Re: Flinders St CBI

[Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au>]

Jennifer Richmond wrote:
> 
> Notagunzel wrote:
> 
> > When the Platform 14 / Jolimont Lines Area is resignalled later on, I'm
> > told that between Jolimont and Flinders St, at one point a 90 sec.
> > service will be needed account football, so all Autos will be bagged,
> > and flagmen used instead.  Further details when available...
> 
> Why would you do this? Why would flagmen be any quicker than Signals?

If the flagpersons are doing their job properly, they would typically be
much slower than signals. Presumably a theory might be that they could
visually determine that the preceding train had passed the signal
immediately in advance (without any overlap past that signal) and
therefore allow the next train to follow quicker than waiting for the
overlap to clear (as required to release the signal). However that would
simply be a recipe for disaster when the train ahead just APPEARED to
have passed the signal in advance but was still foul, and it would also
cancel the very safety advantages that overlaps provide. If the
flagperson has to wait for the flagperson at the next signal to advise
orally that the train in advance has cleared, and if proper radio
protocols are followed, then the signal would typically be ready to
clear anyway.

All in all, the idea seems downright bizarre, and contrary to the most
basic safeworking principles.

Is the idea just a bit of fanciful gossip, or is someone in Hillside
Trains (or some other authority) trying to reinvent the world?

Eddie Oliver