The safety of passengers is of paramount importance to everyone at Chiltern Railways.
Here you can find detailed information about the systems and equipment in place and the measures we take each and everyday to ensure that our excellent safety record is maintained.
Driver Training
| Period of Time | Nature of Training |
| 1 week | Chiltern Railways General Employee Induction Personal Track Safety Personal Track Safety Examination |
| 2 weeks | Introduction to operations and safety Examination on operations and safety |
| 3 weeks | Driver Cab Experience Here the driver rides out with an instructor driver. They do NOT take control of the vehicle but use the time to identify and learn about the issues they learnt about during the previous 2 weeks. Examination |
| 5 weeks | Intensive classroom training in the Railway Rule Book which contains all the rules and regulations associated with an operational railway. Day Long Verbal Examination during which the driver is grilled on their knowledge of these critical rules and regulations |
| 4 weeks | Traction Training A comprehensive course which covers all aspects of trains including faults and failures, the working of the engines, Automatic Train Protection and other safety systems Intensive Examination |
| 2 weeks | Learning how to drive Accompanied by a fully qualified instructor driver, the trainee learns all about the practical side of driving trains and about the route they will be driving on. Practical examination on their ability to drive a train under instruction NB. If they pass this stage they are entitled to drive trains BUT ONLY WHILE ACCOMPANIED – THEY ARE STILL NOT ALLOWED OUT WITH A TRAIN ON THEIR OWN |
| 8-11 weeks (the driver is required to undertake 275 hours of driving under instruction and the time it takes to do this will depend on shift lengths) | Practical driving training under instruction On the last day the driver is required to carry out a shift long driving test during which (similarly to the car driving test) the instructor travels with him and watches his technique and ability. The driver will also be questioned on a variety of related issues. At the end of this day the instructor will either pass or fail the trainee. If they pass they will be fully qualified to drive passenger trains on our route on their own A driver will also be taught route knowledge and will cover areas such as knowledge of signal siting, speed restrictions, whistle boards, station positioning/station length etc. |
| 3 weeks | Put into practice the route knowledge learnt. During this period a driver is accompanied by a qualified second person. This concludes with a written exam. |
| TOTAL TRAINING TIME | 25-31 weeks |
The above training programme must be completed in full by any trainee recruited, unless they are already a driver with another Train Operating Company.
If the recruit is a driver with another train company they will be assessed as to what training is required to drive on our route. Typically this training will take up to 3 months. Before being allowed to drive our trains on our route unaccompanied, they must satisfy their qualified instructor that they are fully competent in all the above areas including personal track safety, traction, route knowledge, safety and driving techniques.
Passenger/Driver Communications
All our trains offer passengers a direct communication link to the driver for use in an emergency. Red handles or buttons are located in each doorway. Passengers pull the handle or push the button to speak to the driver. Posters giving instructions for passengers are provided by each doorway.
Driver/Passenger Communications
All our trains are fitted with a Public Address system which can be operated by the Driver, Customer Service Inspector or Train Host from the cab.
Driver/Signalman Communications
(a) Between Marylebone, Banbury and Aylesbury:
Over this section of line we operate Driver Only trains. This means that the Customer Service Inspectors on our trains are not required for operational purposes. They are there purely to look after passengers and check tickets. Drivers have direct communication links to the relevant signal box via a radio in their cab. If there were an incident they can quickly contact the signal person without leaving the cab and, if necessary, summon help or emergency assistance.
(b) North of Banbury:
As is the case on most other parts of the UK rail network, the Driver is assisted by a Train Host or Customer Service Inspector whose role includes operational duties. All Chiltern Railways train cabs are fitted with mobile phones with dedicated pre-programmed numbers for contacting relevant signal boxes and control centres. In addition, the Customer Service Inspectors and Train Hosts all carry mobile phones and pagers. Emergency telephones are also provided beside the track across Network Rail's network.
Fire Extinguishers and Emergency Equipment
There are fire extinguishers on every train which are suitable for use on all types of fire. Full instructions are displayed on the sides of the extinguishers. Directions to the nearest fire extinguishers and other emergency equipment, including first aid supplies, are clearly marked in all our trains.
Fire extinguishers are also located over the engines. A safety device can sense any undue heat around the engine causing an alarm to be triggered in the driver's cab. The engine concerned will automatically shut down and when the train slows to below 5mph the extinguishers are triggered.
Train Protection Systems
Chiltern Railways trains have 4 separate systems fitted to ensure safety at all times for our passengers and staff .
1. Automatic Warning System (AWS)
This simple system has been used throughout the UK National Rail network for many years.
