Disruption out of Paddington (PUT at Hayes & Harlington)

[AndyPJG]

It's one of those days today - a person has just been hit at Hayes and Harlington - all services out of Paddington are suspended.

believed to be a p/way worker 'clipped' by a train

 

[High Dyke]

believed to be a p/way worker 'clipped' by a train

Info from NR:

0907 Oxford - Paddington has struck a person in HV clothing in the Airport Jcn area.

 

[ushawk]

Mod Note - Split from this thread.

It's one of those days today - a person has just been hit at Hayes and Harlington - all services out of Paddington are suspended.

 

[mr_moo]

Internal sources have confirmed he was a lookout.

He's in hospital and is recovering. He's damaged his shoulder and broken his arm. Otherwise ok.

 

[Monty]

Internal sources have confirmed he was a lookout.

He's in hospital and is recovering. He's damaged his shoulder and broken his arm. Otherwise ok.

In all a lucky escape considering, I wish the man a speedy recovery!

 

[mac]

Internal sources have confirmed he was a lookout.

He's in hospital and is recovering. He's damaged his shoulder and broken his arm. Otherwise ok.

Hit by a train and only broken his arm, with luck like that I hope he's got the lottery on for tonight.

 

[mr_moo]

A very lucky man indeed! He was clipped by a train on the Up Relief.
I would thus assume that the train was slowing to stop at Hayes and Harlington station, so may not have been going too fast.

 

[Kt]

Turns out he was a Contractor not NR staff. Glad he survived!

 

[jopsuk]

This will have been pretty damn scary for the driver, I'd have thought. I hope they're OK.

 

[Bald Rick]

I saw the stats last week of how many of our colleagues working lineside get struck by trains and it is astonishingly and embarrassingly high. Even more astonishing is the number who survive (like this lucky chap) - indeed you are more likely to survive than not. Presumably this is because many are people who *think* they are in a place of safety, but have left a part of their person marginally in the way, and get 'nicked' by a part of the train.

 

[Zoidberg]

Turns out he was a Contractor not NR staff. Glad he survived!

I saw the stats last week of how many of our colleagues working lineside get struck by trains and it is astonishingly and embarrassingly high. Even more astonishing is the number who survive (like this lucky chap) - indeed you are more likely to survive than not. Presumably this is because many are people who *think* they are in a place of safety, but have left a part of their person marginally in the way, and get 'nicked' by a part of the train.

I'm pleased that the person was so lightly injured.

But is it relevant that they are a contractor? Perhaps someone not so instilled with the need for care to be taken than "staff"? But I imagine that new staff need the safety ethos instilled in them and that the same process is used for contractors.

 

[Bald Rick]

I'm pleased that the person was so lightly injured.

But is it relevant that they are a contractor? Perhaps someone not so instilled with the need for care to be taken than "staff"? But I imagine that new staff need the safety ethos instilled in them and that the same process is used for contractors.

As far as NR concerned, it is irrelevant if they are contractors or not. They are people working on the railway, and we have a duty of care to look after them.

 

[Zoidberg]

As far as NR concerned, it is irrelevant if they are contractors or not. They are people working on the railway, and we have a duty of care to look after them.

Thanks, as it should be - I just wondered if a distinction was being made.

 

[455driver]

Internal sources have confirmed he was a lookout.

Obviously not a very good one!

He's in hospital and is recovering. He's damaged his shoulder and broken his arm. Otherwise ok.

Very lucky man indeed, the fact he is a contractor shouldnt make any difference but anyone working on the tracks will tell you that it can make a huge difference.
I know a chap who is a COSS and when briefing a group of contractors before carrying out a track inspection (with the line open for traffic) he realised the only words of English 3 of them could speak was "I understand", needless to say they were escorted off site rather quickly.

 

[RPM]

I must say, I fear taking out a P Way bloke rather more than a suicide. Glad he made it out alive anyway.

 

[A1]

I was held up due to this. a Heathrow Connect livery train was parked very close and judging by the huge number of police cars (plus 2 ambulances), the blue tent at the side of the track etc, I assumed (incorrectly) that someone had jumped from the overpass above.

Sad news either way.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

A very lucky man indeed! He was clipped by a train on the Up Relief.
I would thus assume that the train was slowing to stop at Hayes and Harlington station, so may not have been going too fast.

AFAIK, the incident occurred quite a bit out of Hayes and Harlington - the train may have been leaving West Drayton, and I believe the incident occurred very close to the overpass of Stokey Rd.

But as I previously said, I did see the commotion, but didn't take full note of the exact location.

 

[Kt]

I'm pleased that the person was so lightly injured.

But is it relevant that they are a contractor? Perhaps someone not so instilled with the need for care to be taken than "staff"? But I imagine that new staff need the safety ethos instilled in them and that the same process is used for contractors.

The point was he was not P/way as previously mentioned...

No offence but people on here sometimes seriously read far too much between the lines :roll:

 

[Zoidberg]

The point was he was not P/way as previously mentioned...

No offence but people on here sometimes seriously read far too much between the lines :roll:

I wouldn't dream of doing that unless a possession was in force.

And Noah Fence, but the post to which I referred did appear to be making a distinction between staff and contractors in terms of the likelihood of the incident occurring. Sorry for misinterpreting it.

 

[mr_moo]

Obviously not a very good one!

Um, I don't know what you mean. My source is very reliable. He was indeed a contractor. I didn't think it was relevant or even my place to state which company he worked for. Many safety staff, lookouts, COSS etc come from contractors.

