Agenda item

To receive an update on action that have been put in place and review responses to recommendations made at the meeting of 20 March 2018 on Tram Safety and Future proposals.

In attendance will be Mark Davis, General Manager London Tramlink

Jackie Townsend Managing Director and Ben Groome Operations Manager, Trams Operation LTD

The Sub-Committee received a report set out on pages 17 to 46 of the agenda, which provided an update on the improvements made to passenger safety following the tram derailment in November 2016.

In attendance at the meeting for this item was:-

·         Jackie Townsend – Managing Director, Tram Operations Limited

·         Mark Davis – General Manager, Transport for London – London Trams

The Sub-Committee received a presentation from Jackie Townsend on the performance of the tram network in Croydon and the steps that had been taken to improve safety following the derailment. During the presentation the following was noted:-

i.      The investigation into the tram derailment was still ongoing.

ii.    The tram system was accessible for all without assistance. With space available for mobile scooters and buggies. Going forward further consideration would need to be given to the provision of bicycle storage.

iii.   The service regularly achieved near 99% performance on a daily basis, with only a noticeable drop during the Ampere Way fire which had effected the service for over a week.

iv.   The majority of issues with the trams in Croydon arose from road traffic accidents. When incidents occurred, Trams Operations Limited worked with both the Metropolitan and Transport Police to clear the route as quickly as possible.

v.    Following the tram derailment, an emphasis had been placed on improving the competency and expertise of drivers with more assessors and trainers employed along with enhanced safety guidance being provided to staff.

vi.   Changes had been made to the staff rosters to ensure they were more fatigue friendly. From April a system of five day rosters would be introduced, down from seven day roster system used at present.

vii.  The Guardian device, new equipment designed to quickly identify driver fatigue through monitoring the eyes, nose and mouth area of drivers had been introduced. The device caused the driver chair to vibrate, sounded an alarm and send notification to a control centre if the driver’s head dropped or looked in the wrong direction for a length of time.

viii.Trams Operations Limited was the first tram company in the UK to install the Guardian device. Other public transport providers were now looking at introducing it.

ix.   Aligned with the new equipment, a fatigue management procedure had also been introduced to support drivers to manage any fatigue related issues. Managers and supervisors had been taught how to ask staff questions about fatigue and all staff understood what fatigue was and were able to identify the signs.

x.    Enhanced customer training had been introduced to ensure that staff looked after the wellbeing of customers.

xi.   Following the derailment, there had been engagement with staff at all levels of Trams Operations Limited and a process had been put in place to report back to staff after issues had been raised.

xii.  All the improvements introduced had led to an improved relationship with the Trade Unions. New uniforms had been provided for staff and the mess rooms at the depot and the tram link shop had been refurbished.

Following the presentation the Sub-Committee were given the opportunity to question the attendees, with the first question concerning the reduction of the maximum speed for trams to 70 kilometres per hour (kph) and whether this was still too high. It was advised that trams were only allowed to reach 70kph on open stretches of the track when they could not mix with other traffic or pedestrians. In all other circumstances the limit was 20 kph.

Regarding additional safety precautions introduced on the network, it was confirmed that cats eyes were being fitted in tunnels to help drivers to recognise which direction they were driving. The glass used in the windows of trams was being fitted with extra strength film, with it currently installed in 13 trams and the full roll out due to be completed by the Spring.  Progress was also being made on the introduction of a new braking system, which was expected to be installed by the end of 2019.

It was questioned whether there had been many complaints about the driving ability of the tram drivers. It was advised that issues mainly arose from the use of the hazard brake, the effect of which could be jarring for passengers. On average the hazard brake had to be used once or twice a day across the tram network.

Looking forward to the future of the tram network, it was questioned whether there had been any discussion about potentially extending the route to allow greater connectivity across South London. It was confirmed that officials from Transport for London had meet with representatives from Croydon Council, but at present the only extension of the route being considered was towards Sutton, with options for this being assessed. Transport for London was looking at different ways to fund extensions to the tram network, which as such did not preclude further extensions in the future. It was noted that bus routes were also being looked at as part of the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy.

In summing up the discussion the Chair highlighted that all the Sub-Committee were tram supporters who would welcome any additional investment. The Chair thanked both Mark Davis and Jackie Townsend for their attendance at the meeting and the information provided to the Sub-Committee.

Information Requests

Information was requested on the time scales for introducing the new braking system on trams travelling on the Croydon network.

Conclusions

Following the discussion of this item, the Sub-Committee reached the following conclusions:

1.            The Sub-Committee welcomed the positive report and agreed to send its thanks to the Managing Director of Tram Operations Limited for the detailed content provided in her presentation.

2.            The Sub-Committee was reassured by the ongoing work to improve both safety in the network and driver wellbeing.