"CJG" wrote in message
...
Heard a rumour/story about Met Line train driver who opened the doors on
the wrong side of the train at a platform. Didn't check to see if anyone
actually did get off the wrong side. Closed the doors. Opened the other
side. Then went off. Station assistant complained. Driver has got
sacked. Met Line drivers are going to go on strike to get him
reinstated.
True or not?

You know its funny, I was travelling in France on a train through the
countryside. It was quite hot, and when we got to a particular station
people pressed the button to open the doors. Amazingly people on the right
of the carriage (wrong side), pressed the button to open their door,
presumably to let in some fresh air, and it worked! I heard some other
English person commenting "I hope the TGV doesn't come by on the tracks
opposite!". Of course, their concernes were unfounded because TGV only
travels on its own dedicated lines. But even so, it was a bit of a suprise
to find there was no door bias in the system. This was, however, a rural
train rather than the Metro.

--
CJG

"Oliver Keating" wrote in message
...

"CJG" wrote in message
...
Heard a rumour/story about Met Line train driver who opened the doors on
the wrong side of the train at a platform. Didn't check to see if anyone
actually did get off the wrong side. Closed the doors. Opened the other
side. Then went off. Station assistant complained. Driver has got
sacked. Met Line drivers are going to go on strike to get him
reinstated.
True or not?

You know its funny, I was travelling in France on a train through the
countryside. It was quite hot, and when we got to a particular station
people pressed the button to open the doors. Amazingly people on the right
of the carriage (wrong side), pressed the button to open their door,
presumably to let in some fresh air, and it worked! I heard some other
English person commenting "I hope the TGV doesn't come by on the tracks
opposite!". Of course, their concernes were unfounded because TGV only
travels on its own dedicated lines. But even so, it was a bit of a suprise
to find there was no door bias in the system. This was, however, a rural
train rather than the Metro.

Not really an issue on a rural system where people aren't crammed against
the doors ...

"Gerard McGovern" wrote in message ...
He made a mistake. Unfortunately that mistake a) is unforgivable and b)
could have resulted in any number of people being killed or seriously
injured. Therefore he got fired. Simple as that really.

From the way I've read it , the issue isn't that he opened the doors on
the wrong side , ok that was a bit silly but we all make mistakes , it was
the fact that he didn't bother to check that no one had been hurt! I mean
what was he thinking , "ok , no one has screamed so they're all ok" ??
If someone had fallen out onto the track and got killed and he didn't report it
this guy would be facing a LOT worse than just the prospect of losing his job.

Therefor I agree that the boot is the only way to go. You can't have people
blatantly ignoring fundamental safety rules.

B2003

In article ,
ks (CJG) wrote:

Heard a rumour/story about Met Line train driver who opened the doors
on the wrong side of the train at a platform. Didn't check to see if
anyone actually did get off the wrong side. Closed the doors. Opened
the other side. Then went off. Station assistant complained. Driver has
got sacked. Met Line drivers are going to go on strike to get him
reinstated.
True or not?
--
CJG

I'm catching up on a couple of days posts, so rather than comment to
individual posts, I'm doing it as one.


Unless there is a door irregularity, it should be impossible to open the
doors on the wrong side in normal circumstances. On the Northern Line, for
the 1995 stock, the train receives a "Correct Side Door Enable" signal
that tells the train what side the doors should be opened and whether the
end doors should be cut out or not. I assume that it is the same principle
on other lines, although at one time this wasn't fitted.

The CSDE signal will not allow the driver to open the doors on the wrong
side. If the driver presses the buttons on the wrong side, nothing
happens. If the CSDE signal is not picked up for whatever reason, then
this means that none of the doors can be opened. Obviously this isn't
satisfactory so a by-pass switch is fitted - the CSDE button. If the doors
cannot be opened in the normal way, then the CSDE button is pressed. This
will allow the doors either side to be opened.

As an additional precaution, on the 1995 stock, the circuitry was altered
so that if the CSDE button was pressed, the doors could only be opened
from the backwall panels and not the panels in front of the driver. The
correct procedure to follow is:
Go to the backwall panel at the platform side.
Open the cab door and observe the platform.
Press the CSDE button.
Operate the end door cut-out button if necessary.
Press the open buttons on the platform side.
Carry out normal platform duties.
The actual procedure varies according to the stock.

