Rathdrum station - unmanned - but why?

Judgement Day

Can anybody explain why Rathdrum station is now unmanned - the IE reason please - and, if possible a rational reason? I mean why not get rid of all staff at stations on the line. Why did the unions agree to this thin end of the wedge de-manning? And, I have asked this question over on RUI but never get a satisfactory an answer: Why do depotmen at all the other stations wave a flag to the driver of departing trains when there is nobody to do it at Rathdrum - is it to give meaning to their otherwise pointless retention?

foggy_lad

there is probably not enough people using the station throughout the day to warrant having it manned much like sallins where hundreds if not thousands use the station daily they all pass through at the same times morning and evening.

and the flagman is there to let the driver know it is safe to proceed, going back to the time when tokens were used to allow a train to proceed to the next section of track(these tokens are still used on some routes)

Judgement Day

foggy_lad wrote: »

there is probably not enough people using the station throughout the day to warrant having it manned much like sallins where hundreds if not thousands use the station daily they all pass through at the same times morning and evening.

and the flagman is there to let the driver know it is safe to proceed, going back to the time when tokens were used to allow a train to proceed to the next section of track(these tokens are still used on some routes)

Thanks - I'll take the first answer as being the IE response but what about the second point - why does the driver need a flag waved at him at every station except Rathdrum?

foggy_lad

IE and most other people will say the same about the first question! people complain about irish rail being wasteful but would happily see at least one person but more likely two or more employed at a dead railway station where the only movement is the morning and evening rush(half)hour. what would you have these employees do all day apart from wait for you to arrive and leave? most people use prepaid commmuter tickets and many others buy their tickets online or will simply get their ticket at pearse or connolly.

and afaik the green flag is an indication that the platform is clear as in years gone by the platform gates would have been locked a few minutes before the train arrived and the train would not depart until the platform was clear of passengers and parcels freight etc

there may be another reason for the green flagmen at some stations?

Judgement Day

Yeah, fine I accept your points about manning levels it's an argument that I will come back to. Incidentally, Rathdrum is being attacked by grafitti artists - possibly due to the removal of staff.

My point about the flag waving is that if it is necessary at other stations how is not needed at Rathdrum? If it is not really necessary at all then why not get rid of all station staff at other rural stations.

foggy_lad

afaik it goes hand in hand with the numbers attending stations during the day so a station like sallins or rathdrum or wellingtonbridge with only a morning and evening rush needs no staff while a station like carlow which might have less passengers but where there is a stedy stream of pasengers throughout the day still have some staff.

DWCommuter

Sallins is staffed during the morning peak.

Judgement Day

foggy_lad wrote: »

afaik it goes hand in hand with the numbers attending stations during the day so a station like sallins or rathdrum or wellingtonbridge with only a morning and evening rush needs no staff while a station like carlow which might have less passengers but where there is a stedy stream of pasengers throughout the day still have some staff.

Wellingtonbridge is staffed due the presence of its signal cabin. Anyway what about the flag waving - is it just some ancient ritual that CIE picked up from watching 'The Railway Children'?

dowlingm

something to do with the grade at Rathdrum perhaps?

Judgement Day

dowlingm wrote: »

something to do with the grade at Rathdrum perhaps?

foggy_lad

might have something to do with where the trackside signals are located and if they are easily visible to the drivers, if they are not easily visible this could lead to the need for a man/woman with a semiphore flag to give a green signal

dowlingm

dowlingm wrote: »

something to do with the grade at Rathdrum perhaps?

Judgement Day wrote: »

Oliver Doyle wrote:

The station is on a long 1:90 gradient, falling towards Arklow and there has, in the last 90 years, been concern about down trains and permanent way staff working with on-track equipment approaching down this gradient. This concern could not be mitigated and resulted in keeping the siding, known locally as the ‘Wood Siding’, located on the up side at the Rosslare end as a ‘run off’.

http://www.irrs.ie/Journal%20167/167%20Rosslare.htm

Maybe given the siding there is a need to visually check points or something like that.u

Judgement Day

No - you're all wrong as far as I see, and from talking to IE staff, it is just another example of CIE/IE daftness. Love to see the results of an enquiry into an incident involving an unflagged train departing from Rathdrum....hopefully no such event will ever occur.

Cookie_Monster

Judgement Day wrote: »

No - you're all wrong as far as I see, and from talking to IE staff, it is just another example of CIE/IE daftness. Love to see the results of an enquiry into an incident involving an unflagged train departing from Rathdrum....hopefully no such event will ever occur.

have we not moved past flags yet, do we not have automatic lit signals to control stuff like this?

GM071class

Judgement Day wrote: »

Yeah, fine I accept your points about manning levels it's an argument that I will come back to. Incidentally, Rathdrum is being attacked by grafitti artists - possibly due to the removal of staff.

My point about the flag waving is that if it is necessary at other stations how is not needed at Rathdrum? If it is not really necessary at all then why not get rid of all station staff at other rural stations.

It can be performed by the Guard, But IÉ have practically eradicated them too!
If only trains with Automatic doors are operating from the station, then in theory it won't be needed to have a 'flag man', just like at a suburban station.

With relation to the grafitti, there's nothing that acts as much of a deterent as a worker in building,