Train safety

I work on the railways, and i feel totally safe at all times. I hear some shocking stories of the way Network Rail go about their business but it is all stories. The main concern for me is when fully competant staff such as Train Guards are involed in industrial action. Managers and retail staff are 'trained' to act as Train Guards to keep the service running. These Temp. Guards have as little as 6hr training, compared with 15wks for a fully competant Guard. A Guard needs to know every station, signal, tunnel, junction, speed restriction and the 100's of ticket types and different classes of trains we have to work. The ...  Read the complete review

The problem with trains, and for that matter planes or buses, is that they carry an awful lot of people. Therefore, if something goes wrong it goes wrong for potentially hundreds rather than just a handful. That is why train crashes make the news without exception whereas the numerous car crashes which have no doubt occurred today are unlikely to even make national papers. The recent train accident in Cumbria was very unfortunate, and I feel nothing but sympathy for those involved. However, I also feel great sympathy for anyone killed, injured or scared on the roads today. In a one hour trip the other day I had the 'pleasure' of umpteen stupid ...  Read the complete review

What a shambles. Potters Bar must be added to the tragic litany of avoidable disasters that have happened since the break-up of British Rail in 1996. Seven dead - seven families bereft of their loved ones; scores of people injured, some critically ill, and all of them destined to bear the physical or psychological scars of this horrific experience for the rest of their lives. Whereas the direct cause of the accident remains to be established - incompetent maintenance and slipshod safety inspection seem likely - the ultimate cause is clear, just as it was at Hatfield in October 2000: this is what happens when public services are run to satisfy private greed, ...  Read the complete review

A land where trains are safe, clean and reliable? There is no such place you may be thinking. Well yes there is: Japan. There is no reason why the same levels of safety could not be achieved in Britain. BACKGROUND The Japanese railways started springing up around 1875 and were based on British technology and rules (so we did get things right at one time). They developed slowly and steadily and have never gone through a period of decline like Britain. The Japanese railways were quasi privatised about 14 years ago. There is still government control, but it is split into 6 regional companies. Japan is mountainous, and ...  Read the complete review

Just three stations from Hatfield, we have yet another twisted wreckage in Potters Bar station from what looks like another cracked rail. The driver reported the rear wheels hitting something near the back of the four-carriage service which experts suggest ninety percent of the time is broken track. With five already dead and many critical, who are Railtrack and their vulgar lawyers going to blame this time. Stephen Byers job now is about as safe as the station bridge that has a train carriage hanging on top of it with dead bodies sprinkled around from the impact. The same expensive lawyers who ganged up on mass on the driver who ended up on the track ...  Read the complete review