Approach Speeds and Speed limits at Stations and Platforms

[43096]

Buffer stops are approached and stopped at visually. They can can be surprisingly hard to see in poor light, and in certain locations, so it’s not uncommon for them to be highlighted by other methods.

Shouldn’t they have red lights on them?

 

[ComUtoR]

Shouldn’t they have red lights on them?

Some have white, some have none.

 

[43096]

Some have white, some have none.

The white ones are where there may be a read across from running lines, isn't it? I'm surprised there would be none on somewhere like Kirkby, but it is the railway, so logic doesn't always follow.

 

[GB]

I thought all passenger buffer stops had to have some kind of light and failure of that light necessitated a caution?

 

[507 001]

It varies massively, But the general rule for bay platforms is 15 mph. Some are lower, I’ve never seen any higher.

Ive done 47 at the start of rainford platform in the up direction and stopped comfortably at the end in a 319.

You’ve done well to get a 319 to Rainford at 47mph

 

[jamesst]

The white ones are where there may be a read across from running lines, isn't it? I'm surprised there would be none on somewhere like Kirkby, but it is the railway, so logic doesn't always follow.

Kirkby has (had) red lights

 

[dk1]

15 into bays for us too, 8mph over the TPWS grids. Although I’m aware they’re not set for 8mph, you just don’t risk it.

As for through stations with bays, Crewe is 60mph on P6 and 80mph on the up/down fast.

9s fine, 8s great but 7s heaven. God these things we are brainwashed with do my head in.

 

[sw1ller]

9s fine, 8s great but 7s heaven. God these things we are brainwashed with do my head in.

I’ve not heard this one before. I’m going to try and forget it before it sticks! Haha

 

[Efini92]

You’ve done well to get a 319 to Rainford at 47mph

It autocorrected rainhill ha ha. I am willing to attempt it for charity.

 

[dk1]

I’ve not heard this one before. I’m going to try and forget it before it sticks! Haha

Oh mate I would. It’s enough to put you off & speed. Sorry lol

 

[507 001]

It autocorrected rainhill ha ha. I am willing to attempt it for charity.

To be fair I assumed that’s what you meant.

 

[Joliver]

The TOC I work for, it's 30mph at the ramp or 20mph if the signal at the end is at danger.
15mph at the ramp into bay/terminus platforms

 

[Goofle]

May I ask if anyone knows / knew the limits through Doncaster? I only ask as a spotter still remembering the noise and event of watching HSTs and class 91s going through and always wondering the ‘how fast?’ Question!

thanks!!

 

[Watershed]

May I ask if anyone knows / knew the limits through Doncaster? I only ask as a spotter still remembering the noise and event of watching HSTs and class 91s going through and always wondering the ‘how fast?’ Question!

thanks!!

• 100mph for the Fasts (through lines)
• 70mph for platforms 3 and 4, albeit there are lower limits than that for the crossovers etc. at the north end of the station, so you'll never have trains doing 70 through the platforms
• 25mph for platforms 1 and 8
• 15mph for all bays

 

[Goofle]

Thanks Watershed!

 

[Stigy]

For through platforms, it depends on lot of different factors such as gradient, length of platform, length of train.

There are some platforms out there that a driver can hit at 40mph and comfortably stop. There are others that drivers dare go over 20mph at the ramp.

Agreed. Vastly down to route and traction knowledge too. Most stations I stop at as a rule I’m doing about 20-25 at the ramp, but some with longer platforms I’ll do 35mph at the ramp. The type of trains you drive helps determine this I find, and of the (only) two types of traction I sign, I know braking on one is a lot different to the other, and often step one on one of them is pretty non existent (arguably how step one should be?).

9s fine, 8s great but 7s heaven. God these things we are brainwashed with do my head in.

Not to be mistaken for “eleven’s heaven”

15 into bays for us too, 8mph over the TPWS grids. Although I’m aware they’re not set for 8mph, you just don’t risk it.

As for through stations with bays, Crewe is 60mph on P6 and 80mph on the up/down fast.

I don’t do more than 10mph at the ramp at one of our main stations now as the pure presence of redundant grids toward the end of the platform before you get to the actual grids (on some platforms) just scare me

I see it as failsafe

 

[VP185]

All depends on the location and the length of the platform.
The longest through platform station on our route I hit the ramp around 50 to 55mph.
At a terminal station, the highest speed is about 30-35mph.

 

[vidal]

60 then slam the breaks on and over run except for the last carriage. That's how I play train sim when I take my eye off the screen for about 30 seconds.

James

 

[43066]

All depends on the location and the length of the platform.
The longest through platform station on our route I hit the ramp around 50 to 55mph.
At a terminal station, the highest speed is about 30-35mph.

55mph into a platform in passenger service takes bigger cojones than I have!

 

[PudseyBearHST]

55mph into a platform in passenger service takes bigger cojones than I have!

Obviously depends on traction and platform length but lets say it’s 300 yards, 55mph is definitely aggressive. Like you said 30-35mph is about right. 40-45mph is on the aggressive side but still comfortable, any higher than 45mph is pushing it. But a few drivers particularly the old ex-BR ones like to test the limit especially on the traction in your picture

 

[PJSADI]

Same as others have said, 30 at the ramp, 20 if a red at the end of the platform and 15 into terminal/bay platforms....that’s until you drive/sit in the seat of a 345 in ATO, and it hits the bay platform 4 at Abbeywood at around 40mph!!!

 

[PG]

Same as others have said, 30 at the ramp, 20 if a red at the end of the platform and 15 into terminal/bay platforms....that’s until you drive/sit in the seat of a 345 in ATO, and it hits the bay platform 4 at Abbeywood at around 40mph!!!

I'm not a driver but that makes me wonder if SWR drivers will be experiencing similar in the not too distant future?!!

 

[hexagon789]

Same as others have said, 30 at the ramp, 20 if a red at the end of the platform and 15 into terminal/bay platforms....that’s until you drive/sit in the seat of a 345 in ATO, and it hits the bay platform 4 at Abbeywood at around 40mph!!!

What happens if there's low adhesion?

 

[sw1ller]

What happens if there's low adhesion?

Kirkby

 

[hexagon789]

Kirkby

Surely the ATO makes some allowances?

 

[PG]

Surely the ATO makes some allowances?

Presumably the driver has already decided that they are operating in low adhesion conditions and is driving manually?

 

[hexagon789]

Presumably the driver has already decided that they are operating in low adhesion conditions and is driving manually?

For some reason that solution passed me by, so the driver takes over and manually brakes lighter and earlier?

Somehow I assumed there had to be some way of making the ATO adopt a lower maximum braking rate instead.

 

[peteb]

The Stourbridge Town branch has a 20mph limit throughout yet that did not stop a bubble car dmu crashing through the buffers (I think) more than once.



Very inconvenient, I had to walk home....

 

[PJSADI]

For some reason that solution passed me by, so the driver takes over and manually brakes lighter and earlier?

Somehow I assumed there had to be some way of making the ATO adopt a lower maximum braking rate instead.

Surprisingly, no drivers won’t drop down to Manual mode, it will stay in ATO, and the computer on board will adapt the braking as required based upon known factors. Drivers should always be driving in the highest mode available at all times.

I will admit that 40mph at the ramp with buffers in front takes some getting used too!!

 

[EvoIV]

Until the first unit slides on ice or oil straight through the buffers. There's a reason professional driving is done the way it is. Yes an amount of it is arse covering and box ticking but a fair bit of it is about giving yourself an "out" if the situation stops developing as you expect. Hitting the ramp at 40 surely leaves Mr Chips very little places to go if it's unusually slippery in the platform for some reason.