Great British Railways

The new White Paper (aka the heavily delayed Williams Report) has arrived. I will blog my thoughts on it as time passes - suffice to say it is woolly and I await the legislation with interest...

There is a Plan

 In New Zealand that is: 

https://www.transport.govt.nz//assets/Uploads/Report/The-New-Zealand-Rail-Plan.pdf

one out. all out. And the reasons?

There has been a huge increase in the number of line blockages since red zone working was banned on the network. And consequential to that the rumoured job cuts which are to come to reduce the number and size of S&T/ Pway teams, plus a railway desperate to save cash (reduction on overtime/ sunday working) has seen the number of contractors on the railway noticeably increase - and these contractors are undertaking work (point heater maintenance) which NR staff undertook. 

Whilst prima facie there is no underlying reason why casual staff cannot undertake work - it is alarming that in an industry which is reliant on communication the quality of spoken English is difficult to follow on occasions - it is even more alarming that the basic tenets of the rule book https://www.rssb.co.uk/en/standards/understanding-and-applying-standards/national-operations-publications - are now becoming grey areas. For example is it really a good idea to give up a line blockage with handsignaller protection without cancelling the authority number first? 

The pressure to run a railway around line blockages in the current COVID degraded environment is getting oppressive - and where the emphasis on protection has basically shifted from those on the ground (especially the hierarchy) to those in the 'box. At some stage when dealing with or even in one case 30th line block request in a shift (remember that each separate line block can be granted up to 6 times per the 3180) a mistake is going to be made. You get tired, you get fatigued and the process can become rote. Yes, there maybe a local instruction that only 2 line blocks on one panel can be granted - however when the Pway can't gain access and start signing infrastructure out of use because of a) no access as that has been refused due to b) the ban on red zone working then the spotlight falls on the poor bloody infantry. Again. 

regulating breakfast.

I am sure there are in depth studies on the effect of diet on shift workers and why they are statistically likelier to keel over earlier. But just look at this and admire. I mean what is there not to like? 

Pre T3. Saturday Night nosh.

It's a tradition

Maritime remodelling

The 775M project to extend the Yard at Redbridge and associated signalling works has been long in gestation with a last minute plug pulling two years ago we finally have some small closure on the project. The NR Spiel for the programme can be found here: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/southampton-freight-upgrade-completed. Below are a few pictures of the project, we begin with before the alterations and as time marches on I hope to add a few of "during" and "after": 

Before hand: (Southampton/Millbrook): 

The Previous Layout at Redbridge Yard/ Maritime FLT (Note the shaded out section of the new layout)

Regulating? Here is a tool to help.

Too CCF or not too CCF. That is the question. The visual repeater is a useful tool, driven by the data feed off train describers and TRUST inputs the maps give an indication of where trains are. In turn the same data is used to drive the various apps which are in the ether such as RTT. CCF is going to be replaced, with a more complex and layered system.as despite the indepth LL3 which houses a variety of tools which can be (text messaging) but are very rarely used the licence for this system runs out in 2021. 

It is simple but there is an inability to follow a train. The regions are broken down into different map sections which require separate windows to be opened up and whilst it IS a train management tool in order to ascertain a regulating decision it is reliant on the veracity of the data inputted. Sometimes it really is better to stick your finger in the air.