BRIGHTLINE Miami to Orlando

ac6000cw said:

Not before time - the busy urban crossings should have had central dividers (poles/kerbs/low walls) on both sides and full barriers (called 'four quadrant' barriers over there) when the line was originally upgraded for passenger use.

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Of course, the downside of full barriers is that they can trap vehicles on the wrong side. This is especially pertinent in many urban areas as it's very common to have a traffic junction on the far side of the railway.

najaB said:

Of course, the downside of full barriers is that they can trap vehicles on the wrong side.

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Is it not the case in the US/UK that barriers have designated breaking points in order to escape? We all learn this in driving school, though admittedly people forget. It often gets repeated on media though.

Austriantrain said:

Is it not the case in the US/UK that barriers have designated breaking points in order to escape? We all learn this in driving school, though admittedly people forget. It often gets repeated on media though.

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AFAIK, yes the barriers are designed to break off if hit by a vehicle, both to allow emergency escape and to prevent damage to the operating mechanism.

najaB said:

Of course, the downside of full barriers is that they can trap vehicles on the wrong side. This is especially pertinent in many urban areas as it's very common to have a traffic junction on the far side of the railway.

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There's a downside to almost everything - the skill is in maximising the upsides and minimising the downsides i.e. is the overall safety of the crossing improved. Some US crossings close to busy road junctions are interlinked with the junction traffic lights to minimise the risk of traffic backup (and it's an issue with half-barrier crossings as well).

Taunton said:

Here we go. Urban Palm Beach, on Brightline.

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Simple AHB half barrier. No proper gate or full barriers. Visibility vegetation not cut back. Simplistic sign "trains may exceed 80mph". Road junction 2 car lengths beyond crossing.

The most telling thing is there's nothing like this incidence of accidents on the longer-established Florida State Tri-Rail commuter line, just a few blocks parallel to the west.

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There's loads like that in the UK and Europe, I can't see anything particularly unusual about that example that would make it especially dangerous. Looking at the wider area though, it looks easy to close as it's only a few hundred metres from an alternative crossing

DelW said:

New safety measures have been added, initially lines of poles down the centre line of the road to discourage drivers from dodging the barriers:

(YouTube video of a news report from WKMG6 describing these).

There's also mention of proposed installation of red-light cameras and quad gates in some locations.

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Something I noticed when I travelled on Brightline last Saturday was the use of half-barriers on the exit side of crossings - that video shows an example at the 0:46 mark. Here's another example I've found on GSV: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7AoCqRwgv2ityaS18

Beebman said:

Something I noticed when I travelled on Brightline last Saturday was the use of half-barriers on the exit side of crossings - that video shows an example at the 0:46 mark. Here's another example I've found on GSV: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7AoCqRwgv2ityaS18

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The short barriers on the exit side in that Streetview are for the sidewalk, not the road.

For those who posit that full barriers would protect idiots from themselves, I present this example of someone trying to eliminate themselves from the gene pool:

Elsewhere in the US, Amtrak train 6, the eastbound California Zephyr, was derailed in a collision with a milk tanker at a grade crossing east of Denver on Monday evening. The driver was reported as being hospitalised with serious injuries, but there were only minor injuries among the 69 passengers. The truck driver was unhurt but allegedly failed to stop for the approaching train.

Lead loco P40 no 816 overturned on its side with major damage and looks likely to be scrapped. The second loco and Superliner coaches stayed upright although off the rails.

There are many reports on US media, one summary is here:
(Link to report on US news.com including quote below)

An Amtrak train crashed into a truck carrying milk at a northeastern Colorado rail crossing, badly injuring the engineer and sending three passengers to a hospital for treatment, authorities said.
The truck driver, a 31-year-old man from Fort Wainright, Alaska, drove through the crossing, which has a stop sign, and did not yield to the approaching Amtrak train on Monday night, Colorado State Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Troy Kessler said Tuesday. Neither he nor a male passenger were injured, he said.
The engineer, a 42-year-old man from Park City, Utah, was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

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DelW said:

Elsewhere in the US, Amtrak train 6, the eastbound California Zephyr, was derailed in a collision with a milk tanker at a grade crossing east of Denver on Monday evening. The driver was reported as being hospitalised with serious injuries, but there were only minor injuries among the 69 passengers. The truck driver was unhurt but allegedly failed to stop for the approaching train.

Lead loco P40 no 816 overturned on its side with major damage and looks likely to be scrapped. The second loco and Superliner coaches stayed upright although off the rails.

There are many reports on US media, one summary is here:

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-01-30/at-least-2-people-hospitalized-after-amtrak-train-derails-hits-milk-truck-in-colorado

(Link to report on US news.com)

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This video from CBS Colorado popped up when I logged into YouTube just now:

3 injured when Amtrak train hits semi hauling milk, derails in Northern Colorado​

EDIT: Update from the same channel: