Track access controller: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:34, 26 April 2008

Revision as of 16:14, 28 April 2008

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{{Unreferenced|date=June 2007}}{{Notability|date=June 2007}}

'''Track Access ControllersController''' performis an importanta safety rolerelated forjob post in the London Underground. They mostly work at night during "Engineering hours" when traction current is switched off and passenger trains have stopped running.

Each Track Access Controller has responsibility for an underground line (e.g. the East London line) or part of an underground line. Some lines such as the Northern line are so long and so busy that on some nights, up to 3 Track Access Controllers may be responsible for different parts of the track.

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A protection master is an NVQ-licensed and certified employee or contractor who works on the track doing any type of engineering work ranging from cleaning the track through to changing rails or re-cabling the network. Any individual working on or around the track environment must be a protection master or have a protection master with them. Protection Masters rely on the Track Access Controller to keep them safe while they are working on the track (safe from traction current as well as moving trains and vehicles).

The post of Track Access Controller is highly sought after, and successful individualsControllersindividuals are trained in many aspects of railway management. They are an "Operational manager" grade of London Underground and each must be competent to deal with multi-tasking, emergencies and conflicts of work. Their priorities are safety, completion of engineering work and the safe/timely return of the railway for passenger trains every morning. IfTrack youaccess arecontrollers everresolv strandedproblems in the morning duerelated to "overrunning of engineering work" you can be sure that a Track Access Controller somewhere is working hard to get the problem resolved for you.

It takes over 6 months to train as a Track Access Controller and the team is made up of ex-former protection masters (only the best), ex Station-Supervisors, ex Senior Signalmen and other Station "Operational Manager" backgrounds. BetweenTrack themAccess they have a wealth and breadth of knowledge that is the envy of other London Underground departments. They work well under pressure,Controllers work independently, andto deal with incidents and minor/major scenarios every night before authorising the turning on of traction current in the morning, allowing passenger trains to run.

[[Category:London Underground]]