GSM-R Training

Well it was a day for me and a couple of the lads to be sent to the Scotsman Hotel for the day for our GSM-R training it is the new in cab phones that are getting rolled out around the country as a more modern and quicker tool for contacting Signallers in emergency situations the old system of when an emergency happened was to stop your train immediately grab track circuit clips and detonators and get off your train place the clips on the affected line's and place detonators down to stop oncoming trains and then contact the signaller by phone to tell him what the emergency was and where you were which could take a little time which can be critical but now with this new system I push the red emergency button in the cab and it will set all the signals in a 18km radius back to RED stopping all trains as well as a Emergency stop your to your Train booming over the speaker in the cabs of trains in that radius so it is pretty much instant and it also can save time when if you get stopped at a red light you used to have to get out your cab then go to the phone to speak to the signaller for instructions but when you press the button to say you are stopped at signal your display screen will now maybe say wait at signal so that means less delays for trains and passengers with drivers getting fatter as they don't have to get out the cab say in the pouring rain anymore thankfully so this is my blip for the day of the set up for our new in cab phones of the future on our training day and it was nice to see that my instructor for the day was a guy I have know for many years that when I used to drive freight trains I worked with him on some big projects around the country especially in Cumbria and London so it was nice to catch up with him for a wee blether