Steve has suffered from Diabetes Type 2 for a number of years and so tends to become a little sensitive when the condition is used to restrict people’s lives. The Train Driver Licensing Directive contains requirements that try and mitigate the risk of a train driver becoming incapacitated and restricts access to the European Train Driver Licence for train drivers that suffer from a number of chronic conditions. One of these conditions is Diabetes which if not properly managed can lead sufferers to become unconscious. However, if well managed, sufferers can live a normal life with little risk of anything happening to them. The EU Agency for Rail have agreed that there should be no reason for a train driver to lose their licence if the train driver can demonstrate to a medical doctor that they have their condition well managed. The Office of Road and Rail have now the task of determining how the Directive will be interpreted with Great Britain – lets hope they use common sense and agree with our friends in Europe.
S and L Roberts (Railway Consulting) Ltd 