Route Learning/Knowledge + Driving Hours

[Shaky]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section but General seems to be apt.

Is there a limit as to how long a route would be signed by a driver? I should imagine that there is a hell of a lot of information to be recalled on each route and just wondered is there a set mileage laid down that the TOC's have to adhere to. IIRC when I used to take the Hull Executive from Hull to Doncaster when I was a kid, (30-odd years ago so sorry if my memory fails me) the Train Crew would change there and another driver would take the train further South.

Also in this world of restricted driving hours on our roads, where professional wagon drivers have their hours closely monitored, is there a limit imposed on the train driver as to how long they would be expected to be driving continuously without a reasonable break?

The reason I ask is that in my current job, we can end up driving for two hours or more to a site in a 3.5T panel van, do the work required (which could take 6 hours or more) then drive home immediately with no obligatory breaks apart from a half-hour lunch, which most of the guys don't bother with anyway.

We keep hearing rumours that the government are looking very closely at these work patterns (especially for those people driving non-HGV vehicles and therefore not restricted by a tachograph) and are thinking of implementing some form of "mini" tachograph requirement for vans under the 3.5T weight limit. Knowing this, it made me wonder if train drivers have these limits.

Thanks

 

[Crossover]

Rail staff do have maximum working hours, designated rest periods and minimum times between shifts IIRC. Can't advise further than that though myself

As for route refreshing, I'm led to believe a route has to be traversed every 3 months (hence some late night services going on some, sometimes weird, different routes to retain route knowledge) after which, the member of staff would then have to refresh the route again before being able to sign it again. Similar applies to signing traction, too

 

[pendolino]

Also in this world of restricted driving hours on our roads, where professional wagon drivers have their hours closely monitored, is there a limit imposed on the train driver as to how long they would be expected to be driving continuously without a reasonable break?

Yes, but I can't remember all the exact details, I think it's 4 hours of continuous driving (where 'continuous driving' includes stops and could include a number of different trips with less than 10 minutes turnaround time at each end), no more than 3 hours non-stop. Something like that anyway.

As for routes, I don't know of any limits - if a driver can prove competency over a route then why not drive it?

 

[Rugd1022]

As for route refreshing, the time limit is six months not three.... a memo went up in our booking on point recently reminding us that if we're coming up to the five month mark and haven't been over a particular route, we should put in for a refresher. The number of days allowed depends on the length and complexity of said route .

 

[Shaky]

Thanks for the replies guys. So if I understand this correctly, if you are capable of learning the route regardless of how long it is, you can sign it ?

 

[scotsman]

I know of one GBRf Driver who seems to sign much of the UK and a hell of a lot of traction

 

[Rugd1022]

Thanks for the replies guys. So if I understand this correctly, if you are capable of learning the route regardless of how long it is, you can sign it ?

Each route has a set number of days to learn it, but if needs be you can have extra time to satisfy yourself that you are confident with it. I usually take all the days alloted for it to be on the safe side. Once we've learnt the route we are tested on it, answering questions on paper as well as being assessed actually driving over it. A certain amount of the route learning has to be done in the hours of darkness too.

 

[Shaky]

Great replies, thanks peeps.

 

[myboysam]

The E&G route is a minimum of 25 journeys. And a journey is a complete return trip.

 

[driver9000]

Also in this world of restricted driving hours on our roads, where professional wagon drivers have their hours closely monitored, is there a limit imposed on the train driver as to how long they would be expected to be driving continuously without a reasonable break?

This varies slightly from TOC to TOC but for me its 5hrs (suburban) although we never drive to our limit, we generally work to around 4 hours. Some TOCs have different lengths of time for different classes of train ie class 1 or class 2 trains etc.