Northern Rail dispatch policy.

[Schnellzug]

To clear this up once and for all

On all Diesel traction the doors MUST be closed from the rear and we stand by the doors until the end of the set/sets has cleared the platform

The doors can be OPENED from the front but not CLOSED (in other words once opened walk to the rear of the train and close doors from there)

If a set is locked out of use the doors are worked from the rear of the Train IN USE

Class 323's doors can be worked from the middle as there are no GRAB RAILS on the unit.


There ya go

So if the point is that the guard can keep an eye on the platform until the train is clear, in case anyone gets caught in the doors, tries to grab hold of it of it or whatever, surely having to stand by a closed door (since you can't move off with a 158 until the doors are all closed, can you?) is not really a very helpful way of doing it, is it? for a start, you can hardly see anything, and if you did, there wouldn't be anything you could do, would there? Apart from pull the Emergency stop. I'd have thought looking out from the cab window, where you could give the driver an emergency signal to stop, would be more useful.

but heavens, I wouldn't want to question Management decisions.

 

[GB]

I would be very surprised if any member of staff on this forum would not answer a question asked by a poster on here who genuinely wanted to know more about how things are done. There is, however, ways and means of asking questions without seeming to be questioning the way things are done and accusing staff of wrongdoing.

For example, how would this have sounded if it had been the original post rather than the one that we see.

Hi guys. Just wondering if any of the guys who work for Northern could give me a pointer. I have heard that when dispatching a train it must now be done from the rearmost point. Is this true and if so could you give me the reasoning as to why it is done like this and the benefits it brings to operations.

The OP went straight into it suggesting wrongdoing, being reported and disciplinary action so it is no wonder that people wanted to defend. Its human nature. And of course the OP has asked previous questions that implied wrongdoing.

I am certain that if asked in the right way anyone coming to this forum would find answers to questions about how the railway works. You just have to ask the right question.

Spot on.

 

[Greenback]

I agree with XC Driver and others, which is why I mentioned a poor choice of words originally. I may be wrong, but I don't think it was the intention of the OP to come across in that manner; unfortunately it is sometimes all too easy to interpret posts in a different manenr to that which they were intended on an internet forum, particularly when dealing with sensitive issues. and posts that could have been worded differently.

 

[TDK]

I am reffuring to the new policy of northern guards shutting the doors from the back. I was on a train earlier and at 2 consecutive stations the guard opened and closed the doors from the middle of the train! I am aware there are some stations that are exeptions due to curved platforms however these were not one of them. At one of the stations the platform is completely straight. At first I had expected the guard to shut the panal and go to the back like usual. I was suprised to see them shutting from the middle as well. I wouldn't report this type of incident although I assume they would be disiplined if it was noticed. Is this a common occurence?

Sorry 150222 you questioned the actions of the drivers in your last thread and now the guards - gateline staff next is it?

 

[bluenoxid]

I agree with XC Driver and others, which is why I mentioned a poor choice of words originally. I may be wrong, but I don't think it was the intention of the OP to come across in that manner; unfortunately it is sometimes all too easy to interpret posts in a different manenr to that which they were intended on an internet forum, particularly when dealing with sensitive issues. and posts that could have been worded differently.

The problem is regardless of how you write something is that the person reading is reading it their "voice in their head" so no matter how tone neutral you try to make it, people will take different things from it. The time spent trying to pull out all the possible issues in a post could probably be spent doing something else like living a little.

At least the grammar was reasonable, I have seen a lot worse.

 

[Greenback]

So a certain person doesn,t think its safe for the guard to close the doors from any other position other than the rear of the train!
So why was 156,s have door controls at every set of doors then? so that the guard can open the doors as he works his way through the train doing tickets etc. If we had to wait every time for the guard to push his way back through the train to get to the rear to open the doors etc, how many lost minutes would there be on the journey.

He better not travel on First Capital Connect , would he want the driver to walk to the back cab to shut the doors then?

Another so called bloody expert, hope he is an expert in his own job as much as everyone else,s job, he wants to try doing the job for rate of pay, especially the late night trains .

You are right, but in this case I think the problem was exacerbated by previous threads and posts. If this had been the first thread by the OP of this nature I think that the reaction would not have been so fierce.

I hope that the OP has learnt something about how they express themselves on a forum.