Before that he had undergone 11 months of training. Only last week the driver of a train involved in the 1997 Southall rail crash, in which seven people died, apologised for failing to spot a red and two yellow signals moments before the accident. With the blame game increasingly focusing on the drivers, some have reacted. Live's Nicky Campbell and complained of being forced to work long hours and over-extended stretches of days. He said the practice induced a dangerous level of fatigue.
Drivers say mistakes are inevitable because of the hours they are being forced to work.
People get tired and can't do their jobs. He said the privatised rail companies had agreed a shorter basic working week for drivers. But with all the companies that I have worked for, drivers are pressurised to work their days off. Monotonous job' Night shifts often last 11 hours and drivers are often on their own, with no company or anything to keep them awake or alert. Every driver would admit that they do lose concentration through tiredness.