Cable theft at Paddington causes severe disruption - 23 June 2010

[whole diary]

[dog box]

i am presuming your talking HST^▸ (High Speed Train) not Turbo...Jo.....problem is if the train is mega full and standing to be able to actually make announcments you do actually have to be by a PA^▸ (Public Address) set or actually be able to get to one.
There are normally 5 PA points on an HST with 3 of these having Driver/ Guard Communication..Coach A.D, H and 2 in F.
i managed to literally fight my way to one last night and announcments were made and at times like this lines of communication to control are difficult..and really  then our only source of information is from the signalman/driver....normally i try to update passengers every 10 min or so, but this can usually end up with you being verbally abused by someone.
Calling other T/Ms on other trains especially if they are ahead of you can give you the heads ups with real time info at delay locations.
Remember Guards are responsible for the safe working of the Train and passengers on it..situations like last night severely compromise this fact and if it wasnt for the fact that i had  4 other members of staff with me last night i would have considered invoking the refusal to work policy

[Electric train]

I thought it was due to power cuts...how on earth can someone not see that amount of cabling going missing and how does it affect the railway FOR THAT AMOUNT OF TIME?
Doesn't the railways/FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have a control room with alarms which could action a resposne asafp? I was stood at Slough at 13:10 I can't believe this was still ongoing 6 hours later (a bit like that tennis match!)

The thieves that do this type of thing know exactly what they are doing, they will tie the cable to a lorry chop through them with an axe or disc cutter and drive off towing the cable behind them some times if we are really unlucky they rip the guts out of signal location cabinets. 

To show how desperate these people are last week thieves chopped through a LIVE!!!! 33,000 volt cable near Guildford, last weekend in Kent thieves took to pieces a 33,000 volt transformer they got away with about ^20 worth of scrap but caused ^15,000 worth of damage the transformer is a right off, there are numerous electrical installations on the railway which have had there earthing conductors ripped out this is not only hazardous to the perpetrators but the staff that work on equipment, all this costs you and me as passengers and tax payers a lot of money.
A lot is being done on new installations to limit the value and marking of assists but the railway has hundreds of thousands of km of cable.

[IndustryInsider]

How does someone manage to steal 90ft of cable in the middle of the day without being noticed?  Surely trains passed during that time!   

I did hear (perhaps somebody can confirm?) that the theft actually took place on the Colnbrook freight branch which runs under the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) between Iver and West Drayton, but it was signalling cables affecting the main line.  That would explain how they were not seen.  Some signals reverted to red and a couple actually lost all power and were displaying no aspect!

It's an unusual area for such a crime - though I believe there is a gypsy camp nearby which might explain it?  Some of these criminals are very clever targeting specific areas and wearing HV Vests to appear just like normal trackside workers to passing trains.   

We're actually quite lucky in the GWML area with the number of incidents of cable theft which is a growing problem for Network Rail.  Many stations in the West Midlands have signs deterring criminals at various locations and an anti-theft forensic liquid is increasingly being used to try to win the battle.  For more details see: http://www.smartwater.com/Media-Centre/Latest-News-2/May-2010/Network-Rail-on-Track-to-Beat-Cable-Theft.aspx

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE APPEALS FOR INFORMATION AFTER CABLE THEFT ^ WEST DRAYTON

British Transport Police (BTP) is appealing for information following the theft of cable near to West Drayton station on Wednesday, 23 June 2010.

Sergeant Craig Payne, of Op Drum - BTP^s dedicated unit to tackle cable-related offences ^ said that at 1.44pm police received reports that around 30 feet of cable had been stolen from the line close to West Drayton station.

 ^This case of vandalism resulted in severe delays to services in the area and as part of the investigation, we urge anyone with any information about the theft to come forward and help us with our enquiries,^ he said. "If you were in the area between 1pm and 1.44pm and saw anyone acting suspiciously then we would like to hear from you."

Cable theft is a dangerous activity. Some cable can carry extremely high voltage and officers have seen a number of cases in which thieves have been seriously injured, suffering extensive burns, after cutting through live cable.

People who venture onto the line also run the risk of being seriously hurt if they get in the way of a moving train.

Superintendent Paul Brogden said: "Those who steal cable are not just risking a prison sentence, they are also risking serious injury and in some cases they may be risking their lives. This was a serious incident and we will ensure that a full and proper investigation will be carried out in order to catch the culprits and bring them to book.^

Hmm.  30 feet of cable, according to the police?

[fatcontroller]

How does someone manage to steal 90ft of cable in the middle of the day without being noticed?  Surely trains passed during that time!   

