You don't get it, It's not like an office job where you can right half a page, stop and come back tomorrow.
A lot of jobs HAVE to be completed. Otherwise the trains wont run. It's no half measures. It's also not Just the time of the job, It's getting men and equipment to the site. As well as the safe guards to protect the workers. Although not sure what protection they use on the tube. but I assume it's not to different to normal track if an.
-Station closes about 12:30 to 1.
-Spic books on with station supervisor, gets evacuation register signed and hands it in
-Lads load gear onto platform, more often than not without the aid of the escalator
-By now its usually something like 1:15, now presuming there isnt a late current, Protection master (who has hopefully already contacted the Track access controller and "booked" a current section out as unsafe to run trains) checks the rails for current which gets switched off, then intiates a briefing with all workers giving details like call back time (when the "booking" runs out and the rail has to be made safe for trains to be run) evacutation procedures and safty arrangements not to mention other information about published works.
- Work finally starts at about 1:30 if your lucky. if your very lucky the callback time is a nice smooth 5:00 meaning you have to be off the track by the watershed time of 4:45, the watershed time is done to ensure the PM can hand the track back to the TAC as there is a VERY hefty fine for every minute he goes past call back. Last night however I had a callback time of 4:30, watershed 4:15 so thats 3 hours working time and now you gotta get out before teh station reopens so the supervisor can do his last minute checks, 5 o clock fast approaching.
for most gangs its a late morning trip to the office to unload the truck they are in, THEN drive home, proberly about 6-7 I personally have had an 8 o clock finish, which sucked hell.
Things that need to be taken into account, for replacing rail sections the rail has to be dragged into place using trolleys which take a long time to set up, then the old track needs to be unbolted cut and removed, new section hopefully having a nice snug fit, then they have to "weld" the track sections together and when its cool enough grind them flat as to not damage the first train in, a fire watchman will have to stay an additional 1-2 hours to make sure all is fine.
And thats just one aspect of what goes on at night on your typical Underground station. Places like waterloo are a bloody nightmare to get booked onto, luckily however you can book on earliar with the supervisors, but when I first went there with my gang, it took an hour just to sign in, with all the safty briefings and what not
