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WCRC banned from running trains on the mainline from 18th Feb 2016 now rescinded

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09065

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This raises an interesting question.

If a driver (or any other member of Safety Critical staff) is medically restricted in their paid, 'mainline' job; how should their voluntary preserved railway group treat them?
 

ilkestonian

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And medically if you can't drive silver trains then you can't drive blue or green ones either.....

But its quite possible for someone to be unable to drive a particular type or types of traction because of a health issue which another operator might not use.
 
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BestWestern

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But its quite possible for someone to be unable to drive a particular type or types of traction because of a health issue which another operator might not use.

Many variables and possibilities!
 
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rebmcr

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RPTC

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Don't know about trains, but haulage companies are required by law to verify that every driver has the correct licence in place before they drive. They also have to keep records of this and can be prosecuted if they don't comply. Would be surprised if the same did not apply to the railways.
 

BestWestern

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Don't know about trains, but haulage companies are required by law to verify that every driver has the correct licence in place before they drive. They also have to keep records of this and can be prosecuted if they don't comply. Would be surprised if the same did not apply to the railways.

For new starters, and then periodically, I presume? Same as a bus company; you get a request once a year or so to bring your documents in to be photocopied.
 
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theironroad

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Exactly he or she shouldn't be working on a rest days as this is when mistakes happen...

In which case all TOCs better stop using people to work on rest days. On some TOCs at the moment the timetabled service would implode without drivers working their FD.
 

Clarence Yard

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Lets just say this isn't social media! And medically if you can't drive silver trains then you can't drive blue or green ones either.....

Not quite. If you can't drive silver trains but the blue or green train operator puts you through an approved medical and properly certifies you as fit to drive blue or green trains, then you are o.k. to do so. You still can't drive Silver trains though until they are satisfied you are fit.

This is the potentially "unsatisfactory" situation that I alluded to earlier and one that is now exercising minds within the industry. It's just like a professional footballer being not medically fit to play for their club but passed medically fit to play for their country.
 

Agent_c

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This raises an interesting question.

If a driver (or any other member of Safety Critical staff) is medically restricted in their paid, 'mainline' job; how should their voluntary preserved railway group treat them?

If they are medically restricted, then they should be reporting that to the volunteer organisation and excluding themselves.
 

ScouserGirl

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In which case all TOCs better stop using people to work on rest days. On some TOCs at the moment the timetabled service would implode without drivers working their FD.

There is a thing at the moment with gwr drivers and there rest days am not 100% what has gone on but I know the unions are involved
 

E&W Lucas

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If they are medically restricted, then they should be reporting that to the volunteer organisation and excluding themselves.

Exactly. The preserved railway I (also) drive for has a policy that if you are signed off work (whatever your job), you are not allowed to work there either.

A mainline driver should have recognised the need to communicate that he was restricted by his main employer.
 

BestWestern

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There is a thing at the moment with gwr drivers and there rest days am not 100% what has gone on but I know the unions are involved

Aslef have withdrawn their sanction for Rest Day working. This is reviewed periodically and can be withdrawn if industrial relations with TOC management are deemed unsatisfactory, as has taken place here.
 

talltim

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Restricted can mean a variety of things, from being fully signed off driving any trains, to being just signed off using the small cab of a 153 but allowed to drive anything else.
 

Lankyline

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Just to add to WCRC's issues, Network Rail have enacted a "break" clause in the lease and given them notice to quit Southall, possibly by the end of summer. WCRC is also reported to have said they will be looking at cutting back on charters using west & east coast mainlines
 

cjmillsnun

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Interesting quote, wondr which online forum they're referring to ??;)
"Information posted on an online forum was allegedly taken from a Network Rail (NR) incident log, although NR refused to confirm or deny its authenticity"

The details were originally on WNXX
 

CosherB

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Just to add to WCRC's issues, Network Rail have enacted a "break" clause in the lease and given them notice to quit Southall, possibly by the end of summer. WCRC is also reported to have said they will be looking at cutting back on charters using west & east coast mainlines

Enforced downsizing by the back door?
 

Peter Mugridge

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From looking at the photo in Rail 799 of this train, I wonder whether it might in fact have been one of the snowplough elements rather than a loose chain which contacted the third rail at Epsom?

They do look rather low slung.
 

CosherB

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Does anyone know the progress of the two prosecutions in Swindon? It's gone very quiet of late....
 

daikilo

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If the words in quotes are exact citations, this case will be interesting on points of law. From what we are told by RAIB, the train entered the junction not only after the passage of the HST but also after the route had been reset. Under no way could any other train have been put in danger after the event. Indeed, the reference to high-speed trains is useless as any SPAD is inherently dangerous for any speed of train, and the protections are adapted accordingly.

That said, the WCRC defense could be shown to be optimistic with their claim of an isolated case in 25 years of operation. Any other TOC achieved that?
 
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