On the wrong track
Some signallers have been inadvertently sending trains onto the wrong line, so Network Rail’s Justin Willett ran a refresher on reminder appliances.
The daily control logs are full of vital information. Sometimes, larger events feature that go on to be investigated by RAIB. Most are more minor, however. Yet, all the minor incidents are, or could be, precursors to something worse.
Take signalling. Every so often, a train is signalled into a line blockage or possession. A minority of those incidents will involve the signaller not using or removing the reminder appliance. The signaller might also remove the wrong appliance when dealing with several blockages on different lines. This means that the line closed to traffic can appear in the box to be open. No one has been injured as a result, thankfully.
Reminder appliances began as metal collars that would be put around the signal lever in a mechanical box to prevent that lever from being pulled. They came into being in the 19th century after a number of collisions. At the time, there were no track circuits to indicate the presence of trains. The famous Quintinshill disaster, which killed 227 people, would have been prevented had reminder appliances been used.
Caps or collars to go over buttons in power signal boxes were a more modern variation on the theme. In the most recent boxes—the ROCs and IECCs—technology provides the digital means to do the same job.
Mindful that signallers want to do the right thing but may struggle to remember everything, Network Rail ran a refresher on reminders and their proper use. The campaign helped signallers refresh themselves of the many times reminders must be applied.
It also reinforced the value of making checklists and step-by-step lists. And it provided tools to help instil this practice as well as thought-provoking scenarios in order to reinforce the consequences of not using reminders correctly. These techniques can help the information stick in the memory.
Other techniques are helpful, too. Leaving visual prompts to use reminders may seem strange, but a sticky note on the train running book, telephone or another part of the panel may be useful, particularly at high-risk times when a signaller may be prone to forget, as long as it doesn’t obscure other information. It’s about making the use of the reminder appliance part of the routine.
Image credit: Sir Ross BA, own work, CC BY 3.0
Rule Book Module TS1, Section 3.5, mandates that reminder appliances must be placed on the most appropriate lever/button/switch to prevent the operation of signalling equipment.