Distracted
driver

A
Freightliner
driver
who
was
in
charge
of
a
test
run
was
distracted
by
the
need
to
deal
with
a
fault
on
the
locomotive
and
ran
past
a
red
signal,
according
to
a
report
from
the
Rail
Accident
Investigation
Branch.
The
incident
was
near
Stafford
on
22
August
last
year.
No
one
was
injured
and
the
locomotive
was
not
derailed,
although
some
points
were
damaged.
The
RAIB
found
the
locomotive
had
been
travelling
too
quickly
as
it
approached
the
signal,
which
was
protecting
a
junction.
No
other
trains
were
directly
involved,
although
another
was
approaching.
The
RAIB
said
Freightliner
had
no
formal
process
for
managing
the
risks
of
test
runs
and
light
locomotives,
and
that
its
competence
management
system
had
not
equipped
the
driver
to
deal
with
an
unexpected
and
potentially
distracting
situation.
It
has
made
two
recommendations.

Railway
recruitment

Southeastern
has
launched
its
biggest
ever
recruitment
drive
to
encourage
more
people
to
choose
a
career
on
the
railways.
The
operator,
which
was
nationalised
in
2021,
says
it
wants
to
‘break
the
outdated
perception
of
what
working
in
rail
is
like’.
Southeastern
wants
to
attract
170
trainee
drivers
and
more
than
100
station
staff.
It
is
also
seeking
staff
for
enforcement
and
protection,
on
board
managers,
train
conductors
and
engineers.
The
operator
has
launched
an
advertising
campaign
which
aims
to
encourage
people
from
communities
who
may
not
have
previously
considered
a
career
in
rail.

Accessible
Anniesland

Network
Rail
engineers
worked
through
Saturday
night
to
install
steel
structures
at
Anniesland
station
which
will
contain
new
lifts.
The
lift
towers
are
12
metres
tall,
with
steel
walkways
connecting
the
upper
towers
to
the
existing
platforms.
The
footpath
underneath
the
railway
bridge,
parking
bays,
and
the
inside
eastbound
lane
of
nearby
Great
Western
Road
will
remain
closed
for
the
duration
of
the
project,
which
will
be
completed
later
this
year.