Signalmen controlling trains to Britain’s second-busiest station pictured SLEEPING at work
RAIL chiefs are investigating after signalmen controlling trains to Britain’s second-busiest station were pictured sleeping at work.
At least five of the staff — who earn up to £60,000 a year for controlling the movement and direction of services — were seen snoozing, some with their feet up on desks.
Experts called the images “shocking” while Network Rail said it was “very serious” and vowed to take action.
The dozing staff — whose job it is to operate signals and points, and speak to drivers in emergencies — were seen at a centre that controls trains using London Victoria.
On average, 736 services use the station each day and there were 73.5million passenger exits/entries in 2019/2020, although Covid cut that to 14million in 2020/21.
In one promotional video, a Network Rail signaller says: “You’ve got a lot of people’s lives in your hands every day.”
Our photos, which were shared between work colleagues who added cartoons to some images, were taken at 3.30am when no passenger trains were running.
However, it is also the time when essential maintenance work takes place.
A source said: “They are shocking photos but it’s not the only time this happens.
“It’s incredibly serious. Their job is so important.
“You can’t sleep on the job when you’re in such an important position.
Bruce Williamson, from campaign group Railfuture, told The Sun: “This is very serious and a real concern. It’s a very important job.
“These staff are there to make sure everything goes smoothly and that if the technology is not working, then there is a back-up.”
Fiona Taylor, Network Rail Kent route director, said yesterday: “We are treating this incident very seriously and an internal investigation is close to completion.
“I’d like to reassure people that there was never any danger to the public.
“The photographs in question were taken in July last year, in the early hours of the morning, when no trains were running.
“However, that doesn’t condone this kind of behaviour and we will take the appropriate action.”