McNulty Report on the UK rail network published

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

quite frankly most of the Railway Staff i have spoken with view the comments in this report regarding staff as a disgusting insult to there professionalism

I agree

[dviner]

quite frankly most of the Railway Staff i have spoken with view the comments in this report regarding staff as a disgusting insult to there professionalism

I agree

Me too (even though I'm only peripherally Railway Staff). I found the comparison between the training times between Bus Drivers and Train Drivers particularly loathesome, and a typical example of what happens when you take an outsider's view to a different industry.

However, by way of balance, I wouldn't dismiss the entire report based on some of the ignorance shown - it does have some suggetions worthy of further consideration, and there are times when it is necessary to take an outsiders view.

[The SprinterMeister]

Me too (even though I'm only perpherally Railway Staff). I found the comparison between the training times between Bus Drivers and Train Drivers particularly loathesome, and a typical example of what happens when you take an outsider's view to a different industry.

Agreed. It does seem that the lessons of Ladbrooke Grove (which was mainly a result of inadequate driver training) don't appear to have sunk in in certain quarters. Driver training takes as long as it does for off street recruits simply because we are now trying to condense into a few months experience which was gleaned over at least two years back in the day before going on the driving course. I notice that the pay levels and training levels for for airline pilots (similar levels of responsibility to a fully loaded HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))) have deliberately been missed from the report. Can't think why that would be....

Perhaps the views of the Ladbrooke Grove victim groups should be sought before discussing any diminution of driver training standards and principles....

[Electric train]

Me too (even though I'm only perpherally Railway Staff). I found the comparison between the training times between Bus Drivers and Train Drivers particularly loathesome, and a typical example of what happens when you take an outsider's view to a different industry.

Agreed. It does seem that the lessons of Ladbrooke Grove (which was mainly a result of inadequate driver training) don't appear to have sunk in in certain quarters. Driver training takes as long as it does for off street recruits simply because we are now trying to condense into a few months experience which was gleaned over at least two years back in the day before going on the driving course. I notice that the pay levels and training levels for for airline pilots (similar levels of responsibility to a fully loaded HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))) have deliberately been missed from the report. Can't think why that would be....
Perhaps the views of the Ladbrooke Grove victim groups should be sought before discussing any diminution of driver training standards and principles....

When the training time comparison between a bus drive and a train driver is made it is forgotten that a bus drive comes pre trained, they already have a drivers licence for a car, don't know any bus operators who take anyone without a drivers licence, train operators have to start from scratch

[brompton rail]

Well, having endured a bus journey yesterday where the driver was under going training on issuing tickets I am glad train drivers don't receive bus drivers training. The journey in question is 4.5 miles, takes 20 minutes, and yesterday took 35 minutes because the driver had not issued tickets before and had not received training on the Wayfarer ticket machine. The instructor told him not to worry and take his time! Of course our bus was overtaken by the following departure en route - 10 minute service. Thank you First group for you commitment to customer service.

Imagine your HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) driver having to consult his signalling diagram before deciding which signals applied to his train, and approaching junctions at 10mph because he wasn't sure of any speed restrictions. No thanks!

[The SprinterMeister]

Imagine your HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) driver having to consult his signalling diagram before deciding which signals applied to his train, and approaching junctions at 10mph because he wasn't sure of any speed restrictions. No thanks!

I can personally vouch that driver training / retraining on HST routes and traction thankfully is rather more exacting than that. As is the training for all train drivers. The public expect nothing less.

McNulty doesn't want you to think that though as it doesn't suit the argument that he is trying to make. I don't suppose he has examined driver training and competence issues in any great detail at all before making his recommendations.

[dviner]

Imagine your HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) driver having to consult his signalling diagram before deciding which signals applied to his train, and approaching junctions at 10mph because he wasn't sure of any speed restrictions. No thanks!

I can personally vouch that driver training / retraining on HST routes and traction thankfully is rather more exacting than that. As is the training for all train drivers. The public expect nothing less.

McNulty doesn't want you to think that though as it doesn't suit the argument that he is trying to make. I don't suppose he has examined driver training and competence issues in any great detail at all before making his recommendations.

Perhaps if he'd grabbed a bus driver and a train driver at random and asked each of them to talk through a typical route, he may have gone away with a different impression of why train driver education and training is more expensive...



... although, who are we kidding - how many of those 320 pages were penned by the man himself?