Hazard Lights

[SussexMan]

In the RAIB report released today it mentions the train Hazard Lights. It then defines these in the Glossary.

Flashing lights on the leading end of a train that may be switched on by the driver to warn the driver of any approaching train that an accident has occurred.

Out of interest, are they orange or red (or some other colour). I assume they flash, but should I assume that? And why are they only on the leading end? Why not on the rear? And I realise that if you only have one track in each direction then you wouldn't need to have them on the rear but what about situations where you have more than one track going in the same direction, e.g. quadruple track?

 

[scotraildriver]

In the RAIB report released today it mentions the train Hazard Lights. It then defines these in the Glossary.



Out of interest, are they orange or red (or some other colour). I assume they flash, but should I assume that? And why are they only on the leading end? Why not on the rear? And I realise that if you only have one track in each direction then you wouldn't need to have them on the rear but what about situations where you have more than one track going in the same direction, e.g. quadruple track?

Its just the headlights you can make flash. And you could turn them on in the rear too if required..

 

[tsr]

Hazard lights are really for the purposes of attracting others' attention when they may not know there has been an accident, according to my training - though in the event of an accident the driver or another competent person should also display a red light at the front of the train, too, which will assist in stopping any other train moving towards you. But in this case I am unsure if all trains were definitively at a stand in the area or not at the time the hazard lights were activated (ie. from a point of view of all movements stopped and lines blocked at the site of the incident, rather than just halted temporarily due to the OHLE issues).

The hazard light button also results in the horn sounding intermittently on some stock, which I would think would be rather distracting during any technical procedure, but would act as a pretty good warning as well!

 

[Eng274]

The hazard lights on many trains is just the rapid flashing of the head/marker/tail lights as far as I know. On some fleets they are triggered by the emergency brake as well.

 

[CyrusWuff]

It's mentioned in Rule Book Module TW1 "Preparation and movement of trains", specifically Section 38 "Train in distress":

If you cannot control the speed of your train or you need to alert anyone about some other emergency, you must:

• sound the 'train in distress' warning (a continuous series of long blasts on the high/loud tone of the horn)
• switch on the hazard warning indication if provided
• display a red light.

 

[sbt]

I note that the driver was walking in the four foot, rather than where he would have preferred, the cess, because of rail stacked in the cess. If he had been there he wouldn't have contacted the wire. I know its only marginally safer in the cess under these circumstances as its still possible a wire could have ended up there but it strikes me that it IS safer than directly under the main part of the wiring. The RAIB did not take note of this in their findings, probably/possibly because there were much more important issues to deal with, but is this an illustrative case with regard to the concern some people have had for some time about scrap rail etc. blocking the cess as a place of safety?

 

[ComUtoR]

The RAIB did not take note of this in their findings,

They just report facts.

but is this an illustrative case with regard to the concern some people have had for some time about scrap rail etc. blocking the cess as a place of safety?

It should be reported. Reported a few myself. Blast bags in front of Ground position light is my favorite one :/ The cess is a mess tbh.