Dispatching trains when on-train camera monitoring systems are not working
The project was set out in response to the ASLEF concerns about the fact that drivers are increasingly reliant on OTCM equipment that can display sub-standard images.
The design and performance of OTCM systems can impact the safe and effective operation of the vehicle. The design of the OTCM system can adversely impact its optimum performance, causing the withdrawal of vehicles from service in certain environmental conditions, like snow or ice. It can also result in a system which requires additional technical or operational support, or an unusual mode of operation. For instance, some train cabs are fitted with an OTCM system which allows the driver to view the platform-train interface (PTI) and the dispatch corridor, that is, the platform and the side of the train.
Clarity about using sub-standard OTCM equipment was therefore required.
The technical note provides clarity by providing a flowchart of how to address the train dispatch when OTCM equipment is defective.
The technical note relates to RIS-2703-RST, issue two, Driver Controlled Operation (DCO) On-Train Camera/Monitors (OTCM).
Other associated documents are:
- RIS-3703-TOM, issue five, Passenger Train Dispatch and Platform Safety Measures
- RIS-3437-TOM, issue three, Defective OnTrain Equipment
- GERT8000-SS1, issue nine, Station duties and train dispatch
- GERT8000-TW5, issue twelve, Preparation and movement of trains: Defective or isolated vehicles and on-train equipment.
The new TN112 helps the user to understand better what they need to do, and which standards apply, in the case of train cabs that are fitted with an OTCM equipment.
The technical note has been so useful that its guidance will be incorporated into RIS-2703-RST when the standard is next reviewed, due in December 2024. This will mean that all the information is available in a single place.