British Rail Signal & Telecommunications railway safety video

READ THE DESCRIPTION. This video goes contain graphic reconstructions of real railway accidents that involved S&T technicians with British Rail. This program serves as a very clear reminder of why you must be always observant and mindful of your surroundings when working on the railways.

[@darrenhillman8396]

I work in the S&T at Liverpool. These three lads were my workmates. Even now, I find this very hard to watch. By putting these films on YT, I hope they can serve as a reminder to current staff of how different things were in terms of track safety back then. And as a memorial to all the staff who have lost their lives working on the railway.

[@EM-yk1dw]

Simply awful really sad. I remember there was a bad accident at Severn Tunnel Junction, 4 workers killed clearing snow out of the points.

[@rayhands6530]

I started as a trainee with the S&T at Edge I new these lads the same as Darren. I left a few years before the accident but remember seeing it on the news. I called Norman Birkett one of the supervisors, I still remember the tone of his voice. We were part of one big team. RIP

[@paullee5573]

What changes were made to the safety protocol to ensure there is no further, needless, waste of life?

[@Sam-bz1hr]

@@paullee5573 everything completely different now

[@NeilShearer-ok2gi]

I have watched this video

[@davecook3840]

Remember us all being sat down in mess room and made to watch this. Everything changed after that young lad got bowled over at west Byfleet. Name been changed for the video, his name was Paul and it was a terrible time

[@GemmaH61]

My dad,who passed away in 1981 was S&T area manager.his area was Liverpool street station to Broxbourne junction & Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria.He also taught at Stratford S & T training centre,which apparently had Europe's largest train set layout.One day I said to him,every time I approached Liverpool station,their seamed to be a ambulance,fire or police car going over a bridge with sirens going. My dad then said, "No" its a warning siren,to warn workers on the track of on coming trains & to get of the track,that he & a colleague had designed/developed. Don't know how many lives this warning device saved?. My dads name was Richard Handford.

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

He sounds like he was amazing, sorry he passed

[@pearlkelly6337]

what is s+t sorry

[@harveybrant3352]

If you are reading this as a friend, relative or loved one of those who died, you can at least be assured that lessons were learned from these deaths (unlike so many that went before), and that there are definitely people alive today who otherwise wouldn't have been. Sadly privatisation and fragmentation of the industry were later to create new track safety issues, but attitudes to track safety amongst regular railway staff and management at least, never returned to the state things were in at the time this video was made.

[@Lukeashley2323]

I work on the railways and have seen a few near misses over the years and thats all they have been thank god but it could of so easy gone the wrong way in a heartbeat.

[@hollyruston2444]

Very sad but every fatality was avoidable. Rules are there for a reason. RIP lads.

[@frankdawson3691]

Billy from Londons burning good make up information we need to know frist thing don't play on the rallyways the one to wacth on you tube is the fast line it is an oldie but one off the most mind-blowing videos I've seen involving trians and kids well mad a big respect to all the staff and the people in this video

[@michaelw9285]

The one lad killed at the start in the reconstruction is Billy from London's Burning!

[@EM-yk1dw]

John Alford, ex Grange Hill too.

[@NeilShearer-ok2gi]

He was

[@TRSPomerania]

Another great video material, interesting to watch. Regards!

[@AlanThomsonsim]

Loving these keep them coming I have subscribed

[@steamfandan9682]

Find this emotional esp knowing these chaps were the men were killed providing for their families yet everyday Jo blogs commuters don't show Appreciation for them keeping trains moving

[@christopherhulse8385]

The most obvious reason for these accidents is not looking for trains, walking in the 4ft on a running line is not wise, and even when the line is blocked, you still keep looking.

[@alexwiddowson3756]

John Alford plays Samuel (Sam) in this safety video.

[@neilshearer6899]

British Rail was and still is a good organisation which had all the rail maintenance in house Unlike Railtrack and now network rail which got rid of the in house maintenance of the tracks electrification and Signalling and Telecommunications to agencies who are better at safety critical work instead of Network Rail who’s safety records are shockingly bad Since 1994 60 Trackworkers have been killed

[@tetragon2137]

Anyone recognise the guitar theme, or was this just some improv piece for British Rail?

[@paulwhite859]

I knew Barry from Exeter I worked with him two before it happened

[@eddherring4972]

I don’t take this lightly, I have an interest in trains and railways which is why I’ve watched videos like this. I’ve also watched rail safety videos dating back to pre-war and it seems to me that bad practice and time saving are the route cause. Specifically walking in the 4 foot rather than the cess and also being distracted whilst in dangerous areas instead of getting set up first and deploying lookouts. Obviously being in the wrong location also does not help. R.I.P all those who have lost their lives.

[@DefaultMale_]

Watching this stuff after almost dying earlier today tripping an RCD is very interesting lmao

[@Gavin-my6jb]

Is one of the actors in this billy from London's burning it looks like him

[@vinceiswatchingyou]

Sad for the kids ;( be careful out there folks

[@91125Eastcoast]

Im an kid

[@pabs24200]

Harrowing

[@mattval6293]

Wait 8:08 the driver couldn’t see them ?

[@fetchstixRHD]

Take the lack of lighting at night, the pretty garbage headlights and "high" visibility clothing from that time, how close they would have been to the train and the difficulty of seeing people up close... and the fact that their bodies were described as rags by the next driver, it's not impossible to believe 😢 RIP to those men, pretty terrible way to go without warning!

[@megandunnett7900]

@@fetchstixRHD especially when he was going so slow. Could you imagine the agony that one guy who died on the way to the hospital would have been in?😢

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Even if they did, the chances of stopping wouldn’t in the worker’s favor

[@tubester4567]

The workers should have realized the danger when a noisy maintenance train was passing. Why cant they put a detonator on the track if they know they're going to be walking in the wrong direction.?

[@dkbmaestrorules]

Given that they had gone to deal with a failure, I guess they assumed nothing would be routed towards them.

[@SuperSirwanksalot]

A detonator won’t stop a train

[@AndyNicklin]

This is where the safety of, initially S&T staff, then all track workers became more focussed - this predates PICOW, COSS and now SWL - different world safety wise

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

BR

[@gayledobrosky8869]

I'm a youtuber and I respect the dead

[@richardjellis9186]

8:05.. Why didn't the train driver toot his horn.? He could OBVIOUSLY see the 3 men right in front of his train, so why didn't he pip at them.? Unless he wasn't paying attention.!🤔!. Though, this could be due to lights on trains not being all that bright.!

[@muttley8818]

That's exactly it. The lights on trains are for people too see the train, they aren't for the driver to see ahead. At least they were back then. Lights have got better since trains are being fitted with new types like LED's.

[@StuAnderson90]

At night train drivers are not permitted to use their horn even back then.. it's allow people who live near next the railway some piece and quiet, I think it's like 11pm - 6am... Yes agreed warning by horn would of served as a warning but may not prevented the accident.. trains can't stop on a 6 pence and from hearing a train to it reaches you is about 9 seconds your brain barely has time to process what's happening...

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

The driver mag have not have seen, between the “high” vis vests back in the day, the nose, and the distance, well

[@86501freightliner]

@@StuAnderson90 Yes they was, "quiet hours" for horn use was only bought in around 2007/2008, and even then, you still sound the horn if you see anyone on or about the line.

[@danielferstendig]

omg thomas the tank engine

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Well to be fair in the railway series there were intercities pictured