Gardai called to Galway train

[WT CLASS 2-6-4T No. 4]

I hear that the Galway train is stopped in Portarlington as Gardaí called to sort out an incident abord the train.

[Broithe]

Moving on now - 40 minutes late. https://twitter.com/IrishRail

[heirflick]

i wonder would IE ever have railway police like accross the pond? are they actual police recruited from the ranks or lads employed by BR? over to you on that one Bro...

[Broithe]

British Transport Police - http://www.btp.police.uk/ - a national service dedicated specifically to the railways. I've never actually seen one of them, if you get hassle on a train and somebody does turn up, then they will invariably be a 'real' copper from wherever you happen to be. I imagine they spend a lot of effort in combating metal theft, but I don't really know. They did once have an actual engine, which was really a little embarrassing, I thought. I saw it once and wondered what they would actually do with it...?

 

[ttc0169]

i wonder would IE ever have railway police like accross the pond?

 

Badly needed Seamus-but can never see it happen.

[Mayner]

I think British Transport Police have some officers allocated to general policing and crowd control duties in the major city stations and also an investigation and education role around public safety/trespassing. BTC regularly visit schools in areas where there are reports of children trespassing or playing chicken at level crossings.

 

When there was plenty of staff on the ground CIE checkers and porters managed crowd control/public safety. I remember a couple of rather well built Kerry railwaymen shepherding passengers onto trains at Killarney about 20 years ago when Kerry was playing in Croke Park and everyone else was visiting Kerry for the holidays.

[Mike 84C]

My niece is a BTC police officer,a quite new recruit! from what she tells me John has got it about right but where she is based lots of drugs stuff happens. When she is in uniform you would struggle to tell her apart from a 'normal' police officer

[GNRi Milepost 105]

I worked with the BTP on London Underground in the early nineties. The bread and butter were security alerts, assaults, drunks & pickpockets, criminal damage, trespass, theft, robbery and fare evasion.

One of the worst jobs on the underground was dealing with the suicides or one-unders as they were commonly called, my overriding recollection of these was the impatience of other passengers who simply didn't care that someone was dead or fatally injured.

It has to be remembered that a lot of railway property is considered private property and offences were covered by a huge number of byelaws which cannot be dealt with by criminal law or regular police. Specialist knowledge is required when working in a railway environment especially on electrified lines. All BTP officers train with the Met or County forces and receive the same training and have the same powers of arrest. They just get to ride trains as a bonus.

[heirflick]

i wonder would IE ever have railway police like accross the pond?

 

Badly needed Seamus-but can never see it happen.

 

i see the roller doors got the works on connolly shead lately - cant understand that there isnt cctv covering that area - or is there?

[heirflick]

great info on the BTP lads - thanks for posting:tumbsup:

[heirflick]

 

Broithe, great pic but no flashing blue lights? ....disappointing. wonder what the siren sounds like?

[Broithe]

I presume that the idea was to 'raise awareness' or something like that.

 

BTP officers are easily recognisable just by the sheer number of pockets - even if you're not near enough to read the badge.

 

[heirflick]

new i saw a blue light somewhere...

 

 

 

...and maybe Irish Rail should stick up notices like this on locos heading around bray...

 

 

...dont emagine that it would deter any thief though

[Broithe]

knew i saw a blue light somewhere...

 

[heirflick]

excelent:tumbsup:

[Broithe]

BTP must have a highly efficient internet surveillance system.

 

Having said that I've never seen a BTP officer, I just gave someone a lift to the station and two of them were coming out as we went in. They appeared to be on a mission or I would have asked them if I could take a picture (risking arrest as a terrorist suspect)....

 

The only available parking space was next to their car, too. I'm getting a little paranoid now.

[Mayner]

Keeping Britain on Track Great behind the scenes series including the policing aspect.

 

 

Perhaps RTE or UTV might do something similar on Irelands railway and public transport operations.

[heirflick]

really enjoyed that video. interesting to note that the transport police is paid for by network rail through ticket sales

[Old Blarney]

John,

 

A little snip of Iarnrod Eireann in the film? Phil Vester! I assume this is the same Phil Vester who left Iarnrod Eireann and who had worked with Dick Fern there.

 

 

Regards,

 

David White.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Old Blarney

[WT CLASS 2-6-4T No. 4]

I think it would be better for CIE or the Rail Procurement agency to have a Transport Police with similar powers to the Gardaí, to police all the public transport services in The Republic. It would be far better than the private security firms which are employed on the Dart late night services and on some of the Galway services at present as a lot of the personnel just look like East European heavies, from the ones I encountered on a Dublin/Galway service with a hens party on board a few years ago, and wouldn't have a great understanding of Irish Law.

[minister_for_hardship]

i wonder would IE ever have railway police like accross the pond? are they actual police recruited from the ranks or lads employed by BR? over to you on that one Bro...

 

CIE and IR had Railway Police, but they were more glorified security guards for Inchicore etc.

 

Think network is a bit small for a dedicated force, targetting 'troublesome' services with privarte security is prob best that can be done with limited resources.

[Broithe]

Lima did produce a Police-liveried 37 - I saw one today for £55, presumably due to the rarity value.

 

[Warbonnet]

Lima did produce a Police-liveried 37 - I saw one today for £55, presumably due to the rarity value.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14418[/ATTACH]

 

Fairly rare. Based on...

 

[Broithe]

Indeed - people are fitting flashing blue LEDs now, too.