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| Line Blockades 28/09/2011 at 21:32 #21396 | |
ajax103
1120 posts |
I had to request a line block of both the Up and Down Fast for the first time today to retrieve some property from the Up Fast - what happens to the paperwork when the signaller gets the all clear from the person requesting a block? Also as any such incidents require a block being given by the signaller surely the Person in Charge of the Platform should have access to blank copies of the form so a record is kept at both the signal box and the station concerned of the details taken of the block or is it only the signaller who requires blank copies of the form? Any signallers here know the answer? Log in to reply |
| Re: Line Blockades 28/09/2011 at 21:48 #21397 | |
UKTrainMan
1803 posts |
Not a signaller/signalman but it is my belief that the call would go into the log book with the details such as date & time of call, the person who called, probably also where they called from, and the reason for the call, along with any other pertinent details. The time the block was 'released' (the call back to the signaller to hand back the line - but forgot the correct terminology) may also be put into said log book. I believe that is the only paperwork. I'm surprised you had to get a block the other line too. Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for. Log in to reply |
| Re: Line Blockades 28/09/2011 at 22:29 #21398 | |
jc92
3685 posts |
surely if your in a position to need to request a block (Pway, station supervisor, despatcher) u should know/ have been trained what to do with it?
"We don't stop camborne wednesdays" Log in to reply |
| Re: Line Blockades 28/09/2011 at 22:59 #21399 | |
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mfcooper
707 posts |
This has recently been changed in the rule book; I think it was June this year. Before June, a note was made in the Occurrance Book / Train Record Book with the following information:
Now, a signaller is meant to fill in a Line Blockage form, as they would for any other temporary line block that isn't an engineers possession (T12 and T2 from the rule book rescinded in June). Apparently, the member of platform staff does not need to fill in one of these forms, mostly because they won't know the information required for parts of it (Line, Limits, *Protecting signals*). This *in theory* should also have an Authority Number, which the signaller gives the requester when the block is granted, and which needs returning to the signaller when the block is given up. (I think parts of the form are not used when a member of platform staff is the person requesting a line blockage) If platform staff were trained to request these blocks (and possibly given pre-written forms with the required info on it), then it might actually work. However, it currently is meaningless to the platform staff, and some signallers are refusing blocks during service hours because it's too busy to be doing this extra paperwork. Some *might* even be using the old system, which actually worked! What seems weird is that the form requires exact limits & the protecting signals, and platform staff do not have nor need to have this information. And signallers have always been taught not to supply this info as requesters should know. If they don't then they may give incorrect information, end up working/etc in the wrong location and be a danger to themselves and others. EDIT: Relevant section of the Rule Book is module TS1, section 13 (printed page number 57). EDIT 2: Signaller's Line Blockage Form Last edited: 28/09/2011 at 23:14 by mfcooper Log in to reply The following user said thank you: ajax103 |
| Re: Line Blockades 29/09/2011 at 13:54 #21405 | |
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ajax103
1120 posts |
Att: mfcooper What do you mean by the old system? Log in to reply |
| Re: Line Blockades 29/09/2011 at 14:56 #21406 | |
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mfcooper
707 posts |
The system before June that I explained at the beginning of my previous post.
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| Re: Line Blockades 01/10/2011 at 09:56 #21448 | |
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Ron_J
331 posts |
TS1 13.1 "Personnel asking for trains to be stopped" is subtly different from 13.2 "IWA COSS or PC blocking the line" in some of its requirements. As per TS1 13.1.3.3, the signaller doesn't actually issue an authority number to the person asking for trains to be stopped (that's supposedly why there's the tick box on the form). The person asking for trains to be stopped only has to supply details of the exact location and line(s) that they want trains to be stopped on, not specific signal numbers (13.1.2.1). It is up to the signaller to determine which signals need to be maintained at danger to best to protect the person. Incidentally, 13.1.2.2 states "If an article is to be retrieved from a platform line, you must also stop trains on any line adjacent to the platform line.". When first introduced in December 2010, the new Line Blockage regulations were not particularly well briefed out to signallers so there is still quite a bit of confusion over the practicalities of how to implement them. This can be seen from the number of questions about them which still appear daily on the Operations forum on Connect. The problem is particularly acute with 13.1 blockages, since in many signalbox areas they are requested very infrequently. I've only granted one such blockage since the rule change, compared with many hundreds of conventional 13.2 Line Blockages (the former T2/T12). As for the completed signaller's forms, in my area they are kept in a folder and taken away to be audited by the LOM whenever he visits the box. Last edited: 01/10/2011 at 11:37 by Ron_J Reason: A bit of elucidation.. Log in to reply |