Stop and examine
Encyclopedia
The Stop and Examine rule was a United Kingdom Rulebook rule which applied on the former British Railways. It required the traincrew to stop a train and investigate the cause if they became aware of any unusual conditions which might endanger the safety of the train .
The Stop and Examine rule was made defunct after the privatisation of the railway, when the modular format rulebook was introduced. Rules are no longer given names, but instead are referred to by their location within the rulebook. In this instance it is Module TW1 which states;
" 20.2 When your train is put in danger
If you become aware of something which could put the safety of
your train in danger, you must stop your train as soon as possible.
You must, if possible, avoid stopping the train:
(Guard) - You must tell the driver why you have stopped the train."
of 1998, killing 101 people. A passenger notified the conductor of something that went wrong, but the conductor decided to examine the problem first instead of stopping the train because this was company policy.
In the Norton Fitzwarren rail crash (1940)
, the Stop and examine rule was applied, but no problem found.
The Stop and Examine rule was made defunct after the privatisation of the railway, when the modular format rulebook was introduced. Rules are no longer given names, but instead are referred to by their location within the rulebook. In this instance it is Module TW1 which states;
" 20.2 When your train is put in danger
If you become aware of something which could put the safety of
your train in danger, you must stop your train as soon as possible.
You must, if possible, avoid stopping the train:
- on a viaduct
- in a tunnel
- in any other place where it might be difficult to deal with the emergency.
(Guard) - You must tell the driver why you have stopped the train."
Accidents
Failure to implement the Stop and Examine rule contributed to the Eschede train disasterEschede train disaster
The Eschede train disaster was the world's deadliest high-speed train accident. It occurred on 3 June 1998, near the village of Eschede in the Celle district of Lower Saxony, Germany. The toll of 101 people dead and 88 injured surpassed the 1971 Dahlerau train disaster as the deadliest accident in...
of 1998, killing 101 people. A passenger notified the conductor of something that went wrong, but the conductor decided to examine the problem first instead of stopping the train because this was company policy.
In the Norton Fitzwarren rail crash (1940)
Norton Fitzwarren rail crash (1940)
The Norton Fitzwarren rail crash occurred on 4 November 1940 between Taunton and Norton Fitzwarren in the English county of Somerset, when the driver of a train misunderstood the signalling and track layout, causing him to drive the train through a set of points and off the rails. 27 people were...
, the Stop and examine rule was applied, but no problem found.
See also
- Stop and Examine is a column by Pip Dunn in the monthly magazine "Railways IllustratedRailways IllustratedRailways Illustrated is a British monthly railway magazine that is published by Ian Allan. Inside there is detail of news, stock changes, tours, and more. It is aimed at railway enthusiasts.-Inside:...
" and also the back-page column in the fortnightly magazine "RAIL", usually written by the editor. - Glossary of United Kingdom railway terminology
Further reading
- The Pacific Reporter, Volume 146, West Publishing Company, 1915. Cf. especially KIPROS v. UINTAH RY. CO. pp.292-294, Supreme Court of Utah, January 10, 1915.
- "What is the bell code used to communicate between signal cabins for block working?", The Indian Railways Fan Club. Cf. bell code for "Stop and Examine Train".