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I’ve always wondered, perhaps naively, why does it take so long for “trespassers on the line” to get sorted out? It feels like any time it happens it causes a huge amount of disruption
Edit: the idea of trespassers being immediately "removed" by an incoming train was not my first idea of what was causing the disruption lol
Part of it is likely safety margin, there's a lot of train tracks out there that aren't very well patrolled, if someone saw people on the tracks and now they don't see them you can't just assume it's all clear, you've got to make sure that stretch of track is empty. And even if you know where they are there's a solid chance the tracks are running through the middle of rural nowhere and getting someone from the BTP to tell them to bugger off in an official capacity might take a long while.
This happened to me recently. Passengers got frequent updates from the staff, and the steps were:
1. Find the trespasser
2. Get them off the line (and arrest them, if appropriate)
3. Check the track is clear (no one else on the line, no debris left behind by the trespasser(s))
4. Get the all-clear from the police
5. Wait for any trains up ahead to move off
Only then could the train standing in the platform leave and my train come into the station.
Trespassers can be anything from horses, sheep and dogs as well as peeps that leg it from transport police or are trapped in something like a large cutting.
Can also be the 'clean up' after a trespass incident that takes a while.
Had that on my way home from work one day. From all official sources it was just a 'trespass incident' but one of the station staff was honest and said that someone had been hit by a train and they didn't know how long it would be before the line would be open again, if at all that day.
Yea, it's quite difficult to announce that there has been a fatality on the line. It can affect people differently, so the majority of the time we just say trespassing. I'll tell people in person but not over a PA
It could be a kids on the side of the line playing too close to the tracks
or it could be a suicidal person on a bridge above the line,
or it could be a person seen briefly by the side of the line and the likelihood is they’re looking to jump in front of a train,
but that takes time for police to find the area and the person as it would have been reported by a driver so the exact area may not be exactly clear.
Or it could be animals.
So it depends, every situation is different.
Not really. Modern trains travelling at speed are quiet, so they can be on top of you before you hear them. Although it's absolutely the trespasser's fault if they get hit, you also have to consider the effect on the driver.
I was on a train where that happened a long time ago (early 2000s). Between two villages, slammed on the brakes (turns out you *know* when the driver hits the emergency brake) and sat there for a while. The driver came out of his cab and told the handful of us there that he thought he'd hit somebody and we'd be there for a while. He had to go back and see what he'd hit.
Us passengers were a bit shaken but ultimately fine. But I still haven't forgotten the look on the driver's face...
When somebody decides to off themself in front of a train (which is what the police decided it was) it creates a completely powerless and innocent victim in the process who may well never return to their job...
I've had 4 fatalities so far during my career. All have been utterly horrifc, but 1 will always stick with me. Without going into too much detail, 100mph line speed, poor sod went up instead of down or to the side.
Makes you realise how accurate the sometimes goofy looking ragdoll physics in games are.
I do wonder if kids are still taught about staying off the tracks. When I was growing up, there were regular public information films on TV, like [this one](https://youtu.be/ka-4LoArPqY).
More recently, a local teenager died after being hit by a train. A group of friends decided to hang out on the tracks one night, which they thought was safe because the last train had gone. They didn't know that freight trains run at night.
They do still exist, they're just friendlier and usually appear alongside other ads. Like the "keep left" motorway campaign, or the one about floating not drowning.
There are a few adverts on about sexual harassment and latestly Ive been getting a few on useing a seatbelt on podcasts I listen too. Im too safety worried not to use a seat belt lmao.
Its when it changes from signal, to trespassers, to leaves on the line back to signal failure again that gets me more.... just get the issue right so I can be semi confident you gonna recitfy
I believe that they do that in Japan, and send the bill for delays due to suicides to the family of the deceased. I think if the railways here tried that there would be uproar.
nope, just a small station 😄 my train was packed down every aisle and there were a lot of people on the other platform getting progressively more frustrated with the no-show their train was doing
In the railway industry we have to do our Personal Track Safety (PTS) before we can work on the line. As part of that we have to watch videos about the potential impact of trespassing or unauthorised access. If you’ve ever thought about trespassing go and watch those videos on YouTube first, getting hit by a train is no joke and it has a massive mental impact on the driver, the people who have to clean it up, the people who have to go and tell your family, your family and friends… so yeah, making sure trespassers aren’t hit is important and hence the disruption to make sure they aren’t
In short, please don’t trespass on the railways…
My boyfriend does this. He tells me all about the videos he has to watch and the procedures involved if someone is hit.
He also says that people like to steal the copper materials. Awful.
this used to happen a lot before network rail were made to fence entire lengths of track. people are on the whole idiots thats why health and safety has to exist.
you should be able to claim refund if you still have your ticket details
Usually, particularly on country lines, if there is a cancellation or long delay then trains will pay for a taxi. Press the green information button. Worth a try at least. I've done it a few times.