EDIT: Oh, sorry. Just realised what you meant!
I'd say that doesn't necessarily hold true. I don't know how old or how experienced he was, but you do sometimes find it's the very experiences people who suffered these incidents. Complacency and familiarity can be just as lethal as inexperience. Then again, he may have been unduly tired or perhaps simple made a genuine mistake. No idea.

Very lucky man indeed, the fact he is a contractor shouldnt make any difference but anyone working on the tracks will tell you that it can make a huge difference.

As a current PTS holder and former COSS and lookout, all I can say is it varies. I've known abysmal Network Rail safety staff and superb contract safety staff and vice versa. Generally, contractors are under more pressure to agree to do stuff, and occasionally will work for too long etc as they are scared to ask for a break etc.
This mostly comes down to the COSS to manage the site and also the client to understand that lookouts etc are still people and that looking at the same stretch of railway waiting to see a train for extended periods of time can be quite difficult and can result in fatigue and errors. I've been involved in a near miss where a lookout thought we had finished and started walking back. Bloody frightening!

 

[455driver]

There are good and bad contractors as well as NR staff , although there does seem to be a higher percentage of poor contract staff.

I am not saying he is a bad one just that the thought of the "lookout" getting hit by a train does strike me as rather scary.

My pet hate is track workers not aknowledging us drivers when we sound the horn, FFS just put an arm up for a few seconds it isnt much to ask!

I do understand about "looking at the same stretch of track" plus of course it isnt always easy to see what track a train is on etc.

 

[DarloRich]

There are good and bad contractors as well as NR staff , although there does seem to be a higher percentage of poor contract staff.

I am not saying he is a bad one just that the thought of the "lookout" getting hit by a train does strike me as rather scary.

My pet hate is track workers not aknowledging us drivers when we sound the horn, FFS just put an arm up for a few seconds it isnt much to ask!

I do understand about "looking at the same stretch of track" plus of course it isnt always easy to see what track a train is on etc.

The look out has a high risk of being involved in an incident, as strange as it seems! There is a proper scientific definition but it is to do with fatigue, boredom, separation from the team, working alone, complacency creeping in and looking but not seeing.

In any event we as an industry still injure FAR to many railway workers every year, and we need to get our house in order sharpish

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I am not saying he is a bad one just that the thought of the "lookout" getting hit by a train does strike me as rather scary.

My pet hate is track workers not aknowledging us drivers when we sound the horn, FFS just put an arm up for a few seconds it isnt much to ask!

I do understand about "looking at the same stretch of track" plus of course it isnt always easy to see what track a train is on etc.

I'm not a driver, and indeed never will be for various health reasons, but the recent incidents at Riddlesdown & Athelney, and the female EC driver on the BBC documentary made me think about how horrific it must be to be a train driver if someone jumps or falls infront of your train. On that basis I imagine a physical acknowledgement from track workers would take a lot of stress away.

 

[RPM]

My pet hate is track workers not aknowledging us drivers when we sound the horn, FFS just put an arm up for a few seconds it isnt much to ask!

You want to try driving over the LUL section of the Met. They generally don't acknowledge your horn until you actually pass them.

 

[mr_moo]

My pet hate is track workers not aknowledging us drivers when we sound the horn, FFS just put an arm up for a few seconds it isnt much to ask!

I always acknowledge you!

I do sometimes pull my team members up on that though. I always did wonder how much it bothered train drivers if people didn't, as long as we were clearly getting out of the way.

 

[455driver]

I always acknowledge you!

Good to hear.

I always did wonder how much it bothered train drivers if people didn't, as long as we were clearly getting out of the way.

To be honest , lots, although the Pway have stepped clear, have they moved clear for the train or have they moved back to look at something before going back on the track, I always keep an eye on them until they are out of my sight.
Without the acknowledgement there is always that element of doubt in my mind.

 

[Singing Rails]

I was at Ealing Broadway during this disruption, announcements said that a person was hit near Hayes and Harlington, but also that a train was broken down at Ealing Broadway.

Does anyone know if this train was the one that was involved in the incident? It was a Heathrow connect train, on platform 3, which was towed away by another H-connect the wrong way up the line towards paddington.

Meanwhile this happened platform 1 was opened, but I don't think anything stopped there, with platform 3 being cleared within 20 mins or less I believe.

 

[mr_moo]

To be honest , lots, although the Pway have stepped clear, have they moved clear for the train or have they moved back to look at something before going back on the track, I always keep an eye on them until they are out of my sight.
Without the acknowledgement there is always that element of doubt in my mind.

Interesting. That's a good point! I shall mention this to my colleagues next time I'm on track and someone fails to acknowledge. Given I work on the Paddington-Reading line, and, assuming your name still holds true and you still drive 455s, I doubt I'll be waving at you any time soon, but you'll have helped a few drivers somewhere!

 

[455driver]

Cheers, if you end up waving to me one of us is up to his neck in it, if its me I wont be going very fast anyway!

 

[mr_moo]

Indeed!

 

[High Dyke]

I was at Ealing Broadway during this disruption, announcements said that a person was hit near Hayes and Harlington, but also that a train was broken down at Ealing Broadway.

Does anyone know if this train was the one that was involved in the incident? It was a Heathrow connect train, on platform 3, which was towed away by another H-connect the wrong way up the line towards paddington.

Meanwhile this happened platform 1 was opened, but I don't think anything stopped there, with platform 3 being cleared within 20 mins or less I believe.

It was a FGW service involved in the incident at Airport Jn - 2P38 09:07 Oxford - Paddington; though the 09:33 Paddington - Heathrow did indeed get cancelled at Ealing Broadway due to a pantograph fault on that unit.