Person on the line in a tunnel with no radio coverage
At 22:10, the driver of passenger train 2K18, eight cars and about 300 passengers, enters a 2.4 km tunnel. About 600 m inside, the driver sees a person lying beside the track. The driver stops 80 m short of the person. The tunnel has no GSM-R coverage. The nearest emergency telephone is at the tunnel portal, about 600 m behind the train. The adjacent line is open with traffic in the opposite direction. The driver has a hand-held radio but cannot reach the signaller. The conductor is in the rear set. The driver must decide how to protect the train, the person, and the adjacent line, and how to communicate the emergency.
1. What are the driver's immediate actions after stopping?
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The driver should secure the train with the brake, keep the cab door closed, and switch on hazard lights and cab lighting as appropriate. The driver should not walk the full 600 m to the portal without first protecting the train and informing passengers. The train's presence in the tunnel is itself a hazard, and the adjacent line is open. The driver should use the train's public address to tell passengers to remain seated and not to leave the train. The driver should then contact the signaller by the most practical means available, which may be the hand-held radio from a different position, the tunnel emergency telephone, or a mobile phone if coverage is available. If no communication works, the driver should send the conductor or another competent person to the portal telephone while the driver stays with the train and the person.
2. How should the driver protect the person and the adjacent line?
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The driver should approach the person only when it is safe to do so, keeping a lookout for trains on the adjacent line. The person may be injured or may move suddenly. The driver should not attempt to move the person unless there is immediate danger. The adjacent line should be protected according to the rulebook: if the driver has detonators or a track-circuit operating clip, these should be placed at the required distance, but only if it is safe to reach the location. The driver must consider the tunnel environment: trains on the adjacent line create suction and noise, and walking space is limited. Requesting the signaller to stop traffic on the adjacent line is a priority. The driver should also ask for the traction current to be switched off if the person is near the conductor rail or overhead line equipment.
3. What communications and documentation should follow?
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Once communication is established, the driver should give the signaller a clear emergency message: train identity, exact location in the tunnel, the person's position, whether the train is clear of the adjacent line, whether power needs to be switched off, and what assistance is required. The driver should request that the adjacent line be blocked and the emergency services called. After the event, the driver should complete an incident report with the time, location, actions taken, and any witnesses, and should preserve the scene as far as possible. The driver should also record any equipment failure, such as the lack of GSM-R coverage, so that the communication gap can be reviewed.