IE to close lines.

steamengine

foggy_lad wrote: »

Considering the number of people at risk in the case of driver error I would think the bus driver should be paid more, trains are on rails and boats on the water both places the general public won't be pottering about but the bus driver has to drive on motorways as well as through busy city and town streets!

An interesting theory - pay rates linked to the risk of injury, or worse, to third parties, in the event of an accident due to driver error. For some reason I can't get my head around that one !!!

corktina

i had a pal who would never fly to england as it was unsafe compared to the ferry


he's dead now...




died on the ferry...









plane crashed into it....

steamengine

foggy_lad

steamengine wrote: »

An interesting theory - pay rates linked to the risk of injury, or worse, to third parties, in the event of an accident due to driver error. For some reason I can't get my head around that one !!!

That is what you were claiming for train drivers, stress etc and the number of lives they are responsible for

steamengine

foggy_lad wrote: »

That is what you were claiming for train drivers, stress etc and the number of lives they are responsible for

Correct! Paid according to their competence and professionalism, for transporting potentially hundreds of people at a time, safely and quickly, from A to B. Therefore I think the role of an InterCity train driver is closer to that of an airline pilot or passenger ship captain, than that of a coach driver. Coach/bus maximum passenger numbers are considerably less, speeds slower and there is not nearly the same amount of kinetic energy at play.

mikemac1

Didn't DART drivers demand extra money when they added extra carraiges a few years ago

I don't think they got it though

Bit of a cheeky claim, would they volunteer to get paid less if they were running with just two carriages lol

foggy_lad

steamengine wrote: »

Correct! Paid according to their competence and professionalism, for transporting potentially hundreds of people at a time, safely and quickly, from A to B. Therefore I think the role of an InterCity train driver is closer to that of an airline pilot or passenger ship captain, than that of a coach driver. Coach/bus maximum passenger numbers are considerably less, speeds slower and there is not nearly the same amount of kinetic energy at play.

Oh I see now! It has nothing to do with skill but all about the amount of power you have to control, so horsepower = €

You are also saying that bus and coach drivers are not competent or professional.....:D

steamengine

foggy_lad wrote: »

Oh I see now! It has nothing to do with skill but all about the amount of power you have to control, so horsepower = €

For the third time - the amount of passengers carried ! So I'd appreciate it if you didn't second guess what I'm stating.

foggy_lad wrote: »

You are also saying that bus and coach drivers are not competent or professional.....:D

Please quote me where I stated that !

foggy_lad

steamengine wrote: »

Correct! Paid according to their competence and professionalism, for transporting potentially hundreds of people at a time, safely and quickly, from A to B. Therefore I think the role of an InterCity train driver is closer to that of an airline pilot or passenger ship captain, than that of a coach driver. Coach/bus maximum passenger numbers are considerably less, speeds slower and there is not nearly the same amount of kinetic energy at play.

So bus drivers do not earn anywhere as much as train drivers because they are not nearly as competent or professional?

anyways all this talk of drivers leads back to the topic in hand as the salaries of train drivers adds to the prohibitive costs of keeping lesser used lines like the Nensgh branch line and the WRC open

steamengine

foggy_lad wrote: »

You are also saying that bus and coach drivers are not competent or professional.....:D

Still waiting for the quote - where I stated that !!!

Stonewolf

I watched a very interesting presentation the other day about teleoperation of mining equipment. All the machines were operated by people in nice, air conditioned offices a few hundred miles from the mines. The mining companies were saving money by not requiring people to be on the machine itself doing a dirty and dangerous job, they lived in the suburbs with their families and commuted to work with everyone else.

I wonder if a similar system would be possible for trains (in principle it's pretty much the same thing).

foggy_lad

Apologies, you did not state that exactly. but you did imply that they are nowhere near as competent or professional from the post here.

Originally Posted by foggy_lad
That is what you were claiming for train drivers, stress etc and the number of lives they are responsible for

Correct! Paid according to their competence and professionalism, for transporting potentially hundreds of people at a time, safely and quickly, from A to B. Therefore I think the role of an InterCity train driver is closer to that of an airline pilot or passenger ship captain, than that of a coach driver. Coach/bus maximum passenger numbers are considerably less, speeds slower and there is not nearly the same amount of kinetic energy at play.

The truth of it is that Coach drivers have many more variables to consider when driving and should be considered far more highly skilled than those who operate a train which is after all on rails and is more akin to operating a static piece of equipment. The biggest danger to passengers is the driver falling asleep and crashing into the back of another train!

steamengine

foggy_lad wrote: »

Apologies, you did not state that exactly. but you did imply that they are nowhere near as competent or professional from the post here.



The truth of it is that Coach drivers have many more variables to consider when driving and should be considered far more highly skilled than those who operate a train which is after all on rails and is more akin to operating a static piece of equipment. The biggest danger to passengers is the driver falling asleep and crashing into the back of another train!

Thank you for that, any perceived implication was unintentional on my part. So let me clear this up - Bus/coach drivers are just as competent and professional as train drivers, pilots and ships captains. The rest is a matter of opinion AFAIAC.

shamwari

foggy_lad wrote: »

The truth of it is that Coach drivers have many more variables to consider when driving and should be considered far more highly skilled than those who operate a train which is after all on rails and is more akin to operating a static piece of equipment.

If ever a post belied the ignorance of the subject being discussed then this does. :rolleyes:

I could sit here and explain in very clear detail why you are wrong on this foggy, but I won't even waste my time trying.

Cookie_Monster

foggy_lad wrote: »

The truth of it is that Coach drivers have many more variables to consider when driving and should be considered far more highly skilled than those who operate a train which is after all on rails and is more akin to operating a static piece of equipment. The biggest danger to passengers is the driver falling asleep and crashing into the back of another train!

I wouldn't think so. Driving is something everyone can and does do frequently. It's a very familiar environment and is done in small vehicles that react near instantly be it bus or car. Trains on the other hand have hundreds of tonnes of momentum, multiple carriages and couplings that all react together. Everything you do has to be planned miles in advance totally unsighted. You're also responsible far a far more powerful vehicle and far more people at far higher speeds....

DDigital

Late addition, but if the OP is correct then it is both sad and an even sadder confirmation of what many others have been saying for a few years. It looks like IE have wanted to close certain lines regardless of general growth and they were purposefully neglected to facilitate this. In essence these lines got no investment and were always earmarked for closure.