This procedure should prevent a wrong-side operation. However, for
whatever reason, mistakes do occur. It is then important that the correct
procedure is carried out. As with anything, it is not what the driver
initially does wrong that's important, it's what he does afterwards that
matters. Unfortunately, in the case of a wrong-side opening then
there is a chance of injury to a passenger. Obviously if the driver has
made similar mistakes before, then that's a different matter and this will
be dealt with accordingly.

An example of this is a SPAD. Virtually all drivers have had a SPAD at
some time or the other. On the Underground, this will not normally have
any safety issues as long as the correct procedure is carried out,
although it may well cause a delay and the subsequent problems that could
cause. However, if the driver has a few of these, it will become a
discipline issue. If the driver did not carry out the correct procedure
after a SPAD, perhaps he carried on along a clear line to the next signal
that he could see ahead, even though it was quite safe to do so, then it
would be a disciplinary matter. This may well mean being sacked, although
perhaps reduced to two years suspended on appeal.

On the Northern Line, it is usual to have to operate the CSDE button
perhaps as many as five or more times on one trip - certain stations are
notorious for the signal not being picked up when the train has stopped,
even though the train has stopped correctly. Morden is an example. Most
times the CSDE has to be operated leading to the extra delay from the time
the train has stopped to when the doors have opened, as any regular
traveller to Morden will know.

From various comments that have been made in this newsgroup in the past, I
realise that it is difficult for non-LU staff to appreciate what is
involved in, for example, the driver's job and can't understand why this
or that does/doesn't happen. No doubt I look at other peoples jobs in the
same way. Different jobs have different pressures, even though they may
not be seen as pressures by those that don't understand. After all, as has
been pointed out, what's so difficult about sitting there and just pushing
a button? This statement does rather simplify things. It is not just
pushing the button that counts, it's the accompanying things that form
part of what else the person does. If a ticket collector is standing at a
busy barrier day after day, is he going to 100% check every ticket, even
though he goes through the motions? In this case, the pressure is probably
boredom. A car driver, worked up at somebody that has cut in in front of
him, suddenly realises the traffic lights ahead are red and he can't stop
in time. He is under pressure of a different sort and so makes a mistake.
It can never be said that people won't make a mistake. I doubt if there is
anybody who can say that they've never made a mistake of this type of
thing in their life.

Roger

In message ,
writes
On the Northern Line, i

Aren't Met Line trains much older than Northern Line trains? So maybe
the monkey friendly anti-wrong door opening system isn't installed on
these trains? Im no expert so what do I know?
I doubt if there is anybody who can say that they've never made a
mistake of this type of thing in their life.

Well actually I can safety say I have never opened the wrong doors on an
underground train in my life.

--
CJG

frankly, unless I'm missing something rather obvious, I'd suggest that
opening the wrong set of doors on a tube train is almost impossible for
a normal person to do - otherwise it'd have happened more often than
once.



It has happened several times in the past. I don't have any facts/figures
about it, but I remember reading a news report about the same thing
happening on a circle line train at Kings Cross a few years ago.

Also many years ago apparently a Central line train on the Woodford -
Hainault shuttle service went from one station to the next with the doors
open, the driver forgot to close them and at the time there was no
interlocking device to stop the train driving away with the doors open.

Andrew

Yeah something like that

"Greg Hennessy" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 09:21:46 +0100, "Jon" wrote:


At the end
of it all, he will most likely be back at work under supervision for a
couple of weeks and then it will all be forgotton about

Something like the union rep allegedly caught drunk after crashing his LT
van full of motor windings and other valuable metals on his way to the
scrappie.



greg

--
$ReplyAddress =~ s#\@.*$##; # Delete everything after the '@'
Alley Gator. With those hypnotic big green eyes
Alley Gator. She'll make you 'fraid 'em
She'll chew you up, ain't no lie

"Mark Brader" wrote in message
...
Oliver Keating:
I heard some other English person commenting "I hope the TGV doesn't
come by on the tracks opposite!". Of course, their concernes were
unfounded because TGV only travels on its own dedicated lines.

That concern may have been unfounded on the particular line in question,
but (unlike the corresponding trains in Spain or Japan that are limited
by the track gauge), TGVs go many places besides the high-speed lines.

But if so they do not travel at 300km/h

--
Mark Brader | "I don't have to stay here to be insulted."
Toronto | "I realize that. You're insulted everywhere, I imagine."
| -- Theodore Sturgeon