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Another lorry through the barriers at Manningtree

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1955LR

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Picked this up from yesterday on BBC - Seems to happen all too frequently , are there any plans to put in a bridge?

Lorry smashes through Essex level crossing barrier
Drivers have been warned to take care at level crossings after a lorry smashed through a barrier, completely tearing it off, as it was closing.
The crossing near Manningtree, Essex, had to be shut for repairs for several hours after the incident on Friday causing delays to rail and road traffic.
Network Rail posted a video of the moment on Twitter urging drivers that "when the lights are flashing you should stop."
The BBC has contacted the lorry company for a comment.
 
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Darandio

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Picked this up from yesterday on BBC - Seems to happen all too frequently , are there any plans to put in a bridge?

I cannot see how that would be remotely possible at the same location. Any bridge would probably have to be west of the station with a whole new road network to support it at considerable expense.
 

dk1

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Picked this up from yesterday on BBC - Seems to happen all too frequently , are there any plans to put in a bridge?

That was well publicised last week. There is an under bridge for other than high vehicles. You won't see anything else other than that at this location.
 

dk1

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I cannot see how that would be remotely possible at the same location. Any bridge would probably have to be west of the station with a whole new road network to support it at considerable expense.
Dont forget all that land to the west is protected. Remember the very strict rules that where applied when the field on the down side was temporarily turned into a bus interchange during the 2004 Ipswich tunnel blockade.
 

Grumpy Git

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Ban that lorry driver from being in charge of anything with wheels ever again. For a so called "professional" driver that is unforgivable behaviour.
 
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LAX54

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Down Side barrier I can almost understand...almost, but the Up side...No excuse at all.
 

py_megapixel

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Picked this up from yesterday on BBC - Seems to happen all too frequently , are there any plans to put in a bridge?
I don't see why a bridge should go in. It's not the railway's job to protect idiot drivers from their idiocy.

Anyone who can't understand that "STOP When lights flash" along with flashing lights and gates across the road means that they shouldn't proceed, should not be allowed to drive on the public roads.

In addition, I hope that the driver (or their employer) is made to pay the repair costs of the level crossing, plus the full cost of compensating all passengers.
 

broadgage

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In my view, incidents of this nature are not taken seriously enough.
Unless excused by some extreme extenuating circumstance of which we are not aware, I believe that the driver should be banned from driving for at least a year, and required to re-take the driving test after the ban.
The driver or the employer should also be required to pay the full costs of the incident, not just the repair costs but also any delay minutes incurred.
 

Taunton

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Before we go too far here ...

The lights cannot be seen flashing. I know it may be said that they were, just not visible to the camera at an angle, but should the camera not be sited so the lights are plainly visible to it, for proof?

This is not an AHB, it is under CCTV control. Would the operator not have a procedure that lights are flashed, then barriers are not lowered until it was seen on CCTV that vehicles were stopped or no threat?

This does not have normal lifting barriers for each side of the road, but ones from a single side. I can't see that the barrier on the approach side was lowered, but the one on the departure side was, after the truck entered the crossing. Have to say, if the farside barrier was lowered when I was actually on the crossing and obstructing the line, I would drive through it as well.
 

Tetchytyke

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Make the employer pay for every penny Network Rail had to pay out because of this issue.

If it starts hitting lorry companies or their insurers (if they don't self-insure) in the pocket, then incidents like this will be taken more seriously. Trying to go after the HGV driver might not be fruitful- they might not be British resident, and even if they are the chances are they won't have the money to pay for the damage- but the employers will make their staff behave if it costs them proper money.

The lights cannot be seen flashing. I know it may be said that they were, just not visible to the camera at an angle, but should the camera not be sited so the lights are plainly visible to it, for proof?

This is not an AHB, it is under CCTV control. Would the operator not have a procedure that lights are flashed, then barriers are not lowered until it was seen on CCTV that vehicles were stopped or no threat?

The white van stopped long before the HGV even appeared in shot, so one would assume that the lights were flashing. You can also see the HGV slowed down, then decided to deck it and try and get through.

The operator was right to lower the barriers. If you watch closely, you can also see that the operator tried to lift the barriers again, they were rising when the tractor unit ploughed through them.

If you look closely you can also see the other barrier bounce off the top of the trailer unit.

So yes, in this case I'll be getting the pitchforks out!
 
