Delay's in trains due to people on railway line

[woodmally 10]

Just walked through the train station today and there was an announcement of delays due to people on the line. How do they a) Know people are there given how fast trains run and b) why dont they just carry on with the service. The people should (if they have any sense in them) move out of the way.

[jimmy1975 10]

Just walked through the train station today and there was an announcement of delays due to people on the line. How do they a) Know people are there given how fast trains run and b) why dont they just carry on with the service. The people should (if they have any sense in them) move out of the way.

 

The driver will have seen them on the line and reported it to control.

[TheSte 10]

I would guess that they know that people are on the lines via either cctv or the public reporting it.

[kenthack 10]

If you where in a car and you saw people on road and thought they'll move so kept going and hit them you'd be done. They can't just keep going

[woodmally 10]

If you where in a car and you saw people on road and thought they'll move so kept going and hit them you'd be done. They can't just keep going

 

No you would beep at them and move very slowly towards them.

[kenthack 10]

Still delay trains though if you did that

[ShefStealth 10]

The delay in pausing the service for people on the line to be shifted off (alive) is a lot less than having a one-under (fatality) and having the line shut for up to 4 hours (max target time) in order to investigate it, pick up all the red and white bits and generally clean up then give the all clear.

[Plain Talker 11]

The delay in pausing the service for people on the line to be shifted off (alive) is a lot less than having a one-under (fatality) and having the line shut for up to 4 hours (max target time) in order to investigate it, pick up all the red and white bits and generally clean up then give the all clear.

 

God forbid, a "one-under". In the last year I've been on three trains where the train was stuck because someone had gone under another train. One, I was stuck in Kings Cross/ St Pancras, as someone had been killed on the line just outside the station, and twice on the line between Wakefield/ Barnsley and Sheffield.

[woodmally 10]

God forbid, a "one-under". In the last year I've been on three trains where the train was stuck because someone had gone under another train. One, I was stuck in Kings Cross/ St Pancras, as someone had been killed on the line just outside the station, and twice on the line between Wakefield/ Barnsley and Sheffield.

 

I know its rediculous why do people mess around near a railway line anyhow. Punishment is not tough enough.

[swordfish1 10]

No you would beep at them and move very slowly towards them.

 

Which is essentially what the trains will be doing. They'll be told roughly where the people are on the line and travel slowly through that area.

Unfortunately, this takes time.

[ShefStealth 10]

Which is essentially what the trains will be doing. They'll be told roughly where the people are on the line and travel slowly through that area.

Unfortunately, this takes time.

 

No they don't do that, the TOC's can't afford to take the risk that a suicidal person isn't lurking anywhere near the track. If there's been report that there's people on the line then they hold all signals at red in that area and radio through a hold until line clear has been confirmed. This is why passengers get irritated, because if the train is still moving even slowly then people don't get very irritated but if it's completely stopped for a length of time then passengers get antsy.

[onewheeldave 22]

I know its rediculous why do people mess around near a railway line anyhow. Punishment is not tough enough.

 

Often it's suicides. Likely to increase further now funding is being cut for mental health services.

 

It could also be euthanasias, since our society unjustly denies assistance in such for those who have rationally decided they wish to exit this world.

 

Those who have rationally researched exit options will be aware that most other forms of suicide are either unreliable (pills etc), or deeply unpleasant (e.g. drowning).

 

Going under a train is far from ideal (for moral reasons, due to the effect on the driver), but, given the restrictions imposed on peoples right to choose by our society, it is often the only reliable and (relatively) painless way out.