[Max]

A very sad affair, however, it seems that it was their fault, as witnesses say the lights and bells were ringing at the level crossing

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/3472865.stm

Two teenage girls were killed on Saturday as they tried to go over a pedestrian level crossing to catch their train at an Essex station.
The 14-year-olds were hit by a Central through-train heading from Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport.

It is believed the girls were trying to catch a Cambridge-bound train which was on the opposite side of the tracks at Elsenham station. An inquiry is under way, but it is being treated as a tragic accident.

A Network Rail manager told the Press Association: "It is my understanding that two witnesses saw the red lights flashing and the warblers were going when the girls tried to cross. Their train from London Liverpool Street to Cambridge had already come to a halt on the other side of the platform. It appears they didn't realise another train was coming and stepped out a couple of feet."

The crossing has a system of warning lights and warblers

A spokesman for Central said: "The train involved was the 0724 GMT Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport service. It was a through-train which would not have stopped at Elsenham, but calls at Cambridge, Audley End and Stansted Airport."

The type of train was a class 158 Super Sprinter with a maximum speed of 90 mph. The speed it was travelling at the time will be part of the investigation. A spokesperson for British Transport Police said they were treating it as a tragic accident.

The line to Stansted Airport was shut, but reopened at 1500 GMT. The incident also affected One Railway Services from Liverpool Street to Cambridge.

[Jordy]

Oh dear what an awful accident, yet another accident involving level crossings

Jordy

[Tom B]

Originally Posted by Jordy

Oh dear what an awful accident, yet another disaster involving level crossings

Jordy

Not really, another "disaster", just two people who think the rules don't apply to them and who appear oblivious to large red lights and klaxons...

[Jordy]

Yeah sorry, should have said 'Accident' - will change it now

Jordy

[ChrisA]

Terrible shame. When will people learn?

I feel sorry for the driver. Must be hard for him (or her) to come to terms with what has happened.

[voyagerdude220]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Terrible shame. When will people learn?

I feel sorry for the driver. Must be hard for him (or her) to come to terms with what has happened.

Yep, that's what I first thought when I heard about this on the news. I also thought though, "I wonder how they got there in the first place" (Before I heard the full details of what had happened)

[Jordy]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

I feel sorry for the driver. Must be hard for him (or her) to come to terms with what has happened.

Yeah, that must be one of the worst things that can happen to you as a driver

Jordy

[ChrisM]

I feel for the families involved and for the train driver but once again it 'seems' the railways are subject to blame for something that they had no control over.

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by ChrisM

I feel for the families involved and for the train driver but once again it 'seems' the railways are subject to blame for something that they had no control over.

I quite agree with you. It clearly states there were barriers and sounds.

How could anyone cope with loosing a relative of such a young age so close to christmas?

[ChrisA]

This topic has made me remember these adverts which they show in Australia. VERY effective, if you ask me. http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/safet...g_campaign.asp

[Coxster]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

This topic has made me remember these adverts which they show in Australia. VERY effective, if you ask me. http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/safet...g_campaign.asp

Except the mess that drivers/fitters have to see doesn't just dissappear.

[91119]

Sympathies to the driver and the families of the victims.

Wonder how long it'll take Bob Crow to jump on the band wagon?

[David]

Originally Posted by 91119

Wonder how long it'll take Bob Crow to jump on the band wagon?

He jumped on the bandwagon straight away. He is also saying it will cost £1m to install a footbridge

[Sprog]

Originally Posted by Coxster

Except the mess that drivers/fitters have to see doesn't just dissappear.

that is exactly what is required in the uk....its so bloody simple..the health dept. do a stupid advert aboyt not eatibng 2 much salt, YET, when it coems to the dangers of railways, people are completly unaware..its ridiculas....

Reading the papers this morning, they are saying that everyone, including the driver is demaning a saftey enquiry. At least they arent blaming the driver...

I may get a few peoples backs up here, but it appears to me that - though i sympathise with the famillies, the driver and the witneses of theis terrible incident-it was the girls own stupid fault.

Im not going to rant on and on about it, but growing up in this generation has shown me that there an awful lot of, quite frankily, idiotic kids, who dont think twice about saying/doing something stuopid and not giving a thought about the consequences or the risks.

Ive seen it happen so many times on and around stations, for example, at Yate stn one afternoon waiting for a train, a pair of 15/16 year old girls wondered onto the platform as a Voyager was approaching and crossed the yellow line and decided to stop and have a chat about 5 inches from the edge of the platform. Strangley, the voyager driver didnt blow up, so i grabbed one of the girls by the arm and pulled her towards me (the other being further back from the edge) she looked at me as if i was a nut, untill a couple of secionds later, the Vermin flew past and she then realised what id just done. It was very concerning and it unnerved me,let alone her.

My point is, that younger people, especially younger girls, seem to be getting less intelligent in a way. Surley, it is common sense to look both ways, before you cross a Railway, just like you would if you cross a road. But then again, ive seen manyy groups of kids sprint out in front of cars while the 'man' is red and then laugh as a car stops inches from there legs....

Its very very worrying

[ChrisCooper]

A lot of the disregard for safety start at a young age, infuenced by parents. I was on a bus not long ago at a traffic light controlled junction with pedestrian signals. The pedestrian lights went to red and as is typical with many modern crossings there was quite a delay until the road lights went green. During this time a mother with pushchir and small child who was waiting oviously got fed up and decided to go, just as the lights were changing, and just as she began to move the bus driver hit the accelerator, but luckely both he and her had quick reactions and she and the children were on the pavement in seconds and he had hit the brake as soon as he saw her stepping out, nearly putting me and another passenger who were waiting to get off at the bext stop through the window (luckely the other, older man was holding on tight, and I grabbed on as soon as I saw her step out into the road). It's not the first time I have seen this sort of thing happen, and on one occassion I saw someone get hit by a lorry as she crossed right infront of it as the lights changed, and often the people taking the risks are mums with children (or of cource just walking across and ignoring the lights anyway). You feel that they have this attitude that the cars will stop, and pass this onto their children. Maybe (although I wouldn't count on it) the parents have the sense to no that whilst cars will stop when they walk infront of them, trains can't, but their children probably don't know this, an probably imagine the worst case scenario being a bollocking from a train driver who has screeched to a halt inches from them, as has happened with road vehicles so many times.