To be honest I was being rather general. I know TOCs like TPX have had '30 second rules' in place for some time which were included in their timetables, but again these are intercity services and you would expect passengers for long distance to be definitely on time, like a flight. But local commuting trains are different, like buses, you look at the time on the board, and expect it to not go any earlier than this. But as already stated, the true disgrams will be slightly different and will allow for extra time.

I agree with David. Commuter trsins dont stop in stations for more than 45 seconds anyway. So are they going to increase the station time to 75 secs to allow the doors to close early, or will you now only have 15 seconds to board the train? (I suppose it would reduce overcrowding.:D)

What we're really talking about is the SOP for staffed stations....because where a train is self regulating (ie; either as Driver Only Operation or with a guard) it very often only has a short dwell time at a station. Typically the DOO trains I drive will only have a realease for 20 seconds at most stations.

However at staffed stations on self regulating suburban routes there is usually an allowance of several minutes (which doesn't appear on the public timetable but can be clearly seen on the traincrew's schedule card). There are a number of reasons for why this is, but the most important is make-up time to allow for late running. The whole emphasis is to get the train away exactly at 00 seconds, and to do that the doors start to close at 15 seconds before.

Now that the slammers have gone and all trains have power doors, there is at least some justice in the world. By that I mean that the sort of people who turn up 7 seconds before the train was due to pull out (and cause it to be delayed by 30 seconds) are the very people who don't get a ride. Those people who got there on time now have the benefit of an on-time departure.

And just so as you don't think I'm biased; as well as driving a train I also commute for 3 hours a day on another TOC. Through no fault of my own I often turn up just as my going home train is closing its doors - and so I miss it. Poetic justice, some might say.

I thought you had to live within 30mins of your home depot? anyway getting back on track! (no pun intended). I have also driven DOO trains and I always left ontime unless I was late!. I heard a complaint once that a train left 3 seconds early! what planet are these people from?

if a train is to leave ontime the doors must shut before hand and with EU regs saying there has to be a bleeper for 5-7 seconds before the doors actually shut (FOR BLIND PEOPLE) which in itself take 3-5 seconds (assuming they want to shut on your last trip of the day!) logic states they will close early. people have to realise trains run to a timetable and not their personal needs.

This varies from TOC to TOC. Obviously if there are plenty of applicants, they can choose the ones who live closest. Luckily for me when I changed company they couldn't recruit any qualified drivers like myself for love nor money, so they had to accept the fact that I live 45 miles out from the depot.

It does get a little tricky though because by law drivers are required to have 12 hours off between rostered turns, and sometimes I get alot less than that.

you might be given 12hrs by law but they will always say "between rostered turns" and not from the time you get home.

Yup, that's exactly right.