Kings Cross PSB Closed

What you mean like the existing Emergency Control Rooms / Machine Rooms that a large number of both NR and LU lines already use. Let's not waste money renaming them though! They are of course only Remote Controlled when normal operation is in place.

To be less pedantic though, lines with decent signalling systems (so not the JLE then) generally change manually operated staffed signal boxes with remotely controlled unstaffed boxes. However, the option to staff these boxes and operate the equipment locally is normally kept.

For example, Baker Street replaced signal cabins at Stanmore, Wembley Park, Neasden and so on, and made it possible to control those areas under one roof (using one person as well). However, should it be required, each of the areas retains the original signal frame and the area can be operated locally.

The only problem during incidents comes when you realise that through modernising and streamlining your railway you got rid of all the staff that could be sent to use the local control ;D




The more control of a line you have under one roof, the more reliability you have. You can see more railway at a glance and be able to provide much better service information.

Baker Street would be much better had the original plans been stuck to (i.e. the whole Met Line by 2000). Of course, naturally I am slightly biased. We avoid "cracking the whip" though - except where absolutely necessary ;D

The whole line (or the whole of the Sub-Surface Lines) will now never be at Baker Street, but will one day reside more or less under one roof somewhere (and hopefully I will have a job there - provided it happens in the next 25-30 years - I won't hold my breath for either prospect ;D )

No doubt modernisation of lines in order to get them under one roof could see the end of using the old local signal frames - you can imagine that the designers will hear the word "old" and decide they will get rid of it. Then purpose built emergency control rooms would be required - wasting an awful lot of money.

That also comes down to money, but also down to the fact that hopefully any such room is only used as an emergency on a very temporary basis and will normally have a basic emergency timetable - normally as a result of the incident itself.

Besides (flexes muscles) TDs are just for the punters to know where trains are going. Real signallers know which train is which and will clear the correct signals (lack of muscular tone now becomes evident, reddening of face occurs, embarressed grin and seat re-taken ;D)

I cannot speak for my fellow colleagues, but cucumber does not agree with me ;D

As for train numbers, a handful of carefully placed CCTV cameras provide us with some of the information - and of course entertainment, given that they are focused on train cabs. We can see you swearing at us ;D