funny central line driver

Well he's certainly enthusiastic - must be new ;D ;D

Think i've had that driver before as well. There's nothing wrong with drivers making PA's, but sometimes it gets too much and becomes an annoyance. There's a Geordie bloke on the Bakerloo line who doesn't ever shut up, and i've also had a Met guy that can't keep off the PA's either. Drives me mad. Sometimes I have to get off and wait for the next train, especially with the Bakerloo guy.

Don't get me wrong, i've cracked the odd joke myself but if you keep making announcements relentlessly the passengers will switch off and miss it when you say something important. Let the DVA take the strain and then people will take notice when a "real" voice comes over the tannoy. Drivers are also not supposed to make PA's when the train is in motion as they should be concentrating on the road, especially the Met guy who is on a 2 handle stock!

I must sound like a right miserable old git, but it's always been a bugbear of mine.

Hiya Prakash, went to the OP Link, heard it, and seen your reply.

Sticking my oar in, I refer also to the thread remarking that manual driving is effectively not promoted on the "automated" lines these days that opens up a vast difference between traditional driving a train, and (absolutely no disrespect intended) sitting back whilst the black boxes and pc's take the strain.

What (forgetting the political correctness) it really boils down to is that there are still on some lines Train Drivers, and on other lines Train Supervisors, rather than Operators. Increasing automated operation outside the control and REGULAR PRACTICAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE IN SERVICE of the driver/operator stunts the job expectations, and ability to respond to an emergency situation from lack of REGULAR training or actual experience.

I think your post above is perfectly valid (and of course you have the right here to voice your opinion) and I don't consider you a "right miserable old git" at all, because I reckon I'm one of the best qualifiers for that title myself these days...

IMHO I'd need to quote from two or three threads I've studied here - the gist boils down to Ato Train Operation on the Central leaving it to mandatory computer control means you can exit a station and see the next train behind you entering it on your platform monitor VDU's, because The Computer Says So.

And you can only practise driving your train on Sundays in the open sections on the Central.

And the Victoria Line guys can't practise anything. Hence the remark that the ticket barriers become the highlight of one's life, on another thread.


My personal point is that the Motorman/Driver is responsible for the safety of his/her (any lady drivers? Sorry, don't know and just asking!) Train if anything goes wrong - and what I am seeing on this forum is increased automation to which a train Driver has decreasing input - AND LACK OF ACTUAL "TRADITIONAL" DRIVING EXPERIENCE - so no wonder they feel the only contribution they can make is to entertain the passengers on the PA. After all, they know their passengers are crammed in, hot and sweating, far worst than EU regulations would allow sardines to be packed in a tin.

So thanks for your post, Prakash, and I'm thinking about it. It seems that you are just putting one side of what is clearly an important and wide discussion as to what the guy at the pointy end of the train's responsibilities, training, and potential liabilities SHOULD ANYTHING GO WRONG be assessed.

cheers,

There seem to be alot of misunderstanding about ATO on the Central Line............

On the Central manual driving is allowed at any time in open sections. East of Leytonstone/Leyton and West of White City. It's entirely at the driver's discretion. On Sunday's it's mandatory and was being rigourously enforced today. In other words two thirds of the line default back to being manual. Elsewhere should ATO be withdrawn for whatever purpose then a driver will be expected/asked to drive at full line speed in coded manual.........

As for boredom, we don't get much time for that. We seem to be rushed of our rails for most of the day............

Not Guilty... but I have a vague idea as to who this can be!!! ;D

yes, we have a handful on the Central...

I see so if you do get bored you can drive in coded manual. But how does that work?
Does the train suddenly slow down on sections or are you advised in the cab?? Even though you have to follow the signals how the hell does it work???

james

Lady drivers? I think the total is around 6%.

In reply to Ongarparknride, I guess a lot of it is personal preference. I've only ever worked the older stock and have no experience of the newer trains, but surely the "operator" should still be watching the road? If he was on a mobile or playing on a PSP or reading a book or something there would be trouble, but using the PA excessively seems to be considered something commendable by LU. If a bloke had a one-under while making a PA about "Jubilee line to the front" when he's got a working DVA to tell the punters the interchange information and doesnt cosh it quick enough as a result, how would the company/coroner's court look at that?

Not having a dig mate, just wandering.

Drivers (or operators) of the newer stock have just as much responsibility as those of us that drive the older trains. Either way, the person on the front should be concentrating on the road ahead and platform - train interface rather than making daft PAs left right and centre. It can't help concentration/safety.

Nowt wrong with funny or quirky PA's, but there's a time and a place for it... and it's not every bloody station! ;D