From Newsgroup: aus.rail

<https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system/files/media/documents/2020/Independent%20Review%20of%20the%20New%20Intercity%20Fleet%20Operating%20Model%20-%20Issue%202%20-%20September%202020%20-%20WCAG.pdf>


<https://rtbuexpress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/NIF-ISV-report-FINAL-KC-051120_Redacted-1.pdf>

The former is the "official" review document. The latter is the report commissioned by the union.

There is a note at the bottom of page 60 (pdf page 67) of the first
document.

"If the door where the guard is operating is powered to the fully open position it is not permitted, for safety reasons, to have a window in
the door that can be opened so the guard can look through it."

The risk here is clearly that the powered door will open while the guard
has their head out the window, trapping them.

Yet I'd have thought it would be easy enough to design the thing so that
if the window is not shut, it is physically impossible for the door to
open, even if the door opening motor is activated.


Overall, I have not formed a view about whether the union's concerns are justified. However, I am of the view that it should be the guard's responsibility to check that it is safe to close the doors, and then
that it is safe for the train to leave, so that the driver does not have
split their attention between platform operations and the task of
starting the train.

For all the government's denials, I suspect that this is about
eventually getting rid of guards altogether.

Sylvia.

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From Newsgroup: aus.rail

On 14/5/22 19:58, Sylvia Else wrote:

For all the government's denials, I suspect that this is about
eventually getting rid of guards altogether.

Yes.

Many railways operate trains even longer than the NIF sets 'driver
only'. And often with out the benefit of CCTV , just mirrors. I've seen
driver in Germany actually lean out the locomotive window so they can
get a good clear look at the platform.

Often the trains also have customer service staff on board, but they are walking the train, checking tickets, and while they may stand at doors
and guide passengers at stations, they perform no safe-working function.
That's wholly the drivers responsibility.

NSW has tried to introduce DOO passenger trains before and backed down.
There will be some political 'loss of face' if they roll over again.

The government probably got a consultant used to the operating model in
Germany to write their report, the Union would have got a consultant
used to the operating model in France to do their one.


The situation in the UK is even weirder. The different operators have
different dominant unions. There are cases where the same model train is
in use by different regional operators. In one region the trains run
Driver Only, but in the other region they have a guard and any
suggestion that the trains run DOO is met with industrial action and
claims that driver only is unsafe and that the industrial action is to
ensure the safety of the public!


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