I was on the 14.15 p.m. train from Forest Hill to London Bridge. When we got to New Cross Gate, the driver said the power had been cut off and the train could not proceed until it was restored. Later he said the train was terminating there.

They knew there was someone on the line before I got on the train at Forest Hill. Why did they wait so long to inform passengers?

There seemed to be no information about replacement buses as the ELL is now closed.

I am really baffled why we are health and safety mad. Travel by train throughout mainland Europe and usually no fences between track and private / public land. There citizens are deemed sensible enough to not stray on the track.
Despite our huge fences incidents still happen.
If someone strays on The South Circular do they close the road.

No, because stepping on tarmac when trying to avoid a car doesn't kill you, because hitting a pedestrian in a car endangers a small number of people compared with hitting a trespasser in a train...it's an utterly fatuous comparison.

If putting up fences around a railway line, or suspending services while an idiot who is endangering hundreds of lives is removed from the scene is being 'health and safety mad' then I'm jolly glad you're not in charge. Being 'deemed sensible enough' doesn't enter into it.

I did post this item expecting this response and I accept it cannot happen but why do the good citizens of Belgium NOT put huge fences next to their lines. Would be interested to hear comparrison suicide rates pro rata

maybe its because in Belgium, as in most of Europe, trains are powered by overhead cable, not electrified track, so trespassing onto the tracks is not so dangerous?

59 deaths caused by trespass on the railways in 2007 (http://www.trackoff.org)

Yes that is on Southern but rest of the country is overhead like Belgium. Still seem to have high fences.
Anyway take your point

I am trying to think of a time when a train running over a fool on the track put hundreds of peoples lives in danger? If the fool was in a car/van/truck I would agree but an individual running around on the track deserves all the 200 or so tons they are going to get. All some idiot on the track causes (if killed) is inconvenience to a lot of people and a huge amount of trauma to the train driver.

When will people wake up to the fact that it is not cool, trendy or even very clever to be on a track, go and play on the M25.

I agree. We cannot take all risks away. We need to be aware of potential dangers and straying onto a railway line is a major one.

Ooh, a derailment, perhaps?

Soooo, a person on the tracks can derail a train Now that I would pay to see.

Only if they put objects on the track.

You reckon it's impossible, do you?

One person V a Southern train, well I am not a betting person but I would stake my mortgage on it

ouch! that's what i call a credit crunch.

Vile gambler! You should be expelled from SE23!!!

"Vile gambler" PHA!!!!

With the amount of betting shops in SE23 at least 99.8% of the population must gamble, or so Ladbrooks et al would have us believe.

Anyway, back to the bet, you do realise Mr/Mrs/Ms B that if you won you would have a substantial mortgage to pay off

Sorry to bump an old topic, but I am just straying "Beyond SE23". Please stop the forum while we clear the interloper

One of my favourite sites http://www.darwinawards.com/

One of my best sites the Old Darwin awards, good find!! Now get back to your tree!!

Yes, Ladbrokes are so desperate to believe this that they have precisely zero shops here. Pathetic puritan paranoia.