Re: Safeworking!

[G.Lambert@unsw.edu.au (Geoff Lambert)]

Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au> wrote:

>> 
>> Burlington Northern (now a part of BNSF) has had at least for 10 years Track
>> Warrants(Train Orders), given over the radio but they are first put into a
>> computer before the Dispatcher actually issues the Warrant verbally.  This
>> system is by far more cheaper, but has a computer to back up the
>> Dispatcher's directive.

>Track warrants and train orders are not quite the same in any given
>implementation, and the words mean different things in different
>implementations - so don't just equate them willy-nilly.

>However leaving that aside, even computerisation of the content of the
>track warrants, train orders or whatever doesn't protect against errors
>in the transmission of the information, which is presumably why Victoria
>went one stage further with ASW or the British with RETB. 

>For instance a major Union Pacific accident a couple of years ago was
>caused by part of an order not being transmitted, and the dispatcher did
>not even notice the omission when it was read back -  and the engineer
>(driver) acted correctly on the incomplete order with fatal
>consequences.

For this, see http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/Pub_list.htm

GL