This wasn't true for me on Sunday morning when it was foggy. I was trying to get from Three Bridges to Hassocks and ended up waiting 10-15 minutes longer for a train than expected. The delay was sufficient that the train due after the one I intended to catch turned up first. Whether that delay was due to the fog or something unrelated I don't know, there was only one other train delayed at that time according to the information monitor.
Talking of Fog while I was on the train today at a station in thick fog the driver stopped short of the platform which I think was due to poor visibility.
Fog is what AWS is for.
You get an audio indication of the signal ahead, whether you can see it or not.
Writing this sitting in Newport station, on time despite 140 miles of thick fog through the mostly manually-signalled Marches route from Chester.
Impressive.
Talking of Fog while I was on the train today at a station in thick fog the driver stopped short of the platform which I think was due to poor visibility.
The only sound you can be 100% certain of is the bell (or bing) for a green.
No one had mentioned fog working yet, which surprises me. Much less prevalent now, but still applies in areas of Absolute Block.
Every manual signal box with absolute block has a marker, and if the signaller can't see it, then fog working is implemented. Effectively this requires a train to be clear of his/her section before a train can be accepted into the section in rear, ie trains are kept a minimum of two block sections apart rather than just the one. This reduces capacity, and on busier lines, this means that delays will happen to a following trains whilst the first train clears the (two) sections ahead.
This is done to mitigate the consequences of a SPAD, albeit TPWS does this very well now.
Exactly the same principle for poor visibility in falling snow, except it's then called snow working.
Kept to linespeed, although I didchicken outact professionally and put the brakes on early for a couple of stations, and only 2 minutes late at my destination which I was happy with. Route knowledge is invaluable during poor visibility.
Corrected that for you.
Last night was my first turn of duty since passing out as a driver, and also my first time driving in thick fog. Was a little nervous not having a mentor next to me, but like others have said I signed that I'm competent to drive the route. Kept to linespeed, although I did put the brakes on extra early for a couple of stations and only 2 minutes late at my destination which I was happy with. Route knowledge is invaluable during poor visibility.
I had a passenger ask me on Sunday why don't you slow down in the fog? I just said I didn't need to as I know where I am. They said they thought I should have in case a car was on the track. I just shrugged and carried on with my changing ends procedure, but it did make me think a little of driving in fog and obstructions on the line. The visibility on Sunday night on my patch was no more then 50m.
Main affect is on passengers - no view
I had a passenger ask me on Sunday why don't you slow down in the fog? I just said I didn't need to as I know where I am. They said they thought I should have in case a car was on the track. I just shrugged and carried on with my changing ends procedure, but it did make me think a little of driving in fog and obstructions on the line. The visibility on Sunday night on my patch was no more then 50m.
Yeah I had less than 20m on sunday driving my car home from work. Even in a car, route knowledge saves your bacon when visibility drops. I'd hate to be going down an unfamiliar route in adverse conditions, I suppose that makes it a very good thing that train drivers have to know their routes like the back of their hands.
Yes, but as I say above, you always drive your car at 'caution', ie you should always be able to top within the distance you can see. So you slow for bends incase someone has broken down round the blind curve etc and will therefore slow down when weather conditions affect visibility.