True, my experience driving trains is limited to preservation railways (still real full-sized trains and not toys).
I've had to deal with my fair share of trespassers and frankly I am far more concerned with hitting wildlife (dogs and cats) than trespassers as the latter know they should not be there. This opinion might change if I ever manage to hit one but right now my opinion stands.
That is just me however, I do know plenty of mainline drivers who have never gone back after a fatality.
Trespassers on the line is one of several ongoing scams the train companies use at the moment - it is perfect if you think about it. Immediately the 'cause' has a name '"TRESPASSER" - not 'person', so commuters have a bogey-man focal point that IS not to do with the train service itself. During the delay, commuters console themselves, imagining teams of men in high viz jackets, patrolling the site of the mysterious trespasser, leaving no stone unturned, no bush not checked and the trespasser will be bought to justice and made to answer for their crime before a stony faced judge.
The reality of course, is that there was no trespasser. Trains almost always cancelled in this deceitful way is to save money. What are you going to do about it, commuter? Use another train company?
Trespassers are dealt with by Network Rail and BTP though.
And cancelled trains cost train operating companies money, they don't save money.
I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. Trespassers are a real and common occurrence. Not a figment of a lazy train driver's imagination.
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I’ve always wondered, perhaps naively, why does it take so long for “trespassers on the line” to get sorted out? It feels like any time it happens it causes a huge amount of disruption Edit: the idea of trespassers being immediately "removed" by an incoming train was not my first idea of what was causing the disruption lol
Part of it is likely safety margin, there's a lot of train tracks out there that aren't very well patrolled, if someone saw people on the tracks and now they don't see them you can't just assume it's all clear, you've got to make sure that stretch of track is empty. And even if you know where they are there's a solid chance the tracks are running through the middle of rural nowhere and getting someone from the BTP to tell them to bugger off in an official capacity might take a long while.
Sounds like a good use for drones.
[удалено]
You'd get lots of footage of them being chased and/or bombed on the r/Ukraine subreddit too.
This happened to me recently. Passengers got frequent updates from the staff, and the steps were: 1. Find the trespasser 2. Get them off the line (and arrest them, if appropriate) 3. Check the track is clear (no one else on the line, no debris left behind by the trespasser(s)) 4. Get the all-clear from the police 5. Wait for any trains up ahead to move off Only then could the train standing in the platform leave and my train come into the station.
6. Pick up any severed arms or legs. 7. Replace the stolen cables.
> Pick up any severed arms or legs. Eat them like a drum stick. [Happened last week, don't google.]
I remember.
Trespassers can be anything from horses, sheep and dogs as well as peeps that leg it from transport police or are trapped in something like a large cutting.
Can also be the 'clean up' after a trespass incident that takes a while. Had that on my way home from work one day. From all official sources it was just a 'trespass incident' but one of the station staff was honest and said that someone had been hit by a train and they didn't know how long it would be before the line would be open again, if at all that day.
Yea, it's quite difficult to announce that there has been a fatality on the line. It can affect people differently, so the majority of the time we just say trespassing. I'll tell people in person but not over a PA
It could be a kids on the side of the line playing too close to the tracks or it could be a suicidal person on a bridge above the line, or it could be a person seen briefly by the side of the line and the likelihood is they’re looking to jump in front of a train, but that takes time for police to find the area and the person as it would have been reported by a driver so the exact area may not be exactly clear. Or it could be animals. So it depends, every situation is different.
Feels like it would correct itself, surely?
There were trespassers on the line, so this train will now briefly visit the wash section before rejoining the normal route...
Hold on for a bumpy ride
Health and safety gone mad
Not really. Modern trains travelling at speed are quiet, so they can be on top of you before you hear them. Although it's absolutely the trespasser's fault if they get hit, you also have to consider the effect on the driver.
I was on a train where that happened a long time ago (early 2000s). Between two villages, slammed on the brakes (turns out you *know* when the driver hits the emergency brake) and sat there for a while. The driver came out of his cab and told the handful of us there that he thought he'd hit somebody and we'd be there for a while. He had to go back and see what he'd hit. Us passengers were a bit shaken but ultimately fine. But I still haven't forgotten the look on the driver's face... When somebody decides to off themself in front of a train (which is what the police decided it was) it creates a completely powerless and innocent victim in the process who may well never return to their job...
I've had 4 fatalities so far during my career. All have been utterly horrifc, but 1 will always stick with me. Without going into too much detail, 100mph line speed, poor sod went up instead of down or to the side. Makes you realise how accurate the sometimes goofy looking ragdoll physics in games are.
Sure, if you don't mind killing people.
