Trains '13 seconds from crashing'

[Griff]

Just read this on BBC, the actual incident was a few years ago now but the report seems to have just come out..13 seconds, crikey.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfo ... 748113.stm

[Dave]

A 'few years' meaning 16 months. Which is about the usual turn-around time for a report on an incident of such a size from the RAIB.

I will comment when I've read the full report.

[Sacro]

Surely 13 seconds depends on speed, a train entering a terminus probably comes nearer to crashing than 13 seconds.

I read the report the day it came out, quite interesting, I know the area fairly well just from playing SimSig, not sure entirely what they can do to help, perhaps TPWS+ might be of use there.

[Dave]

Or moving the signal back.

In fairness it was a highly unusual incident insofar that the driver had just not bothered to slow down. By the time he saw the signal's aspect the TPWS had already applied and he was a passenger. Bear in mind that the train passed the red signal just as 2P66 finished crossing the down line.

Not a nice situation to be in.

In fairness no danger would have been noticed by any fare-paying passenger, except for the unusual heavy braking of 1W47 on approach to the signal (although if the report is anything to go by, they also experienced a full-service brake on the approach to Slough). Can't imagine the trolley dolly would have been too pleased and that the trolley might just have got away from her.

The only danger would have been experienced by the driver of 1W47 and all other drivers in the area. As soon as the SPAD occurred the signaller informed NR who immediately put out an emergency all stop to trains in the area.

I think the worst thing about this is the FGW training - it's made clear here that because Didcot Avoiding Curve also has a corresponding line that does go through Didcot Parkway, it's not a "distinct" route and so if you know the line via Didcot, you know the line not via Didcot, which is ridiculous, since a LOT of services do that for FGW, and ALL of XC's do it.

I think the TPWS system is correct, although I'm worried by the comments that the 390's brakes don't adhere to the regulations, although I will back this being because they use that rheostatic bulls***, and the brakes are for use towards the high-end speed which lowers their performance in the lower half of the speed scale.

All-in-all a well working system is once again broken by the monkey at the controls.