We have to remember that the track circuit indication covers a distance of 3.7 miles on the down line at Frampton, of which the crossing is roughly half way along within it...
This has got me thinking. What you could do is provide the signaller with indications for "before crossing" and "after crossing" in situations like these where a crossing goes through a long track circuited section. To try to explain my
completely speculative idea in simple terms:
A track circuit has a maximum length. Where the space between signals is longer than the maximum length of a track circuit it is divided up into different track circuits, so while the signaller simply gets in indication for 'AA' on this panel, on the ground this might actually be track circuits 'AA/1', 'AA/2', 'AA/3'... All of the track circuits are summated and this is indicated to the signaller, so that if any one of the track circuits becomes occupied, 'AA' on the panel shows occupied. This cuts down on the amount of information needed to be transmitted to the panel and because the signaller doesn't need the additional information in order to run their trains.
This does mean, however, that where a level crossing crosses a long section as far as they're concerned the train could be anywhere within that section. Their only options are to wait until the train has completely cleared the section or rely on the word of a member of the public saying that it has passed.
What could be done is to summate all of the track sections before and including the crossing and indicate those, and all of the track sections after the crossing, and indicate those. The signaller could then receive a phonecall asking for permission to cross, see that the section over the crossing was occupied, check an additional set of indications to see whether the train was approaching the crossing or if it had already passed, and permit or deny on that basis.
To illustrate an example:
A train has occupied track circuit 'AB/1'. This shows section 'AB' on the panel to be occupied, as is traditional. As one of the sections 1-3 are occupied the "approaching" indication is also lit. Once the train passes the crossing and occupies 'AB/4' or 'AB/5' the user calls back, the signaller confirms that the "approaching" indication as extinguished, the "beyond" indication has illuminated, and the user may cross. Admittedly, on a bi-directional line you would need to come up with a better name than approach and beyond.
I believe that doing this would be cheaper to install than a complete redesign as it wouldn't mean completely changing the track circuiting arrangements, but simply taking another output from each, summating them as necessary, and transmitting those to the panel. It still wouldn't be cheap, but would most likely be cheap
er. The bulk of the cost would come from producing the initial design, testing, and accepting it into use. That cost would probably still make it prohibitive, and this would only provide a solution for track circuited lines. Axle counter sections have a theoretically unlimited length and thus there wouldn't be a direct equivalent possible.
The cheap option would be to have a Rulebook change and prevent permission being granted with a train in section, as is now the case for trackworkers line blockages, but realistically the public is too impatient for that would it would just make matters worse.