As a driver approaches a yellow, double yellow or red signal, a horn sounds in the cab.
On hearing the horn the driver must acknowledge it by pressing a button. If the driver fails to acknowledge the horn within 6 seconds, the emergency brakes are automatically applied.
2. Automatic Train Protection (ATP)
Chiltern Railways inherited the ATP system when it won its franchise in 1996. Our route was one of two chosen by British Rail to participate in the ATP pilot - the other being the Great Western line from London Paddington. Chiltern Railways is totally committed to supporting the development of ATP into a totally reliable safety system and has been working towards achieving this together with Network Rail since 1996. An indication of the commitment involved is the hundreds of thousands of pounds which we've invested in installing it on all our new Clubman trains.
All Chiltern Railways trains are fitted with ATP equipment. ATP equipment is fitted on the Network Rail signalling system throughout our line with the exception of the stretch between Kings Sutton and Kidderminster.
ATP works as follows:
It is a computerised system.
As a driver approaches a signal, cable loops in the track tell the train the distance to the next signal and whether the signal is red, yellow or green. The train calculates when it should begin to slow given the distance to the next signal and the speed at which it is traveling.
If the driver fails to apply the brakes correctly in anticipation of a red signal, the brakes are applied automatically.
3. Train Protection Warning System (TPWS)
This system is fitted to all Chiltern Railways trains. At speeds up to 75mph the system is designed to prevent trains passing signals at danger and heading on a collision course with a train coming in the opposite direction.
The ‘on track’ equipment required to operate the TPWS system has been fitted by Network Rail at hundreds of specifically identified locations around the country, where a risk of collision has been identified. It effectively acts as a speed check, automatically applying the brakes if a train is moving too fast to stop in time for a red signal.
TPWS is also fitted on the approach to many terminus platforms where the system is designed to ensure a low speed arrival, reducing any risk of a collision with the buffers.
4. Tripcock
This system is used on the London Underground network. Because Chiltern Railways' trains run over the London Underground Metropolitan Line tracks between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham our trains are all fitted with Tripcock equipment.
Each cab vehicle has a valve attached to the bogie which has an arm protruding. Each signal on London Underground has a trip arm which is raised if the signal is red. If a train tries to pass a red signal, the trip arm hits the tripcock valve arm on the vehicle and the tripcock valve applies the brake.
Wheel Slip Protection (WSP)
Very similar to the Automatic Braking System in cars, WSP prevents the wheels from locking and sliding when the brakes are applied.
Sanding in Braking
Since Autumn 1997 all Chiltern vehicles have been equipped with a sanding system which assists with braking and accelerating in slippery conditions. Compressed air and sand are ejected down a pipe in front of the wheels. This applies sand directly onto the rail in front of the wheels giving them the additional grip they need to respond to braking and accelerating.
Black Boxes
There is a black box recorder fitted in each cab. As in an aircraft, the black box continually records all events on a train's journey. All technical information related to the train's operation is recorded, including the speed a train travels at, when the brakes are applied, if emergency brakes are applied etc. In the event of a minor incident, the information held by the black box is down loaded onto a laptop computer for investigation.
In the event of a major incident, the entire black box will be removed from the cab to be used as evidence in the subsequent accident investigation.
Leaf Fall
How can leaves disrupt train services?
Leaves on rails are a bit like black ice on roads. The problem is not piles of dead leaves, but a hard, slippery coating on the rails that is very hard to remove. Briefly, what happens is:
• Leaves are swept onto the track by the slipstream of passing trains.
• Light rain falls.
• Train wheels crush the wet leaves at high pressure.
• This carbonises the leaves, forming a hard, Teflon-like coating on the rails.
What do we do about the problem?
In the run up to autumn leaf fall and winter conditions we step up training and briefings to our drivers to make sure they're prepared for what's to come. Industry wide-measures include foliage clearance all year round by Network Rail in order to keep the tracks free of overhanging trees. In addition a 'Sandite' programme is run by both Network Rail and London Underground throughout the leaf fall period. 'Sandite' trains spread a gritty paste on the track to give trains a better grip. They target known problem areas, particularly where there are deep cuttings and steep inclines.
Also, each year from the end of September through to early December, our timetable is adjusted to allow our drivers extra braking time. This means that they have a much better chance of keeping to time, reducing the scope for running out of sequence and causing delays.
In Autumn 2003 we introduced further measures in the form of a 'water cannon' train. This literally blasts leaves and leaf mulch from the tracks. These extra measures mean that disruption attributable to leaf fall problems is now much reduced compared to previous years.
