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District Line problems illustrate the antique Tube

You are here: Home > Forum > Miscellaneous > The real thing (signalling) > District Line problems illustrate the antique Tube

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District Line problems illustrate the antique Tube 20/07/2011 at 16:06 #18030
UKTrainMan
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1803 posts
Just seen this interesting link on Twitter and thought it'd be worth sharing with you all. There is also a further interesting link linked to on the page of the first interesting link. Interesting stuff. Lots of interesting stuff.

Enjoy these interesting links.

(Think I'll stop saying "interesting" now...)

Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for.
Last edited: 20/07/2011 at 16:06 by UKTrainMan
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Re: District Line problems illustrate the antique Tube 20/07/2011 at 18:21 #18044
metcontrol
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217 posts
It certainly makes a change for the media to detail exactly what is seen in the picture/link - that being Edgware Road signal cabin. The same footage has been used in all manner of other stories related to the "Underground" as a whole. I've worked the cabin in question, and it does the job as well as any new control room can. It will be replaced within the next 6-10 years (it's done well, it was down to be replaced in 1986).

The term "signal failure" is used whenever a track circuit failure, points failure, or other similar electrical/mechanical (signal related) failure occurs. The change in policy came about more or less at the same time as the 3 eventualities below.

Firstly, when the tube was part-privatised, and the various "Infrastructure" companies took maintenance in house, they took objection to us (the operators) labelling a delay as being a "points failure" or track circuit failure" when we had no technical insight into what was actually causing the failure (even if we could make a guess ). Therefore, from more or less that point on, we had to stick to the basics - that being that whatever the reason for the signal remaining at danger, we had to class the problem as just that - a signal failure - and allow the maintenance companies to work out what the failure was down to.

Second, following the Hatfield rail crash, the term "Track Failure" was dropped to avoid any confusion between electrical track circuit failure, and the much more serious structural failure of the rail itself. The term "broken rail" was also abandoned. Then after Potters Bar, the term "Points Failure" was also abandoned for the same obvious reasons.

Thirdly, in an environment which has many different kinds of customers, more simple / less ambiguous language was needed. The simple fact was that if a signal failed to clear, that was cause enough to delay services. No need to blind people with additional information - even if a percentage of our customers know what we mean.

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The following user said thank you: UKTrainMan
Re: District Line problems illustrate the antique Tube 20/07/2011 at 18:41 #18045
UKTrainMan
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1803 posts
Cheers for replying metcontrol. I was actually considering PMing you to draw your attention to the interesting links and invite you to respond, etc, but you have already, so many thanks for responding with an interesting response.

(Oh gawd...here I go again with using the word "interesting" again...how interesting....ARGH!)

Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for.
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