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Old November 23rd 06, 07:56 PM posted to uk.transport.london
TheOneKEA TheOneKEA is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Aug 2004
Posts: 341
Default Does anyone know what is up with the Central Line at the moment?


Paul Corfield wrote:
The new timetable was due to run from last Monday. When it was loaded it
crashed the train control computer. All Central Line trains are driven
automatically by a central control computer (in simple terms).


Not quite. I used to think this too but an AET who works on the Central
informed me that the ATO function is locally controlled from the
trackside SERs, which implies that the central computers are merely a
regulatory and supervisory system (i.e. a souped-up programme machine);
I suspect the main reason why Coded Manual driving was instituted
during the computer crash was simply to reduce the number of things
that could additionally go wrong.

One big reason why the service was diabolical is because there were a
lack of licensed station staff available to open the SERs at the
controlled sites and operate the ELCPs (Emergency Local Control
Panels). Apparently the LU station staff diagrammers never expected a
situation like this, where more than one SER would need to be locally
operated - it makes you wonder if the licensing will be extended to
more staff members!