Is it too early

[tractor]

...

There is no such thing as an agency train driver. Drivers NEED to know the route as they often need to start braking 2-3 miles before a train station....

And it takes months, if not years to learn a route. HST training is two years plus the time for routes I believe.

[mudskipper]

And it takes months, if not years to learn a route. HST training is two years plus the time for routes I believe.

Sheesh, that's what satnav's for.

[psychocandy]

There is no such thing as an agency train driver. Drivers NEED to know the route as they often need to start braking 2-3 miles before a train station....

Not as if you can take a wrong turning on a train though is there?

[suityou01]

Why no standby driver? In this day and age it surprises me is all.

SueEllen is right, this is what the guard told me regarding lack of trained drivers and privatisation.

Also they say that they are civil servants but without the benefits as the government is a 51% shareholder in the private companies that run the networks, and if it was >55% then they would have to be considered full civil servants and get a civil servant pension.

Naturally I'm far to naïve to know how true this is, but this is what he told me and it sounds like something our government would do.

[eek]

At 4am in the morning? No one will be awake in the area.

Also when they privatised the train companies they didn't keep up with driver training so there is a shortage of them.

Not quite. The current problem is certain companies poaching qualified drivers from other companies. Its a particular problem in the midlands where the freight companies offer better working conditions (no annoying passenger stations to deal with)...

I do have fairly close hand knowledge as my brother now works for one of the train companies in HR. He never has a problem with train drivers as they like the cash (and like us couldn't earn the same money anywhere else)....

[darmstadt]

Why no standby driver? In this day and age it surprises me is all.

You know how to fix this, don't you? https://nationalcareersservice.direc...ainDriver.aspx

[eek]

You know how to fix this, don't you? https://nationalcareersservice.direc...ainDriver.aspx

Surely suity will fail on

concentrate for long periods and understand the importance of safety

The former is actually incredibly difficult. Watching the same route multiple times a day, day in day out without falling into the I know the route day dream is a nightmare....

[garethevans1986]

They should have a driver "spare" (basically standby) for when these things happen.

They can get by by using a driver who signs the route and a driver the signs the traction.

GE

[fullyautomatix]

If you have a plane to catch, why you taking the train ? I always drive to airport myself or take a taxi.

[FatLazyContractor]

If you have a plane to catch, why you taking the train ? I always drive to airport myself or take a taxi.

A car / taxi could breakdown. Especially when you drive an Audi from the early 80's.