when watching videos on YouTube I came across this video of a horse that had some how gotten onto the rail tracks. Surely the owner should be prosecuted for failing to keep the animal under control. Had the horse been struck by a train it could have easily derailed the train and resulted deaths of passengers (not to mention the horse itself) or at very least caused delays.
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Horse on railway line
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The owner of the horse might not necessarily be the one at fault - any idiot can leave a gate open.
theageofthetra
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Or they have dumped it illegally on someone elses land. It's called flygrazing and generally involves that type of horse.
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As a horse owner, I can't begin to explain how high up the list of horrors this would be, not only to those associated with the animal, but the thought of the potential consequences to the travelling public and rail staff. Personally, I wouldn't put a horse in a field so close to a rail line, but some may have no option. A horse, initially listed as missing possibly stolen, was found the next day having been struck and killed by a train near Hull a week or so ago. Mercifully, no-one person was injured as a result, but the devastation communicated by the owner on social media made heartbreaking reading.
Eh? I'm not familiar with the concept of "flygrazing", so I can't really comment. I don't own/keep a horse, but I do know a few people that do, and none of them are so irresponsible to let their horses roam free. All are diligent when it comes to ensuring that the perimeter fencing is intact. I'm not sure what you mean about "that type of of horse" either.
Animals sometimes do stray beyond their boundaries, and in my experience it's more likely because some numpty forgot to close a gate.
A tragic example of when this did actually happen a few years back...
https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/201...ed-by-train-at-cambridgeshire-level-crossing/
https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/201...ed-by-train-at-cambridgeshire-level-crossing/
Without knowing all the facts you can't apply blame. I know of one incident a long time ago where an "animal lover" released two tethered horses in a field next to the railway. They had been tethered for the good reason that there was a gap in the fence.
theageofthetra
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Yes that was appalling and could have been much more serious for the traincrew and passengers. I thought all horses had to be microchipped so tracing the owner must have been straightforward?
NSB2017
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I would assume “that type of horse” relates to those often kept by the travelling community and has reached the end of its useful life to them.
A horse would be unlikely (but there would still be a small chance) to derail a train. They cause a lot of damage when they get hit, but I am aware of a dozen or so incidents in the last decade where our units have hit horses and usually after the air system on the unit has been patched up enough to get the unit moveable they are sent to depot for repairs.
The rules around 'a cow, bull or other large animal within the railway boundary fence' are quite robust for a reason though. Job stopped immediately.
The rules around 'a cow, bull or other large animal within the railway boundary fence' are quite robust for a reason though. Job stopped immediately.
Deepgreen
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The Polmont crash killed 13 people in July 1984. and was caused by a cow on the line. 44 were injured. An Edinburgh to Glasgow push-pull working (driving trailer leading) hit the cow at just under 90mph.
furnessvale
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Basically yes. However, a five strand post and wire fence is the accepted norm. Modern fencing often exceeds this requirement and most "wrong" access is caused by vandalism to fences.
As an engineer on BR many years ago I had several cases of farmers cutting fences and driving animals onto the railway in order to claim compensation.
Can the trains not go through at reduced speed, or do you need all stop so that the animals can be dealt with quicker?
Linked question - once the driver has confirmation everything is stopped can he take a passenger onto the track (I am thinking “if there is a horse whisperer on the train.....” kind of thing)?
DanDaDriver
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By the time you’ve got BTP the animal has probably died of old age.
(Not a dig at hardworking BTP officers, just an observation that they are somewhat..... thinly stretched outside major stations.)
E_Reeves
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What I don't get about that video: Who is the man with the white shirt (no high vis!) and why were trains still moving in and out of the station?
I assumed he was the owner of the horse.
Happens all the time.
Once reported, the controlling signaller will stop trains short of the ‘obstruction’, and having spoken to the train driver(s) to explain the situation, allow trains to proceed at caution through the section, being prepared to stop if necessary. Occasionally a driver may choose not to proceed if he/she regards the situation as unsafe; usually in the event of a large number of animals or a particularly truculent beast that refuses to budge from the four foot.
The Cambridge incident linked to by @Ianno87 was the worst of many at that particular location.
Once reported, the controlling signaller will stop trains short of the ‘obstruction’, and having spoken to the train driver(s) to explain the situation, allow trains to proceed at caution through the section, being prepared to stop if necessary. Occasionally a driver may choose not to proceed if he/she regards the situation as unsafe; usually in the event of a large number of animals or a particularly truculent beast that refuses to budge from the four foot.
The Cambridge incident linked to by @Ianno87 was the worst of many at that particular location.
matacaster
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Was the horse on the line to provide limited (1HP) working motive power to enable a Hull Trains service to complete its journey?
Ok, Ill get my coat!
Ok, Ill get my coat!
Dieseldriver
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Generally trains will be cautioned past the area yes. However, if a Driver proceeding at linespeed saw a cow/bull/large animal within the boundary fence then the initial response would be emergency protection (in the modern day that would be initiating a Railway Emergency Call) to bring all trains in the area to a stand. Once that has happened the Signaller would be able to get trains moving again in a controlled manner and caution affected trains through. I have personally encountered a herd of in excess of 30 cows ahead of my train on a blind curve on a section of line with a high linespeed. The fortunate part was that another Driver had already noticed 'a cow within the boundary fence' and took the appropriate action so I had been cautioned by the Signaller and was proceeding at a speed which enabled me to stop short of any obstruction. In the time that had passed before I arrived, the rest of the cows mates had obviously decided to go for a wander too!
theageofthetra
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Why are there so many incidents at that location?
Because of the owners of the horses. I’ll say no more.
They're thinly stretched at major stations considering what they're up against as events at Manchester Victoria shiwed recently. Too busy dealing with low level disorder offences and RPIs who want their help dealing with passengers.
TurbostarFan
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I didn't think that someone could be that stupid but I was wrong.
Spartacus
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Daughter (usually) wants a pony, parents buy a pony and dump it on the closest field or grassy wasteland they can find. Besides a few carrots and strokes that's often about as much care as the animal gets.
matacaster
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They usually buy the pony in late spring as vendor says its food and lodgings doesn't cost much (true in spring and summer). Then around November when it likely needs stabling they find that that cheap pony they bought costs quite a chunk of money each week. Shoeing, vets bills and insurance to top it off!
swt class 450
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You certainly don't hear of many horses on the line. If there are animals on the line it seems to be cows or sheep normally. Although i think the strangest one i have heard of is llamas on the line between Hildenborough and Sevenoaks in Kent a few years ago.
philthetube
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Cows are much more solid than horses, far less likley to cause something like this.
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