So forgive me if this has already been answered somewhere. But my understanding is this is just a replacement of track and infrastructure. The route hasnt changed at all. So why do drivers need training. They surely already have an understanding of the route points and signalling system. Its like a bus driver being trained again following road resurfacing. Or am I getting this wrong?
There has been change to signalling arrangements , signals have moved . one station has drastically changed with new platforms and opportunities to be wrong routed , others have had minor changes and Blackpool north has also changed massively .
Slight changes can be covered in a brief like was the case when signals between Salford crescent and Bolton got relocated or with ashton moss works . But the changes between Kirkham and Blackpool are pretty substantial .
The Bus driver analogy is rather weak IMO . A bus driver as a holder of a licence issued by the DVLA and driver of a vehicle driven by line of sight should be able to drive a bus on any highway so would not need a route briefing for changed locations or layouts of bus stops or junction layout changes . Trains are not driven on line of sight under normal operation .
People have told me that some driver's did 2 trips and were happy with that but they had to do another 3 trips regardless.
What you have to take in to account is that most depots couldn't release more that 4 or so driver's a day to route refresh without it affecting the train plan. And when you release a driver off his booked link work they are not allowed to work more than 7 hrs on that day. So if a Victoria driver goes to Preston does 2 trips and then back to Victoria. It would take the driver 3 days to complete the route refresh. A Buxton driver can only do 1 trip and then travail back to Buxton in the 7 hrs allowed taking 5 days to complete the refresh. And this is before actually getting in the cab. Can't have more than 3 road learners in a cab and if a 150/2 or 156 it would be 2 max. It woulnt be much different for Leeds driver's. It's the detail in trying to sort out 400 plus driver's when you realise the logistical nightmare and how many days it takes for just one driver.
I appreciate some drivers would be confident after 2, others would want the full five that is the nature of an operation carried out by humans .
As for drivers being released for multiple days . Yes the more remote depots would need multiple days but they would also have less Blackpool work to cover so should be less of a priority . I was of the understanding that drivers released are kept to their booked hours for the day whatever they are unless their start times are altered. I also understand that it was made clear that it would be 2 in the cab at most but there was supposed to be multiple route learning trains running . And it could have been handled in one day at the likes of vic, liverpool and wigan if overtime had been offered locally . Granted some drivers would have refused the OT and insisted on keeping to booked hours but others would have complied . You are right It is a logistical nightmare , but when you bid for a train operating franchise you are saying that you are prepared and equipped to deal with tough logistical problems .
