Rises in the number of personal items being dropped onto the track is leading to a rule clarification on how we get them back.
Not so long ago, the thought of a mobile phone would’ve conjured up images of an army field telegraph in a big wooden box. But even the huge brick-sized phones of the 1980s are a fading memory. And what is a mobile phone anyway, if not also a camera, an organiser, radio, heartrate monitor, and so much more? You name it, your phone will do it, short of making the tea (though that day will surely come).
We know that – certainly up to the end of last year – more incidents were being recorded of people picking up items that had dropped onto the track
without following the proper procedure. While it’s about more than phones, many incidents will have involved one, as it’s not something any of us would want to lose.
If you’re a passenger, you won’t have a clue that the signaller needs to be contacted and the line needs to be blocked. If you’re a passenger – especially if you’re at an unstaffed station, or if there appear to be no trains about – you’ll probably just jump down, scoop up whatever you’ve dropped and climb back to the platform again. Nine times out of 10 you’ll get away with it.
But on 08 December 2022, a passenger was climbing back to the platform at Sidcup and was nearly struck by a railhead treatment train. Thankfully, they were fine and the driver was fit to continue. But it could all have been so different.
The potential for harm means that staff need to be absolutely sure they don’t get tempted to just jump down themselves. Station staff can also feel compromised by the needs of the customer by applying what they may or may not have been trained to do, or indeed by their understanding of what ‘competent’ means.
At the moment, Section 2.3 of Rule Book Module SS1 (Station duties and train dispatch) notes that if you need to go onto a platform line to retrieve a dropped item, you must have been trained to do so at that station. You must tell the signaller your name and employer and why you need to go onto the line. You must be sure that the signaller clearly understands on which line trains are to be stopped, including any adjacent line. And of course, you should only go onto the line when the signaller gives an authority number and grants permission.
When the item has been retrieved, the signaller must be told that the line is clear (of the item and you), and that trains can run as normal. From September 2023, when the latest Rule Book updates are published, Section 2.3 is going to be a bit more explicit about retrieving items from the track by using equipment like grabbing devices. It’ll also offer more clarity on the requirements regarding communicating with the signaller.
On 08 December 2022, a passenger was climbing back to the platform at Sidcup and was nearly struck by a railhead treatment train.
For a summary of the changes to Section 2.3 of the Rule Book , see our Standards Catalogue.
