So a train driver is in trouble because he made up time by cracking on a bit? If this story is correct, it appears that the passengers, and the general public, are rightly concerned about this.
Yet if you transfer this scenario to the roads, people do it all the time, apparently without any worry about safety. Is this another example of that curious way we apply double standards to the railways?
How many of us have jumped a red or amber light, judging that it is safe or perhaps the lights have broken? But aren't we appalled when an engine driver ignores a red signal?
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There is absoliutely no doubt about the application of a dual standard. The train company have suspended the driver pending an investigation. Both the line and the train type will have a speed limit, the lower of which applies. Given the inbuilt safety margin very much doubt the stories in the press about cornering on two wheeels.
Doubt there is a case in recent history of a train driver willfully ignoring a red light; confusing layouts, poor braking performance and failure to react to the preceding caution the most common causes.
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Two people died on the M6 around these parts on Sunday and another on the M40. I am puzzled as to why the whole motorway network was not closed down or given a blanket speed restriction until the causes of these accidents have been established and new safety measures implemented.
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I know (think?) that was t-i-c Chris, but don't encourage them - look at the recent closure of the port at Dover!
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There's the equivalent of a Paddington disaster on the roads every few days, at least in terms of numbers killed. The reason for the double standard is that although there are many, many more people killed on the roads than on the railways, each individual accident kills fewer people and attracts less attention. Also, train crashes get more media coverage simply because they're relatively unusual.
Perhaps more importantly, people have an irrational attitude to risk. People know they're taking a calculated risk every time they get into a car and accept this. This is because they (or someone they trust) apparently has some control over the situation. When they're passengers on a train (or plane for that matter) they feel powerless and therefore more afraid. This is despite the fact that the risk is far lower.
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I've been on a train and tend to watch signals [Sad I know, I just don't seem to be able to resist] and have never remembered passing through a red light, yet been on buses which have gone through 3, 4, 5 in one trip. Now that is double standards.
Kev
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I've pointed out before that the difference is that on the railway they *know* when a driver has passed a red signal and regardless of the reason they are immediately relieved of duty and if it was found to be intentional or due to carelessness they can be fired on the spot.
Do you think they would do it on purpose even if they didn't have that hanging over them when they don't know what route is set for them and what might come hammering at them from any direction and unable to avoid a collision?
Bus drivers, as you say, often run red lights to make up time, but even then they aren't half as bad as the average motorist. However, I've only ever seen one bus driver stopped by the police for this and in that case it was very harsh as he would have had to really throw the anchors on to stop and he couldn't know if there wasn't someone upstairs making their way down to get off.
As for the comments about the incident where a train apparently rode up 'on two wheels', consider how many wheels a train actually has. A hint would be at least 4 at each end of each coach, pacers and eurostars excepted. Riding up on two wheels would be rather impossible without the thing coming right off the rails and in to the cess.
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Some minister, of tzar, or whatever, said exactly the same thing on Radio 4's Today program on Monday morning.
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