Responsibility for SothEastern Railways signalling

[Michael Chare]

Who is responsible for the signalling of SouthEastern railways in Kent?

If, as happened to me today, the train goes the wrong way and has to reverse, whose fault is it?

[alan_m]

Are you sure that the routing wasn't due to weekend engineering works that may have closed one side of the link and the train had to make a detour to switch tracks?

[Bob Eager]

Whatever it was, it would surely be Network Rail's responsibility.

[Richard]

Probably mine. I'm the one responsible for most that goes wrong in the house, so another one won't matter too much.

HTH

[Brian Gaff]

I've certainly seen them go up a dead end to allow faster trains past then go back on the main line again, and this used to happen a lot when engineering was in work. I doubt this sort of thing has changed much over the years. In answer to the main question, its the mob that now run the track and signals, ie not the train operating company, though they all do pay money to use the system. there have bbeen so many changes of name over the years, I hate to think what its called. Brian

[Tim Watts]

Network Rail own the signalling infrastructure and staff.

[polygonum]

How do you get to the conclusion that it was a signalling problem?

Over the years I used to travel regularly by train, I encountered all sorts of strange track usage including going out of a station and back in on another platform, going into a siding, going the "wrong" way on single-direction track, etc.. These were due to all sorts of things such as engineering, suicides, flooding and failures of track, rolling and animal stock and, indeed, signalling.

There has over recent years been a considerable amount of reporting in the press of SPADs:

[charles]

A good many years ago, when I used to commute to Waterloo by train, I was busy doing the crossword (a good way to pass a boring journey) when I noticed we were in a tunnel. It took me a few moments to work out where we were

[stuart noble]

:-)

[Tim Streater]

Indeed, why was it necessarily *any* sort of problem?

[Peter Andrews]

Keep an eye on the RAIB website, if it was a genuine incident it will have to be reported and investigated.

Peter

[news]

Yes we would need more information. 4 lines or 2, was train moving at less than 18mph through or past a possession for engineering work.

Nitwork Rail are responsible for the track and signals.

AJH

[Michael Chare]

The 18:37 train from Victoria had just stopped at Swanley station and then carried on towards Farningham rather than turning right towards Otford. I suppose that if the driver had gone through a red light that might have happened. The alternative is that the points were set wrong and there was a green light.

The train stopped shortly after the junction, then reversed to Swanley station before restarting and then going on towards Otford. The guard admitted to a mistake, saying that the train had taken the wrong road.

I have lodged my complaint with Network rail.

[tony sayer]

Sometimes know as bi-directional working thats what those occasional crossover points are for along the tracks...

If you want chapter and verse on it then uk.railway is the place to go;!)...

[Tim Watts]

They have to do this if terminating at Robertsbridge (because southbound track is closed for engineering).

The trains come in rightside, then have to leave "the wrong way" to get to a set of points just north of the platform, then come in to the London bound track again "the wrong way" and pull up on the London bound platform.

Although the signalman is right next to the station and the points just the other end of the station, this requires a number of marshalls with flags who basically camp out at the station, drinking tea for 50 mins then doing 10 minutes of shunting (or 20 minutes/10 at peak times...)

I would have thought it would have been worth upgrading the station block(s) to reversible track just to avoid the manpower on what's a not infrequent manoeuvre.

[polygonum]

Even if there were a green light, the driver should have been able to see which way the points were set.

[Tim Watts]

Junctions usually have feather indicators like this:

in part because the line speed is often different depending on whether the train is set to continue of the main line or take a branch.

[Bob Eager]

Whoosh.

[damduck-egg]

Will it be Garmin or TomTom who first develop a Sat Nav that does that if it gets blamed for taking an unsuitable route.

G.Harman