Page 24 - Rail Express - September 2019

OPERATIONS

AEuston-bound Caledonian Sleeper calls at Milton Keynes on April26, behind No. 92018 –sleeper services arecurrentlyinthe
spotlight to improve reliability.Note also the Samaritans poster under the station name board.

❮ HOTTING UP activated. Asecondwarning wasissued After temporary repairs, the train
Extreme temperatures were at 16.00for a20mph blanket speed on wasterminated 200 minutes late at
experienced on June 28 in the west WatfordtoEuston DC lines. Abergavennyat18.02.
of Scotland, Wales and England, with Other speed restrictions were Alineside fence survey wascarried
higher temperatures forecast for in place on June 28, in manyplaces out and no damagewas observed, but
other areas the following day. These between Dingwall (north of Invernesss), localfarmers suggested the cattle may
forecasts meant the NR Extreme the Cambrian and Marches lines (Wales), have jumped the fence when startled.
Weather ActionTeams (EWATs) were andinto Cornwall.The NOC sends The duty controller reviewsevery
activated, swinging into aseries of out anational summary of extreme incident assisted by the support
pre-planned activities, including EWAT weather planstoall EWAT teams and controller (MarkRobinson on June 28)
readiness conferences with the NOC NR executives. andissues the National Situation
also participating. Report (NSR) every150 minutes
EWAT plansspecify watchmen “The NOCisthe onlyoffice starting at 08.00.
arelocated at known high DavidWiltshire explains the ¬ Trackside monitoring equipment can
temperaturesites, which each with emergencylocomotive process: “This repeating task differs detect things like wheel flatspots and
have specific speed restrictions for spot hireauthority” from regionalor route logs, as the NSR incorrectlyloaded wagons. However, this
given temperatures. Warning speed is asummary of major incidents and viewshows acorrectlyloaded dry-spoil
signs aretaken to sitesbut not sent to the Network Rail executive train at Quainton Road (Buckinghamshire)
erected untilrailtemperatures reach At 14.46 on June 28, TfW’s team, specific senior managers and on May23.
predetermined thresholds. Above a 1W16/11.10 MilfordHaven to external agencies, such as the ORR,
certainlevel, such as 45°C, ablanket Manchester Piccadillyhit acow and RAIB, DfT and all members of the punctuality is checked, including
speed restriction is imposed. came to astand in very hot weather railway group. Regional/route logs crewing, empty stock moves, loco
This looked likely on June 28, near Abergavenny. The train was containdetails on every incident and availability,possessions, and any
at 14.00, when an advance warning full and, implementing the stranded arewidelydistributed across the network issues. When arepeating
forJune 29 wasissued forablanket passenger initiative, TfW staff supplied industry,which leads to information delaytrend is identified, the cause is
50mph speed restriction on the West food and drink to passengers and overload potentiallylosing the investigated and resolved.
Coast Main Line south of Bourne the BTPattended as aprecaution. network-wide view.” Steve Dexter on the FNPO desk
End (Buckinghamshire) from 11.00, The train’s air conditioning remained Half-an-hour beforethe end of the explained freight monitoring: “Every
with all points set to normal. West working and no passengers were in night shift at 06.30, the duty controller period,the FSDM compiles alist of a
Midlands Trains informed the NOC they distress, so no trackside evacuation issues ‘The National Daily Report’ –a dozen freight services that have just
maywithdraw allservices south of wasrequired –but continuing templated 26-section report that missed the FreightDelivery Metric with
Northampton if the 50mph limit was assessments were undertaken. covers the previous 24-hour period aviewofhelping them pass in the
commencing at 02.00. On July15, out next period.”
of 23,946 franchised passenger trains, These aremonitoredinreal-time
19,825 ranontime, 3,076 were deemed using acolour coded system ranging
late and1,045 cancelled or significantly from green(meeting target) topurple
late,with onlyCaledonianSleepers (denoting 20 minutes or more late). The
scoring 100%. NOC willtry to positivelyregulate very
late trains to recovertime andauthorise
PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS adiversion if that helps, subject to route
The FNPO desk is staffedbyFSDMs knowledgeand gaugeclearance.
who, in addition to freight, monitor In parallel with the passenger
RoyalMail, charterservices and National Situation Report, the FNPO
Caledonian Sleepers. Building on the team issues its ‘Network Readiness
experience of returningpostal services Statement –Freight’ six times aday,
to punctual operations, asimilar while the night shift sends out adaily
approach is nowunderway with the report of significant incidents at 06.00
Anglo-Scottish sleepers. compiled from these reports. The
At 15.00, aconference call takes NOC night shift also has aconference
place with every party involved in call with all route controls at 04.40
NOC manager David Burnett (centre) and his team in the incident room,getting ready delivering these services, which to look at what might disrupt the
to deal with anypossible disruption that could be caused by the Extinction Rebellion is known as the ‘sleeper pre-flight start of service, and also checksthat
protests taking place that dayonJuly15. check’. Every detailwhich could affect possessions arenot overrunning.
24 RAIL EXPRESS September 2019