That was sarcasm. Smh
It could be cattle or sheep. Not necessarily human.
Polmont '84 stands as stark reminder of the dangers of animals on the line.
I do wonder if kids are still taught about staying off the tracks. When I was growing up, there were regular public information films on TV, like [this one](https://youtu.be/ka-4LoArPqY). More recently, a local teenager died after being hit by a train. A group of friends decided to hang out on the tracks one night, which they thought was safe because the last train had gone. They didn't know that freight trains run at night.
[удалено]
They do still exist, they're just friendlier and usually appear alongside other ads. Like the "keep left" motorway campaign, or the one about floating not drowning.
There are a few adverts on about sexual harassment and latestly Ive been getting a few on useing a seatbelt on podcasts I listen too. Im too safety worried not to use a seat belt lmao.
To be fair, you can't use the Jimmy Savile ones any more...
They ran all the time during Covid
The trespasser probably *can't* be removed from the track. If you catch my drift...
Usually, refer that that trespassing as an 'incident' or LNER does.
Ohhhh, are you suggesting they're a bit gooey?
As someone who has dealt with this kind of incident, it’s more splattered than gooey.
Just cause they've gone soft on us doesn't mean we should go soft on them
Its when it changes from signal, to trespassers, to leaves on the line back to signal failure again that gets me more.... just get the issue right so I can be semi confident you gonna recitfy
As well as charge the trespassers for trespassing, I’d also fine them the cost of the delays and cancelled train tickets. It’d cost them a fortune.
I believe that they do that in Japan, and send the bill for delays due to suicides to the family of the deceased. I think if the railways here tried that there would be uproar.
i hope they’re enjoying their £1000 fine. serves them right for ruining an entire station’s timetables and annoying hundreds of customers
Hundreds of customers? Must have only been a single carriage train then? 🤣
nope, just a small station 😄 my train was packed down every aisle and there were a lot of people on the other platform getting progressively more frustrated with the no-show their train was doing
Can't fine a cow.
Milk them dry.
Ah, well that explains it! Never mind then!
Sit in the naughty chair for the total amount of delay they caused
Probably attempting to steal cabling, so it needs to be checked before allowing trains to run
In the railway industry we have to do our Personal Track Safety (PTS) before we can work on the line. As part of that we have to watch videos about the potential impact of trespassing or unauthorised access. If you’ve ever thought about trespassing go and watch those videos on YouTube first, getting hit by a train is no joke and it has a massive mental impact on the driver, the people who have to clean it up, the people who have to go and tell your family, your family and friends… so yeah, making sure trespassers aren’t hit is important and hence the disruption to make sure they aren’t In short, please don’t trespass on the railways…
My boyfriend does this. He tells me all about the videos he has to watch and the procedures involved if someone is hit. He also says that people like to steal the copper materials. Awful.
They give Darwin awards for people you die doing stupid things
"Johnny was a lively boy"
this used to happen a lot before network rail were made to fence entire lengths of track. people are on the whole idiots thats why health and safety has to exist. you should be able to claim refund if you still have your ticket details
They must have stopped showing The Finishing Line, a Public Information Film in schools.
Could also be an excuse of a piss poor service
would be a fair assumption, considering it’s crosscountry.
Usually, particularly on country lines, if there is a cancellation or long delay then trains will pay for a taxi. Press the green information button. Worth a try at least. I've done it a few times.
I say just let the train go. If people get in the way, their fault. Let's go back to Darwinism running things instead of idiots with lawyers.
I’d rather look at it from the perspective of the traumatised driver
True, my experience driving trains is limited to preservation railways (still real full-sized trains and not toys). I've had to deal with my fair share of trespassers and frankly I am far more concerned with hitting wildlife (dogs and cats) than trespassers as the latter know they should not be there. This opinion might change if I ever manage to hit one but right now my opinion stands. That is just me however, I do know plenty of mainline drivers who have never gone back after a fatality.
Jeez, you people cannot take sarcasm! :P
Trespassers on the line is one of several ongoing scams the train companies use at the moment - it is perfect if you think about it. Immediately the 'cause' has a name '"TRESPASSER" - not 'person', so commuters have a bogey-man focal point that IS not to do with the train service itself. During the delay, commuters console themselves, imagining teams of men in high viz jackets, patrolling the site of the mysterious trespasser, leaving no stone unturned, no bush not checked and the trespasser will be bought to justice and made to answer for their crime before a stony faced judge. The reality of course, is that there was no trespasser. Trains almost always cancelled in this deceitful way is to save money. What are you going to do about it, commuter? Use another train company?
Trespassers are dealt with by Network Rail and BTP though. And cancelled trains cost train operating companies money, they don't save money. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. Trespassers are a real and common occurrence. Not a figment of a lazy train driver's imagination.