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Speeding Lorry demolishes Hartlebury level crossing

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Edders23

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Don't think he could stop at the speed he was going

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-en...-through-level-crossing-barrier-in-hartlebury
CCTV footage shows the moment when a lorry smashed through a level crossing barrier just before a train was due to pass through.

The barriers were deployed to allow the train to go through Hartlebury station in Worcestershire on Friday morning.

It caused more than fours hours of disruption to passengers travelling between Kidderminster and Stourbridge while Network Rail engineers carried out repairs.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "Barriers at our crossings are there to keep motorists and train passengers safe.

"This lorry driver damaged our crossing, delayed train passengers and put their life and the lives of others at risk...
 
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sprunt

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Good lord is there anything that can be done to protect innocent rail passengers from idiot road users?

Ban road transport? Obviously that's not a serious suggestion, but it's always going to be very hard to prevent the most extreme cases. I guess maybe something more substantial could be used to make the barriers in order to shift the burden of damage onto the vehicle.

It's not an excuse in any way if the answer is no, but it is fair to assume that some kind of signal would have been visible to the driver of that lorry so that the barrier descending wasn't the first indication they got that the crossing was closing?
 

Peter Mugridge

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It's not an excuse in any way if the answer is no, but it is fair to assume that some kind of signal would have been visible to the driver of that lorry so that the barrier descending wasn't the first indication they got that the crossing was closing?

Well, yes - obviously the flashing lights would start prior to the barriers descending.

Maybe rock-solid bollards ten feet tall should rise up out of the road in front of the barriers...*


*Not to be taken too seriously, but I do agree that something needs to be done. There is far too much abuse of crossings these days.
 

swt_passenger

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It's not an excuse in any way if the answer is no, but it is fair to assume that some kind of signal would have been visible to the driver of that lorry so that the barrier descending wasn't the first indication they got that the crossing was closing?
IIRC (from memory) barriers don’t start to move until between 7 and 11 secs after the amber comes on. You actually get significantly more notice of the barriers than you get notice of the red at a normal road traffic signal.

That time allows quite a significant distance along the road if moving at that apparent speed.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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I spotted this report on the Independent web site, attributed to Simon Calder.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle...delays-in-midlands/ar-BBXatHg?ocid=spartanntp

The alleged response by Network Rail is interesting:

Network Rail for the Chiltern Main Line tweeted: “Trains between Kidderminster and Stourport are affected.
“Our engineers are on site assessing the damage.”


I'm sure Stourport residents will be interested to learn that they have trains again, after their station closed in 1970.
Simon usually knows what he is talking about.
 

theblackwatch

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What we don't know in this instance (unless I've missed something?) is if the crossing lights were working correctly.
 

swt_passenger

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satisnek

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It does seem strange to demolish the barrier in that manner, unless the lights weren't working or the lorry was out of control.

Ironically, there have been no trains between Kidderminster and Worcester today (now yesterday!) for a completely different reason.
 

Donny_m

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Why would they need 4 hours to sort that out?? Surely just remove the broken barrier and have a manned crossing all day until the end of service then install a new barrier overnight.
 

GB

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Why would they need 4 hours to sort that out?? Surely just remove the broken barrier and have a manned crossing all day until the end of service then install a new barrier overnight.

Perhaps there was no one available to man the crossing all day and even if there was, you would be passing signals at danger all day which will probably incur more delays than if you just fixed the problem in the first place.
 

sw1ller

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Near my home there are a fair few traffic light cameras set up to catch motorists jumping the lights. These are set up in areas that don’t look too concerning. So they can’t cost too much to install.
Given the possibility of a devastating incident should someone do this, would it not be a good idea to install these cameras at every level crossing. Drivers tend to obey the lights more if they think they will get penalised for it. Obviously it won’t stop people doing it like a raised bollard would, but people would treat the lights more seriously, which I don’t think they do at all at the minute.
 

alxndr

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Why would they need 4 hours to sort that out?? Surely just remove the broken barrier and have a manned crossing all day until the end of service then install a new barrier overnight.

Four hours is probably on the long side for a repair, but disruption could carry on long after it's been repaired depending on how quickly it takes to recover the service after the delays.

You would also have to get technicians competent to carry out the replacement to site, which could easily take an hour or more, and get a replacement boom of the right length to site as well. There could be damage to the pump unit (they're designed not to, but that's taken a massive whack) as well.

Leaving it isn't a great option as it would show failed and lead to all trains being cautioned until it was replaced due to the missing boom.
 

AndrewE

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Ban road transport? Obviously that's not a serious suggestion, but it's always going to be very hard to prevent the most extreme cases. I guess maybe something more substantial could be used to make the barriers in order to shift the burden of damage onto the vehicle.
The trouble with that strategy is that if it gets hit by something heavy and fast you are potentially putting a much more substantial obstruction into the path of an oncoming train (instead of a relatively flimsy arm,) plus the road vehicle itself might also stop on the tracks instead of clearing the crossing.
The video released by Network Rail shows both aspects succeeding!
 

