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[email protected] · July 24th 03, 11:53 AM posted to uk.transport.london

In article ,
ks (CJG) wrote:

Heard a rumour/story about Met Line train driver who opened the doors
on the wrong side of the train at a platform. Didn't check to see if
anyone actually did get off the wrong side. Closed the doors. Opened
the other side. Then went off. Station assistant complained. Driver has
got sacked. Met Line drivers are going to go on strike to get him
reinstated.
True or not?
--
CJG

I'm catching up on a couple of days posts, so rather than comment to
individual posts, I'm doing it as one.

Unless there is a door irregularity, it should be impossible to open the
doors on the wrong side in normal circumstances. On the Northern Line, for
the 1995 stock, the train receives a "Correct Side Door Enable" signal
that tells the train what side the doors should be opened and whether the
end doors should be cut out or not. I assume that it is the same principle
on other lines, although at one time this wasn't fitted.

The CSDE signal will not allow the driver to open the doors on the wrong
side. If the driver presses the buttons on the wrong side, nothing
happens. If the CSDE signal is not picked up for whatever reason, then
this means that none of the doors can be opened. Obviously this isn't
satisfactory so a by-pass switch is fitted - the CSDE button. If the doors
cannot be opened in the normal way, then the CSDE button is pressed. This
will allow the doors either side to be opened.

As an additional precaution, on the 1995 stock, the circuitry was altered
so that if the CSDE button was pressed, the doors could only be opened
from the backwall panels and not the panels in front of the driver. The
correct procedure to follow is:
Go to the backwall panel at the platform side.
Open the cab door and observe the platform.
Press the CSDE button.
Operate the end door cut-out button if necessary.
Press the open buttons on the platform side.
Carry out normal platform duties.
The actual procedure varies according to the stock.

This procedure should prevent a wrong-side operation. However, for
whatever reason, mistakes do occur. It is then important that the correct
procedure is carried out. As with anything, it is not what the driver
initially does wrong that's important, it's what he does afterwards that
matters. Unfortunately, in the case of a wrong-side opening then
there is a chance of injury to a passenger. Obviously if the driver has
made similar mistakes before, then that's a different matter and this will
be dealt with accordingly.

An example of this is a SPAD. Virtually all drivers have had a SPAD at
some time or the other. On the Underground, this will not normally have
any safety issues as long as the correct procedure is carried out,
although it may well cause a delay and the subsequent problems that could
cause. However, if the driver has a few of these, it will become a
discipline issue. If the driver did not carry out the correct procedure
after a SPAD, perhaps he carried on along a clear line to the next signal
that he could see ahead, even though it was quite safe to do so, then it
would be a disciplinary matter. This may well mean being sacked, although
perhaps reduced to two years suspended on appeal.

On the Northern Line, it is usual to have to operate the CSDE button
perhaps as many as five or more times on one trip - certain stations are
notorious for the signal not being picked up when the train has stopped,
even though the train has stopped correctly. Morden is an example. Most
times the CSDE has to be operated leading to the extra delay from the time
the train has stopped to when the doors have opened, as any regular
traveller to Morden will know.

From various comments that have been made in this newsgroup in the past, I
realise that it is difficult for non-LU staff to appreciate what is
involved in, for example, the driver's job and can't understand why this
or that does/doesn't happen. No doubt I look at other peoples jobs in the
same way. Different jobs have different pressures, even though they may
not be seen as pressures by those that don't understand. After all, as has
been pointed out, what's so difficult about sitting there and just pushing
a button? This statement does rather simplify things. It is not just
pushing the button that counts, it's the accompanying things that form
part of what else the person does. If a ticket collector is standing at a
busy barrier day after day, is he going to 100% check every ticket, even
though he goes through the motions? In this case, the pressure is probably
boredom. A car driver, worked up at somebody that has cut in in front of
him, suddenly realises the traffic lights ahead are red and he can't stop
in time. He is under pressure of a different sort and so makes a mistake.
It can never be said that people won't make a mistake. I doubt if there is
anybody who can say that they've never made a mistake of this type of
thing in their life.

Roger