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Lancaster Gate emergency

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carriageline

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Does anyone know what's happening at Lancaster Gate?

Just drove past and saw 2-3 BTP cara, the BTP emergency respone fire truck thing, 3-4 met police cars a fire engine and some ambulances outside of it, with red fire tape over the entrance
 
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According to the tfl website: service suspended Holborn-White City due to a person under a train at Lancaster Gate.
 

Daniel

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Yeah Lancaster Gate was closed until 15:35 following a PUT at 13:33.
 

John Webb

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Does anyone know what's happening at Lancaster Gate?.........the BTP emergency respone fire truck thing...........
The 'Emergency Response Unit' is one of the ones set up by London Underground some time ago. But these vehicles have recently been 'rebranded' with BTP markings and are now driven by a specially-trained BTP officer. This qualifies them as full 'blue-light' vehicles with the authority to exceed the speed limit etc., so that they can get to an incident as fast as possible; particularly important for 'one unders'. (Information from an item in 'Rail' early this month.)
 

rmt-driver

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The 'Emergency Response Unit' is one of the ones set up by London Underground some time ago. But these vehicles have recently been 'rebranded' with BTP markings and are now driven by a specially-trained BTP officer. This qualifies them as full 'blue-light' vehicles with the authority to exceed the speed limit etc., so that they can get to an incident as fast as possible; particularly important for 'one unders'. (Information from an item in 'Rail' early this month.)

Why is it so important for fatalities?..and why not just train the LU van drivers on blue lights, rather than paying full time PCs to sit around waiting for a passenger to get hit by a train... What a cushy number!!!
 

DavyCrocket

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And is it really beat use of resources?
Running on blue lights and being able to pass through red lights, drive on the wrong side of the road etc poses risk, though of course the drivers are trained - the risk is still there.
 

tsr

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The 'Emergency Response Unit' is one of the ones set up by London Underground some time ago. But these vehicles have recently been 'rebranded' with BTP markings and are now driven by a specially-trained BTP officer. This qualifies them as full 'blue-light' vehicles with the authority to exceed the speed limit etc., so that they can get to an incident as fast as possible; particularly important for 'one unders'. (Information from an item in 'Rail' early this month.)

Why is it so important for fatalities?..and why not just train the LU van drivers on blue lights, rather than paying full time PCs to sit around waiting for a passenger to get hit by a train... What a cushy number!!!

There are stringent regulations on the use of flashing blue lights on road vehicles. These vehicles probably have to qualify either as police or rescue vehicles to use such lighting. Having them driven by police officers and made out as a BTP vehicles is possibly the best way of complying with legislation.

Also, these vehicles attend other emergencies needing swift attention - passengers ill in deep-level stations, power failures, objects on the track, stranded trains, etc.
 

Clip

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Just to add that the ERU are also taking over duties on the DLR too - including the task of re-railing any vehicle that has come off.
 

DavyCrocket

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Just to add that the ERU are also taking over duties on the DLR too - including the task of re-railing any vehicle that has come off.

All TfL modes including Tramlink. Not too sure about their involvement on Overground.
There will be another depot opening too.


The most common role that ERU perform though is delivery of parts/equipment
 
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I was told that the ERU can, attended to emergencies on the mainline, the Ladbroke Grove distaster being one of them. Really they should have been given blue light status and had trained drivers YEARS ago but this is yet more evidence of TfL/mayor/gov pulling out all the stops just because the olympics is here...
 

ralphchadkirk

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Im undecided on the ERU blue light issue. At the moment I'm siding towards them not being given blue lights simply because the only things they do that LFB cannot is not usually life threatening. I can't see them being able to justify killing someone's grandmother (accidents on blue lights happen all the time) to prevent tube delays. However, they are similar in that they are a specialist service broadly similar to mountain and cave rescue.

More to the point, where do we draw the line with giving blue lights to private companies? Should gas and electric engineers get them? They are sometimes needed quickly.

Rather then spending vast sums using BTP drivers and or training their own, they could just strategically place a few ERU units to minimise response times - the same as every 999 service does.
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Daniel

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A few years ago several (3 IIRC) ERU depots were closed around London - Tottenham being one for example. I suppose therefore having a smaller coverage area they take longer to get to places.

With regards to the ERU not being able to do much that the LFB can't do with regards to life-threatening incidents, with no disrespect to the fire service, I do recall an incident at Victoria District where the LFB had spent the better part of an hour cutting through the metal undersides of a D stock to remove a person trapped under the negative shoe gear. The ERU arrived, unscrewed one bolt and slid the shoe out. Again, no disrespect to the fire service, it's just a matter of training. I suppose that raises the issue of whether it would be cheaper for London, not just individual companies (LU/LFB) to train all LFB units across London on working on/around LU so the ERU wouldn't be needed for incidents such as one unders?
 
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ralphchadkirk

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I can't help but feeling it would be a better, and more economical idea to train LFB units to deal with one unders. They already have the equipment, they just need the training. And, bless them, they do enjoy cutting things like cars and trains up!
 

jopsuk

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I suppose there's the "emergency reponse unit" vehicles at most large stations, just training their crew would perhaps be possible. Still need the specialist team for re-railing etc.
 

ralphchadkirk

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I suppose there's the "emergency reponse unit" vehicles at most large stations, just training their crew would perhaps be possible. Still need the specialist team for re-railing etc.

I agree, but re-railing is not something which requires a blue-light response.
 

John Webb

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I can't help but feeling it would be a better, and more economical idea to train LFB units to deal with one unders. They already have the equipment, they just need the training. And, bless them, they do enjoy cutting things like cars and trains up!

The Fire Service doesn't have the specialised rail-related equipment (or knowledge) needed for some of the emergencies which occur on railways. There is only so much room on a fire appliance for equipment, and from my previous experience in a job working closely with the fire service I am aware that they have problems working out what equipment to carry for the far more frequent jobs they attend at road traffic accidents and the like.
It seems to me with the current economic pressures on the fire services that it is in fact economically efficient for the ERUs run by the rail services to carry such specialised equipment and people with the knowledge for the relatively small number of incidents that occur on the railways.

John Webb
 
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