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Stations with mandatory assisted dispatch

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Boski

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Any list knocking around of stations that are mandatory dispatch either set by dft or otherwise and wether they are likely to change?
 
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PupCuff

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"Assisted dispatch", for the benefit of anyone unfamiliar, refers to cases where platform staff are part of the dispatch process, whether the trains themselves are operated with a conductor or DCO, and whether the ready to start signal is given either by RA, green flag or bell/buzzer.

It gets somewhat complicated as, aside from major stations where RA dispatch is mandated, some TOCs may require assisted dispatch at a given location whilst others will be quite happy to get themselves gone. Other stations, such as many on the WCML, require use of the RA indicator for Pendolinos but not other traction.

At some locations, individual platforms may require assisted dispatch whilst you can quite happily go off your own back from others.

I wouldn’t expect there to be a list, but as a starter for ten, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria and Birmingham New Street are all assisted dispatch with RA mandatory.
 

skyhigh

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It gets somewhat complicated as, aside from major stations where RA dispatch is mandated, some TOCs may require assisted dispatch at a given location whilst others will be quite happy to get themselves gone. Other stations, such as many on the WCML, require use of the RA indicator for Pendolinos but not other traction.
Yeah it gets pretty complicated. For example LNER require a dispatcher at Shipley and Skipton, but Northern don't. You've got Sheffield where EMR have dispatchers, a few Northern services use dispatchers (as far as I'm aware) and some some don't. Then you have places like Leeds where all passenger services require dispatchers along with ECS trains during the day but overnight they self dispatch.
 

Efini92

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"Assisted dispatch", for the benefit of anyone unfamiliar, refers to cases where platform staff are part of the dispatch process, whether the trains themselves are operated with a conductor or DCO, and whether the ready to start signal is given either by RA, green flag or bell/buzzer.

It gets somewhat complicated as, aside from major stations where RA dispatch is mandated, some TOCs may require assisted dispatch at a given location whilst others will be quite happy to get themselves gone. Other stations, such as many on the WCML, require use of the RA indicator for Pendolinos but not other traction.

At some locations, individual platforms may require assisted dispatch whilst you can quite happily go off your own back from others.

I wouldn’t expect there to be a list, but as a starter for ten, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria and Birmingham New Street are all assisted dispatch with RA mandatory.
Pendos further complicate the matter by using buzzer at Preston southbound 1,2,3,5&6, northbound 1,2,4,5,&6, Wigan north western and Warrington bank quay
 

skyhigh

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Interesting, do LNER also require one at Keighley?
Can't say I'm 100% sure on that (same with Harrogate or Horsforth). I know they don't require one at Bradford Forster Square though.

For what it's worth ticket office staff act as the dispatchers.
 

Undiscovered

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Shrewsbury, all platforms apart from the bays are assisted dispatch.
Bays you can go Right Time without a dispatcher, if none available.
 

30907

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Can't say I'm 100% sure on that (same with Harrogate or Horsforth). I know they don't require one at Bradford Forster Square though.
...which has a full-length straight platform. Curvature is an issue elsewhere.
 

800001

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Can't say I'm 100% sure on that (same with Harrogate or Horsforth). I know they don't require one at Bradford Forster Square though.

For what it's worth ticket office staff act as the dispatchers.
LNER get despatched by Northern staff at Harrogate.
If for what ever reason there is no despatch staff, LNER have to use another TM to assist, otherwise the service can’t use Harrogate and will then terminate/start at Leeds.
 

SCDR_WMR

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On LNWR you have Lime St, Runcorn, Crewe, Stafford, Stoke, Wolverhampton, New st (RA), Rugby, Watford Junction (10 only), Euston (RA).

Also dispatched at Nuneaton, but self dispatch in nobody on platform.
However, only Lime St, New St and Euston are true mandatory as the others you can permission to self dispatch from control (never had it myself though).

Then there's Milton Keynes, mandatory for Avanti but self dispatch for LNWR!

On WMR only Worcester Forgate is mandatory on platform 1 due to signal placement for Snow Hill lines. New St and Wolverhampton as mentioned above. Can't remember any others on other route's
 

thesjd

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Crewe requires at least two dispatchers for all Avanti Pendolinos and Caledonian Sleeper services. One dispatcher for all the others. No self-dispatch under any circumstance.
 

PupCuff

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Crewe requires at least two dispatchers for all Avanti Pendolinos and Caledonian Sleeper services. One dispatcher for all the others. No self-dispatch under any circumstance.
CrossCountry can self dispatch from Crewe, as much as it upsets the station staff when they do.
 

DanNCL

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LNER, XC and TPE all require dispatchers at Newcastle. TPE provide their own dispatchers whilst XC use LNER’s. Northern self dispatch. Not sure what Lumo do.

At Darlington it appears to be just LNER and XC using dispatchers, with TPE using self dispatch.
 

800001

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LNER, XC and TPE all require dispatchers at Newcastle. TPE provide their own dispatchers whilst XC use LNER’s. Northern self dispatch. Not sure what Lumo do.

At Darlington it appears to be just LNER and XC using dispatchers, with TPE using self dispatch.
I believe Lumo self despatch.
 

PupCuff

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It does upset me to be fair ;)
No shortage of Crewe staff over the years arriving in Stoke or Stafford having got on an XC to do an assist without letting the guard know; but on the plus side, there's generally a brew ready in the galley for when it happens!
 

Parallel

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There is a lot of dispatch on the GWR network where the IETs operate, and it seems stations that do have dispatch staff, tend to dispatch all stock/operators i.e at Westbury, Castle Cary, Bath Spa etc. At the smaller stations, the ticket office staff usually double up as dispatch staff.
 

TEW

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So "Bat and Flag" and "CD/RA" ?
There are some stations where dispatch is by the guard and the ready to start signal is given using the bell/ buzzer and dispatch assistance from platform staff is mandatory too.
 

SCDR_WMR

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Crewe requires at least two dispatchers for all Avanti Pendolinos and Caledonian Sleeper services. One dispatcher for all the others. No self-dispatch under any circumstance.
Apologies, forgot to add Crewe to the 2nd part of my list . Have been tempted to on 3 whilst waiting for the usually late running Pendo....

There are some stations where dispatch is by the guard and the ready to start signal is given using the bell/ buzzer and dispatch assistance from platform staff is mandatory too.
If it didn't involve platform staff, its just normal dispatch.....and that's mandatory at every station unless DCO or RA
 

TEW

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If it didn't involve platform staff, its just normal dispatch.....and that's mandatory at every station unless DCO or RA
There are stations where platform staff will assist with dispatch when available, but they are not mandatory though.
 

HamworthyGoods

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I believe the following stations require mandatory dispatch for full length trains on SWR:

Basingstoke
Bournemouth
Brockenhurst
Godalming
Portsmouth & Southsea (Plat 1 & 2 Only)
Portsmouth Harbour
Southampton Central
Surbiton
Vauxhall
Waterloo
 

TEW

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I believe the following stations require mandatory dispatch for full length trains on SWR:

Basingstoke
Bournemouth
Brockenhurst
Godalming
Portsmouth & Southsea (Plat 1 & 2 Only)
Portsmouth Harbour
Southampton Central
Surbiton
Vauxhall
Waterloo
Vauxhall and Surbiton are not mandatory dispatch. Godalming is only on platform 1, and only for more than 8 coaches.
 
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