching the distressed 28-year-old.

He took her back to the train, before driving her – and the rest of his passengers – to their destination, Brighton, where she was taken into the care of paramedics.

Bold is an opinion, italics is probably true (but largely unverifiable) but have no place in a news report.

 

[GodAtum]

im curious as to why he felt the need to take her to Brighton? Surely staff or paramedics cold have helped at burgess hill?

 

[TDK]

im curious as to why he felt the need to take her to Brighton? Surely staff or paramedics cold have helped at burgess hill?

That was probably where she wanted to go, if he had said you are staying here maybe she would have been more stressed? Well done to the driver and it is a good job the public didn't intervene and they left it to the professional.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

When a driver phones a signaller to request an emergency switch off, can the signaller cut the power from their panel or do they have to phone through to somewhere?

 

[tsr]

Firstly, well done to the driver involved in this incident. Hopefully they get to see this thread or a copy of the compliments here. And I also hope the lady who was found on the track is being assisted well.

Would the driver not have deployed a short circuiting bar? At the very least I presume an emergency switch off would have been requested when contacting the signaller...

Good result though, top job

I do not specifically know whether this incident resulted in an emergency switch-off (it would have been quite reasonable if it did, especially if the distressed individual was unable to board the train without walking some distance down the track to the cab steps or a platform). Short-circuiting bars are generally only used during evacuations or where an emergency switch-off cannot be immediately established (in accordance with the latest edition of Rule Book Module DC).

im curious as to why he felt the need to take her to Brighton? Surely staff or paramedics cold have helped at burgess hill?

It's usually seen as a good sign that a distressed individual - especially if they are suicidal on the railway or may want to self-harm - wishes to travel to a given destination rather than hang around in one place. There are also more staff and generally better facilities for dealing with someone in distress at Brighton.

That was probably where she wanted to go, if he had said you are staying here maybe she would have been more stressed? Well done to the driver and it is a good job the public didn't intervene and they left it to the professional.

As above, that is what I would expect!

When a driver phones a signaller to request an emergency switch off, can the signaller cut the power from their panel or do they have to phone through to somewhere?

The Electrical Control Operator (ECO) should take responsibility for the emergency switch-off, and should be contacted as needed by the signaller passing the message from the driver (in this case). (The ECO will also take charge of the conversation, if need be.)

Sometimes it can become necessary for the driver or other member of staff involved to contact the ECO directly from the incident site, and then the emergency switch-off is directly requested. For example, this can be done from several emergency telephones at stations on the Brighton Mainline.

 

[Abpj17]

Brighton was probably best for everyone - it's large enough and far away enough for BTP to meet the train (I assume it's large/terminus means there is probably a modest base there). Otherwise, train etc. would have had to wait at Burgess Hill for some to attend (arguably driving/training up from Brighton anyway)

 

[TDK]

The Electrical Control Operator (ECO) should take responsibility for the emergency switch-off, and should be contacted as needed by the signaller passing the message from the driver (in this case). (The ECO will also take charge of the conversation, if need be.)

All emergency calls from the GSM-R are also received by the relevant ECO so in effect the signaller may not need to contact the ECO for an emergency isolation
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

When a driver phones a signaller to request an emergency switch off, can the signaller cut the power from their panel or do they have to phone through to somewhere?

The signaller does not have the facility to isolate the electric current, only the ECO or the driver (or competent person) in a conductor rail area can do this. The driver can use a short circuit bar in an emergency that should earth the current tripping the breakers, once this occurs the ECO will be aware that an isolation has occurred but not the reason why unless the driver has informed either the signaller or the ECO

 

[Flamingo]

im curious as to why he felt the need to take her to Brighton? Surely staff or paramedics cold have helped at burgess hill?

It is often better to take passengers who require ambulance attendence to a certain station if their condition warrents it. Before now I have arranged for ambulance attendence for the next manned station twenty minutes away rather than an unmanned short platform in the middle of nowhere. Don't forget, the said casualty will probably be sitting in an A&E waiting room for hours, another twenty minutes on a train is neither here nor there in most cases.

Obviously, this depends on the situation and is a case by case decision.

Well done to the driver in this case, sounds like they did well!

 

[sarahj]

I know the driver quite well. Happy that he 'done well', and not surprised.