Richard Lemon wrote:I note that the line between Horsham and Dorking is currently closed following a landslip near Holmwood. The Up line is blocked.
When I was a Horsham based signalman in the early 90s such slips happened all too regularly. Single Line Working was quickly arranged between Warnham and Dorking (I was regularly Pilotman).
Why is this not done now?
Is it lack of competent staff to act as Pilotman?
Richard
Richard,
I noticed a reluctance to institute SLW from the mid 90s until I retired last year.
I thought it was partly due to the regularly altering rules governing setting up 'Safe Systems of Work' next to a temporary single line and partly the passenger 'Train Operating Company's' controls reluctance to operate a modified time table at short notice.
This decline in the use of SLW resulted in loss of the easy familiarity with which operators used to put in single line working.
I do however recall a few years ago an inexperienced Route Operations Manager issuing written instructions that the pilotman on a sunday job should institute SLW for every wrong direction train and withdraw it for every right direction train!!!
Needless to say this did not happen!
DB