Get run over by a Rainbow Train and see how you like that

I love trains right, more than the average person. But there are some people who really really love them and can't help but want to get close up to them. Lets call them Trespassers. There have been quite a few accidents along the lea valley line recently. All been in the media too - The two guys who got run over by the stansted express in Edmonton. And those two girls who were run over in Elsenham up on the Cambridge Stretch.

I was lucky enough to read the 70 page report on that particular accident. Yawn!

Na it was actually quite an exciting piece of literature which basically said - It was their fault. I like that verdict. If I was a "hyped up on sugar" teen on my way to shop in Cambridge and I was 20 seconds away from missing the train, then I would do anything to catch it. Joe public condemned the crossing as being unsafe, however anyone quick to blame the railways will fail to take into account the layout of that situation... To take into account that there were Warning Lights, a big fuckoff sign AND 2 types of Klaxon (One for First Train and One for Second Train). The railway is as such an open system. Fair enough anyone can wonder on, but they must do so at their own risk.

I almost shed some tears while reading through the diary of One Tn see [Tues 21st March] http://www.one-tn.co.uk a newly trained driver who experienced a fatality. I shall quote

It was only my fifth solo driving turn and a day given over entirely to Stansted Express services and, surprisingly for me, started without incident. Unfortunately, it didn't last. As I was driving through Clapton station on my way back down the airport, a person ran out from behind the steps to the ticket office and jumped off the edge of the platform directly in front of my train. Even though I sounded the warning horn and applied the brakes, there was no way that I could avoid running the person over.

Right, I'd hate to be that guy. I'm not gonna lie.

So I'm gonna rant on about the technical side of the rails.

There have been many overhead line problems in the area. And they've been happening in the worst places imaginable. 4 times in the last 4 weeks. In these instances bad maintenance of the overhead wires, has led to the pantograph (piece of equipment on a train that transfers current from the wires to the train) to get tangled, which can bring the whole lot down.

Most of the faults have been occurring at night before end of service, but even then passengers aren't notified in the morning. Not even the media are notified. Management can't even decide to use the diversionary routes because they were all ripped up as a cost cutting scheme yonks ago. [see Beeching Report]. So there's havoc when ya get to the station. There have been 3 times when I've seen abandoned trains half hanging off the platform in Walthamstow Central. No lights No Power. That's when I say to myself, "I'm glad I take the bus".. It's actually quicker!

Ok so you lot are probably wondering, how the fuck does he know so much about trains, it's kinda scary. The first major book I read was London and Its railways. A book which is self explanatory in it's contents. What is so inspiring is that here we have a very very old system that has barely changed for nearly 200 years which is still in use today. Even though the hustle and bustle and overall pace has changed, these pieces of history barely haven't. Ok albeit with slight refurbishment. I saw this picture of Chingford Station when it opened. It was seen as the gateway to Epping forest, for recreation and leisure. It's purpose hasn't changed. I say that ironically because the stupid connections with the buses make it easier to commute to Walthamstow.

If something is out of the ordinary, I will want to know why it is so. like..

Why is the One West Anglia Timetable so odd. You will have trains every 15 minutes and then random 30 minute gaps? (That's cos of the stupid management)

Why when using a Lea valley line level crossing do you always have to wait for not 1, not 2 but 3 trains to pass? (That's because of the stupid Timetable created by the stupid management)

Why can't Chingford Trains go to Stratford?
(that's because of Stupid Network rail who can't be arsed to put that track back in... All 100 metres of it. But even then the stupid timetable will be cocked up by the stupid management)

And even after all of this. I'm going to be working for them in summer. How Ironic