The perpetrator(s) entered the railway along the less used Colnbrook Branch, where the mainline is above it.
This is where they were able to steal the cable without being seen.

In total it was 90 Yards that was stolen.

Normal working resumed to the signaller at 22:45 last night.

[Cruithne3753]

How likely is it that they get perps who do this sort of thing?  What sort of sentence would they get?
I wonder how one of these idiots would do if their antics caused a fatal accident in which their mother was a victim.

(Mutters something about bringing back the birch...)

[Electric train]

How likely is it that they get perps who do this sort of thing?  What sort of sentence would they get?
I wonder how one of these idiots would do if their antics caused a fatal accident in which their mother was a victim.

(Mutters something about bringing back the birch...)

It is not unheard off that the perps' actually get very seriously injured or even killed. 

Catching them in the act is very diffcult, catching them with the stolen cable off site is also diffcult although modern cable etc is DNA marked. 

[Oxman]

I have heard that the thiefs used the old West Drayton frieght yard, probably in and out over the crossing on the Colnbrook branch. Apparently, turbos have forward facing CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) and this is being downloaded from trains that were in the vicinity at the time.

[johoare]

i am presuming your talking HST^▸ (High Speed Train) not Turbo...Jo.....problem is if the train is mega full and standing to be able to actually make announcments you do actually have to be by a PA^▸ (Public Address) set or actually be able to get to one.
There are normally 5 PA points on an HST with 3 of these having Driver/ Guard Communication..Coach A.D, H and 2 in F.
i managed to literally fight my way to one last night and announcments were made and at times like this lines of communication to control are difficult..and really  then our only source of information is from the signalman/driver....normally i try to update passengers every 10 min or so, but this can usually end up with you being verbally abused by someone.
Calling other T/Ms on other trains especially if they are ahead of you can give you the heads ups with real time info at delay locations.
Remember Guards are responsible for the safe working of the Train and passengers on it..situations like last night severely compromise this fact and if it wasnt for the fact that i had  4 other members of staff with me last night i would have considered invoking the refusal to work policy

Yes it was an HST.. Just before we got to Maidenhead,, there was an announcement that the driver wished the train manager to contact him which suggested it was possible to make some sort of announcements?

 As you say, guards were responsible for the safe working of the train... yet no one was making sure my area of the train was safe... This isn't a dig at the people working on the train, I can only imagine how hard it was yesterday.. But I can't see how anyone working on this train could do anything other than stay where they were.. If the HSTs choose to put their communication systems apart from their guards then that is a little silly...and hopefully FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will rectify this soon?

I can only imagine if someone really did pass out.. rather than nearly doing so in my carriage, and the communication/emergency cord had been pulled.. we'd have been in real trouble?

[inspector_blakey]

Apparently, turbos have forward facing CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) and this is being downloaded from trains that were in the vicinity at the time.

They do indeed (and rearward-facing too, I think). The data from these cameras have been used in RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) investigations, and some of their reports contain screen captures, for example the report into the injury of a maintenance worker at Kennington Junction.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes it was an HST^▸ (High Speed Train).. Just before we got to Maidenhead,, there was an announcement that the driver wished the train manager to contact him which suggested it was possible to make some sort of announcements?

Not necessarily.  That's an automated announcement and just means the driver has given a 3-3 on the buzzers and not had a reply within 10 seconds.  Although the driver has a handset in the cab and can speak to the Train Manager, he/she has no ability to make any announcements, even in an emergency.  So, if the guard was unable/unwilling to get to a handset then announcements might not have been possible.

[dog box]

Big Trouble YES Jo..with a train that full and a pulled passcom it would be impossible to reach the problem area,

[johoare]

So..how dangerous is all that then (a comment which covers the last two replies).. It makes me realise how good driver only trains are.. at leat they are able to make announcements...

Seriously though.. In an emergency.. Isn't that a total joke?

[johoare]

Big Trouble YES Jo..with a train that full and a pulled passcom it would be impossible to reach the problem area,

Also, further to my previous reply.. I've been told by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (more than once) before that it is up to the train managers/guards discretion on at what point it becomes dangerous to let a train go when it is really full...To me last nights train was allowed to go in a dangerous condition if it wasn't possible for any announcements to be made (it seems).. Surely this isn't right?

[devon_metro]

So..how dangerous is all that then (a comment which covers the last two replies).. It makes me realise how good driver only trains are.. at leat they are able to make announcements...

Seriously though.. In an emergency.. Isn't that a total joke?

The Train Manager is in charge of the train, there isn't really any need for drivers to communicate with the public. Regarding the dangerous crowding, as you were there do you think there would have been a riot if people at Paddington were turned away considering the chaos.?