Meerkat

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The trouble with that strategy is that if it gets hit by something heavy and fast you are potentially putting a much more substantial obstruction into the path of an oncoming train (instead of a relatively flimsy arm,) plus the road vehicle itself might also stop on the tracks instead of clearing the crossing.
The video released by Network Rail shows both aspects succeeding!

The pop up ramps they put in as anti terrorist measures are designed to stop lorries.
From the Russian videos they certainly stop cars!
 

Llanigraham

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Why would they need 4 hours to sort that out?? Surely just remove the broken barrier and have a manned crossing all day until the end of service then install a new barrier overnight.

S&T crew are on site elsewhere and can't stop in the middle of that job.
They are miles away and the traffic is bad, so they are delayed.
They have to go back to the yard to collect a new barrier.
MOM is busy elsewhere and can't stop his work immediately.
And there are probably numerous other reasons
 

Edders23

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Near my home there are a fair few traffic light cameras set up to catch motorists jumping the lights. These are set up in areas that don’t look too concerning. So they can’t cost too much to install.
Given the possibility of a devastating incident should someone do this, would it not be a good idea to install these cameras at every level crossing. Drivers tend to obey the lights more if they think they will get penalised for it. Obviously it won’t stop people doing it like a raised bollard would, but people would treat the lights more seriously, which I don’t think they do at all at the minute.


Network rail do have camera vans saw one last week filming Oakham level crossing
 

sw1ller

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Network rail do have camera vans saw one last week filming Oakham level crossing

yeah, I’ve seen them too. But they’re out there to help catch people flouting the law in black spots. I’m suggesting putting them on EVERY level crossing so every driver knows there’s no point jumping the lights at ANY crossing. It’s about changing the way people think about them.
 

57Tonic

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A rolling program of cameras at every crossing sounds like a good idea to me.
Why not standard traffic lights and cameras triggered on the red light, after all amber gamblers fill council coffers all the time. With so meny flashing warning signs about the red wigwams don’t seem to be a command to stop
 

swt_passenger

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Why not standard traffic lights and cameras triggered on the red light, after all amber gamblers fill council coffers all the time. With so meny flashing warning signs about the red wigwams don’t seem to be a command to stop
This pointless change has been proposed many, many times in these forums. Every qualified driver should know the meaning of red “wig wags”.
 

carriageline

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Why not standard traffic lights and cameras triggered on the red light, after all amber gamblers fill council coffers all the time. With so meny flashing warning signs about the red wigwams don’t seem to be a command to stop

Emergency Vehicles can go through standard traffic lights, which is why we have wigswags as nothing can go past flashing wigwags.

There are crossings in the UK which have cameras linked to the red wigwags
 

61653 HTAFC

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All drivers should know that wigwags mean mandatory stop, but there are fewer and fewer level crossings as the busier ones get replaced, so it's more likely that drivers won't have experienced them. For example if someone grew up in Huddersfield the nearest crossings are at Streethouse or Dodworth and aren't on main roads, so the chances of someone being familiar with them are slim. As standard traffic lights are more recognisable, perhaps installing them alongside wigwags (rather than instead of) would concentrate minds...?

I'd combine this with cameras and a zero-tolerance approach to issuing fines for infringements, and publicity which rams home the message that a fine and points WILL be issued, and this will be the least-worst outcome for ignoring the signals.
 

AndrewE

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All drivers should know that wigwags mean mandatory stop, but there are fewer and fewer level crossings as the busier ones get replaced, so it's more likely that drivers won't have experienced them. For example if someone grew up in Huddersfield the nearest crossings are at Streethouse or Dodworth and aren't on main roads, so the chances of someone being familiar with them are slim. As standard traffic lights are more recognisable, perhaps installing them alongside wigwags (rather than instead of) would concentrate minds...?

I'd combine this with cameras and a zero-tolerance approach to issuing fines for infringements, and publicity which rams home the message that a fine and points WILL be issued, and this will be the least-worst outcome for ignoring the signals.
Aren't there any fire or ambulance stations that have them in the area then?
Google maps streetview shows wigwags here in the centre of Huddersfield: https://www.google.com/maps/@53.642...4!1sz3zTndzwLahA_m9vYPSvIQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 so maybe a lot of people should be losing their licenses!
I can think of half a dozen sets within an hour's drive of my home, and that's on the relatively few roads that I use in about 60 square miles.
 

alxndr

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All drivers should know that wigwags mean mandatory stop, but there are fewer and fewer level crossings as the busier ones get replaced, so it's more likely that drivers won't have experienced them.

If you're not familiar with them I would expect the normal reaction to be more cautious with them, not less!

I think the issue is more likely complacency from frequent users learning that there's normally a few seconds wait before a train arrives at the crossing. I also wonder whether the number of near miss videos floating around the internet now are really helping - they generally don't show when people do get hit, just when they get away with it, no matter how close. It gives the impression that you can gamble and get away with it.
 

Darandio

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I don't believe for one minute that people are unfamiliar with level crossings or will be surprised when they encounter one. If for some amazing reason they are, then maybe they need to dig out the Highway Code.

So many solutions looking for problems in this thread.
 
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