Are you allowed to reverse a train out of station confines?

[ericmark]

Clearly a very bad accident, but push pull operation requires special coaches I thought, so how can a train reverse if it meets an obstacle. I know when it goes wrong on the little heritage railway I work on we would send a rescue team likely with spare engine so the train is headed with an engine, you can't simply push the train without a special carrage where the driver controls train from carrage not the loco.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Huh?

 

[bernardgreen]

The incident near Stonehaven involved an HST43 set which can be driven from ether end. There is a power car at both ends of the set.

43030 ( the power car seen in the pictures ) was the trail car and remained on the track.

Speculation on the cause of the accident should be avoided.

 

[big-all]

most modern trains have a driving cab both ends
even passenger trains that are loco hauled can have a dead engine at the back that turns into the train engine when the train needs to reverse
if a train doesnt have a cab at the rear you can under special circumstances move at about walking pace working from hand signal from the rear most vehicle
but its such a rare occasion normally they will send in an assisting loco or unit that can at least apply the brakes

 

[Tigercubrider]

Guy on c4 news said that the driver contacted base when the first landslide happened (he stopped the train before he got near it) and was given permission to return when the second landslip hit