Manchester ROC Up and Running

[LNW-GW Joint]

Manchester ROC (Rail Operating Centre) at Ashburys (on the Guide Bridge route out of Manchester) has been formally opened by Network Rail.
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...tre-officially-opened-in-Manchester-20f7.aspx

The line between Huyton and Roby, near Liverpool, is the first section of railway being controlled from the Manchester ROC following the recent resignalling and upgrade work carried out earlier this month. The next sections of railway to be controlled from the ROC will be parts of central and north Manchester in 2015

I presume this means that the next area to transfer is between Miles Platting and Stalybridge, which currently still has semaphore signalling at Baguley Fold Jn and Ashton Moss North Jn.
At some point Stalybridge itself (resignalled last year) will transfer, and no doubt the new Ordsall Chord when it is built.
On another thread it was reported that St Helens would also be transferred next year.

I wonder when a significant length of route will be controlled from the ROC, as opposed to individual separate pockets?
Only then can NR start using their much-vaunted TMS (Traffic Management System) in earnest.
The Ordsall Lane/Victoria/Salford Crescent triangle should give it something to chew over.

 

[The Planner]

St Helens will be next. Miles Platting will be a couple of years yet.

 

[Manchester77]

Article on BBC north west tonight about the closure of signal boxes with an interview with the guy who mans Stockport number two box

 

[AntoniC]

There has been an article on the local BBC new programme about this.

It showed a bloke in a nice comfy office with everything on monitors and then showed the antiquated (but still working equipment) in Stockport No2 box.

 

[Geeves]

Yes we did hear at Victoria that the movement of Manchester North SCC has been moved forwards, sounds like it matches up with the text in the NR piece anyway?

 

[Darren R]

I saw the piece on North West Tonight earlier. With that huge building (isn't it to be 48 workstations eventually?) and just one signaller at his workstation, I was rather reminded of Kim Jong Il ("I'm so wonewy...") I bet it's a hoot in the messroom at the moment!

How long will it be before he has a few more people to keep him company?

 

[carriageline]

How long will it be before he has a few more people to keep him company?

Hopefully a long bloody time!

Oh and TM at Manchester won't be happening soon, it hasn't been decided who's system is going in there, I presume that will happen after Cardiff and Romford



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[LowLevel]

I saw the piece on North West Tonight earlier. With that huge building (isn't it to be 48 workstations eventually?) and just one signaller at his workstation, I was rather reminded of Kim Jong Il ("I'm so wonewy...") I bet it's a hoot in the messroom at the moment!

How long will it be before he has a few more people to keep him company?

EMROC in Derby is much the same - a half empty office as an operating floor. You could play football in there.

 

[Darren R]

Hopefully a long bloody time!

What have you got against the poor Huyton signaller! Has he done something to incur your displeasure?

 

[carriageline]

What have you got against the poor Huyton signaller! Has he done something to incur your displeasure?

Oh no, I would just rather signallers were not going into the places at all! But ho hum


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[LNW-GW Joint]

Oh no, I would just rather signallers were not going into the places at all! But ho hum

800 signallers for Union Pacific's 36,000-mile network are all in one building in Omaha, Nebraska.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_Harriman_Dispatch_Center

 

[carriageline]

800 signallers for Union Pacific's 36,000-mile network are all in one building in Omaha, Nebraska.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_Harriman_Dispatch_Center

Don't get me wrong, i understand ROCs, and support them, and hope to end up in one. I don't like the fact people will lose jobs etc, but that's progress. The longer the delayed resignalling schemes remain delayed the better it is for me, and my colleagues.

Infact I'm looking forward to ROCs and TM, it's going to be difficult getting into one but ho hum


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[Tomnick]

Ugh, "dispatcher" - it's even worse than "signaller"...! That really does look like a horrible place to work too.

 

[table38]

Article on BBC north west tonight about the closure of signal boxes with an interview with the guy who mans Stockport number two box

It's still on iPlayer here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b049dvrl/north-west-tonight-21072014

Fast forward to about 14:40

At the end, Stuart Flinders says "what are they going to do with all the old ones". If it's anything like Stalybridge, I suppose the answer is "knock them down before someone sets fire to them"

 

[Darren R]

I know that the length of route controlled by one workstation varies enormously depending on layout complexity and traffic intensity, but Huyton to Roby seems a very short section. Is it actually longer than I'm remembering, or is the workstation only a temporary arrangement which is to be enlarged in furture?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I know that the length of route controlled by one workstation varies enormously depending on layout complexity and traffic intensity, but Huyton to Roby seems a very short section. Is it actually longer than I'm remembering, or is the workstation only a temporary arrangement which is to be enlarged in furture?

Edge Hill to St Helens Jn I think, plus some of the Wigan line to beyond Prescot, and I believe the Olive Mount Jn triangle of lines.

 

[Darren R]

Ah - that makes sense! Thank you!

 

[ac6000cw]

800 signallers for Union Pacific's 36,000-mile network are all in one building in Omaha, Nebraska.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_Harriman_Dispatch_Center

They are fine until thunderstorms/hurricanes/tornadoes etc. knock out some of the communications links

'Dispatcher' is the long-standing name for train controllers in the US - almost all the lower-level 'on the ground' jobs like interlocking tower operator, train order operator, telegraph operator are extinct now. It's all CTC, automatic block signalling or unsignalled 'dark' territory with verbal track warrants/train orders issued over the radio.

Never really could see why Railtrack thought that operating the WCML was the same as arranging crossing meets on a largely single-track system....(the 'wow' factor of seeing the UP facility obviously dazzled them).

 

[ainsworth74]

I don't like the fact people will lose jobs etc, but that's progress.

I was under the impression that there would be no redundancies and the workforce would be reduced through natural 'wastage' (people retiring, going to new job, etc)? Has this changed?

 

[carriageline]

I was under the impression that there would be no redundancies and the workforce would be reduced through natural 'wastage' (people retiring, going to new job, etc)? Has this changed?

They still spout that line, but the numbers do not add up. The no compulsory redundancy guarantee expired start of this year. Whilst some areas are holding vacancies open for boxes shutting, it simply isn't going to work when the bigger boxes start closing, for example London Bridge box has 7(?) I think panels, when it goes to TBROC, it will be 5 workstations.

Our location for example, my box and the fringe box is due to close in 2020. 10 signallers, which won't be going to a new work stations (integrated into existing areas of control at a big PSB). At the same time, said big PSBs and another are closing. There won't be room for all 40 or so for us all, and overall it's a relatively young workforce with majority not wanting the money.

I think there will be a job for the majority that wants one. But it's not like it used to be, it's not like you can just transfer from area to another easy peasy. IF people are proactive they should get a job in a ROC. If they are not, and sit whining and moaning about these ROCs, they will find the rug well and truly pulled out from underneath their feet.


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[ainsworth74]

Thanks for the 'on the ground' picture. It's not quite as clear cut as I'd been lead to believe obviously!