Re: [VIC] Level crossing accident: High St Reservoir

["Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au>]

Lineman <grime@dcsi.net.au> wrote in message 385eac6e@nap-ns1">news:385eac6e@nap-ns1...
> One dark night many years ago a driver and I had to go out to Heidelberg
to
> collect a defective spark and bring it back to the ERD.
> Earlier in the afternoon a jumper at a popular spot on the line had tried
to
> stop the tait head on.
> It had been decided to return the train to the shops under cover of
> darkness,a/c there was no hose available at Heidelberg etc.
> Its quite amazing how much the front of the cab below the window was stove
> in.
> Naturally my driver had to do his walk around and other checks and I had
to
> sit in that end back to Princes Bridge,so you could say it was not the
most
> comfortable run we had ever had.
> The weird thing about it all was that the jumper had been trying half the
> afternoon to either get up the required courage???or find a willing driver
> to run over her at the end of the platform.
> Any way back to the point of this,If they can spare relief,then usually
you
> get relief,if they cant they will ask you if you think you can carry on
and
> try and relive you at earliest opportunity ie Flinders St or another
> terminal station.
> It used to be that you where advised by the union to give name rank and
> serial number and nothing else to the police.
> I am speaking of the early 1980s here so procedures may very well have
> changed considerably,perhaps Bob or Rod could update us.
> Graeme

There are proceedures in place, on the Met Train Crew Roster Supervisor or
in his absence the Train Crew Allocation Officer at Flinders Street must
provide relief  by the most expedient way, ie: Taxi/Car, the Driver can be
asked to clear the Section if he is prepared to but is quite within his
rights to refuse, if requested to move the train for the Ambulance/Police to
remove a body or for Ambulance Crews to reach an injured person the Driver
is permitted if he feels he is fit enough to do so, otherwise he can refuse,
however if it was a life threatening situation I would assume most Drivers
would agree to move the train. Usually the first thing the Police do is
Breath Test the Driver as if he was the one who caused the problem, anyway
it gets that out of the way so no accussations can be made later.

When relief arrives, a Taxi must be supplied to take the Driver involved in
the accident to a location of his choice, ie. Home, Doctor or National
Trauma Clinic, (don't know if that includes the nearest pub or not)<g>


Anyway to answer your original question, if the Driver wants relief it must
be provided.

Bob.