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Old 31st August 2019, 21:41
Beeyar Wunby's Avatar
Beeyar Wunby Beeyar Wunby is offline  
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: NW Norfolk
Posts: 830
Yo Steve.

Our freight trains are teeny-weeny compared with places like Oz or USA. And there aren't really that many movements taking place. It's a scandal that the government does little to support the private freight train companies, who have a very difficult time competing with road freight over distances of just a few hundred miles.

AFAIAA we don't have an 'end of unit monitor' on our trains. I guess we just rely on the auto brake to stop both parts of the train if it comes apart.

All safety-critical rail staff are required by the rulebook to watch every train which passes them, and ensure that it has an operating tail light on it. If not, call the signaller immediately on a Signal Post Phone. But nowadays alot of staff don't seem to do this, I don't know whether this is because they haven't been trained, or don't care.

Because much of the UK is Track Circuit Block, the signalling would eventually recognise that a train had come apart, and the stranded portion of the train would be protected by signals. (In case anyone wonders, the same applies when axle-counters are used).

The bottom line is that we haven't had many problems with runaway trains killing people - so no incentive to spend money on technology which monitors the tail end.

Last edited by Beeyar Wunby; 31st August 2019 at 21:51.
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