Great Western Coffee Shop

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-49593420

I remember travelling halfway across France with a door open once...

When I was in Adelaide it was a common sight to see commuter trains running with open doors. I even travelled on one. The sliding doors were non powered manually operated by the passengers who used to keep them open to get a breeze going through the carriage.

Its exactly the same on commuter lines in South Africa. Despite the fact that the vast majority of people the world over can suss out for themselves that keepimg away frpm an open door, or at least holding on tightly to something if in close proximity to it, is probably a good idea, here in the UK we seem to make more of an issue about it.

I suspect the real issue, in reality, is that the TOCs in common with virtually everybody else in the UK is so swept up in the Compensation Culture that they are more concerned about their insurance premiums going up than they are about anything else.

Including common sense...

Having said all that, if it had been a slam door swinging in the breeze then that might have been a bit different. But in that case, after passing under the first bridge, there might not have been much door left to swing...

In theory under old loading-gauge clearences, the open door shouldn't hit the bridge or any other structure - it might hit another open door or someone standing too close on a platform though  :o

That is why the Talyllyn has the doors screwed shut on the southern side - failed its gauging test prior to opening to public carriage.

When I posted I was really thinking more along the lines of the person who got killed recently whilst apparently leaning out of a droplight. Perhaps I should have mentioned that rather than bridges!

I can remember southern  EMUs running around with the (inwards opening) door to the guard's van open in order to provide welcome extra ventilation in hot weather.
Sometimes the open door was on the corridor side, which was a little disconcerting if walking to the [obsolete facility]
Nothing prevented an unattended child or a stupid adult from falling out. Presumably this seldom occurred.

Would never be allowed these days.
Guards vans are virtually extinct on the national network.

And this was into the 1980s, not ancient history by any means.

I’ve driven a HST at 125mph with the cab door wide open.  That was only a few years ago.  ;)

Nice - til your running card blows out the door....  ;D

I can see the merit of having the door open at more modest speeds in order to provide ventilation. But at 125 MPH, did you not find the airflow to be unpleasant/excessive ?

I have had a cab ride in a class 66, and the open door was welcome but the speed was very modest.

Just about hot weather related, I recall hearing of a Waterloo driver who suffered an embarrassing mishap. In a heatwave, he decided to remove his trousers and drive wearing only underpants. He hung the trousers up in the cab and they blew out of the window !
On arrival at Waterloo, he declined to leave the cab, or to explain the reason for this until his union rep arrived.
IIRC the situation was resolved by asking the union rep to force open the drivers locker and fetch spare trousers that were stored within.
This was later cited, lightheartedly, as being one of the more bizarre merits of joining the union.

In retrospect, it might have been better to remain fully dressed but to drive with cab door open.

Not really as long as it was a nice warm day - the most difficult thing is to hear the vigilance alarm going off! 

HST cab doors had a habit of working loose and opening at speed anyway - even when ‘locked’ which was enough to make you jump. Worst of all was when the clean air compartment door behind you came open especially when it was dark and in the old Valenta engine days - that really made you jump!

I think I've told the tale of hanging like a limpet on the outside of an open train door ...

That must have cleared the cobwebs!