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py_megapixel

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This does not have normal lifting barriers for each side of the road, but ones from a single side. I can't see that the barrier on the approach side was lowered, but the one on the departure side was, after the truck entered the crossing. Have to say, if the farside barrier was lowered when I was actually on the crossing and obstructing the line, I would drive through it as well.
Surely the correct response would have been to reverse? Or, if there were vehicles behind - just.... um.... stop when the lights show?
If the lights weren't flashing then fair enough, but it would require a pretty serious defect I'd have thought for both lamps in the units on both sides of the road to be out.
 

py_megapixel

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That's not how it works.
I thought that the signaller just initiated a sequence, which involves the lights, and then the lowering of the barriers after a predetermined number of seconds? Maybe I'm wrong on that though.

The problem with waiting for vehicles to be clear is that if there's a train approaching quickly then there is a limit to how long you can sensibly wait!
 

CBlue

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I thought that the signaller just initiated a sequence, which involves the lights, and then the lowering of the barriers after a predetermined number of seconds? Maybe I'm wrong on that though.

The problem with waiting for vehicles to be clear is that if there's a train approaching quickly then there is a limit to how long you can sensibly wait!

My understanding was that road traffic doesn't have right of way on a level crossing. The automated ones work on that principle, I'd assume...
 

Taunton

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As the barriers descend synchronised, I don't get why the barrier on the approach side was not damaged as well. You would expect to see it in the images, but it's not even visible descending.

The first vehicle going the other way must have gone through on the red as well; I do wonder if the yellow light had just come on, stopping the second opposite direction vehicle.
 

LAX54

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Before we go too far here ...

The lights cannot be seen flashing. I know it may be said that they were, just not visible to the camera at an angle, but should the camera not be sited so the lights are plainly visible to it, for proof?

This is not an AHB, it is under CCTV control. Would the operator not have a procedure that lights are flashed, then barriers are not lowered until it was seen on CCTV that vehicles were stopped or no threat?

This does not have normal lifting barriers for each side of the road, but ones from a single side. I can't see that the barrier on the approach side was lowered, but the one on the departure side was, after the truck entered the crossing. Have to say, if the farside barrier was lowered when I was actually on the crossing and obstructing the line, I would drive through it as well.

The Operator has in front of him the crossing controls, he presses 'down' and the raised light goes out, and when the red lights are flashing, he gets a steady red on his controls, the barriers then lower,
There is a STOP button that can be used in an Emergency, and this was pressed when it was obvious the driver did not intend to stop before ploughing through the second barrier, after wrecking the first barrier !
You can tell on the video that STOP was pressed.

IF the light do not flash the Signaller will know, and there are rules that cover that scenario.

I am not sure why you think you would drive through the second barrier though, you have said it is supervsior controlled, so you know that the Signaller would not press crossing clear and clear the signals
 

LAX54

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Before we go too far here ...

The lights cannot be seen flashing. I know it may be said that they were, just not visible to the camera at an angle, but should the camera not be sited so the lights are plainly visible to it, for proof?

This is not an AHB, it is under CCTV control. Would the operator not have a procedure that lights are flashed, then barriers are not lowered until it was seen on CCTV that vehicles were stopped or no threat?

This does not have normal lifting barriers for each side of the road, but ones from a single side. I can't see that the barrier on the approach side was lowered, but the one on the departure side was, after the truck entered the crossing. Have to say, if the farside barrier was lowered when I was actually on the crossing and obstructing the line, I would drive through it as well.

If you carried out the procedure in bold, then there would very little chance of train actually making it over the crossing.......at all !
 

LAX54

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Do all level crossings have a signal protecting them, which will display "Danger" unless the barriers are down?

CCTV Crossings YES. and 'Crossing Clear' pressed, AHB's NO. (although with AHB's there maybe a signal nearby, but are not locked with the crossing, except in certain cirumstances )
 

LAX54

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Yes, aren't there still a few crossings with signal boxes next to the line with a view over the crossing, which the barriers and lights are controlled from?

Yes, they are under view of the Signalman looking out of the window over the crossing, the method of working is almost identical to that of a CCTV crossing, still have to confirm crossing is clear, by a switch, button or lever.
 

Tetchytyke

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You would expect to see it in the images, but it's not even visible descending.

As I said above, it is clearly visible- it bounces off the top of the trailer. It isn't damaged because it hit the top of a curtain trailer instead of having a tractor unit plough right through it.
 

ForTheLoveOf

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If it starts hitting lorry companies or their insurers (if they don't self-insure)
Self-insurance was 'banned' on 1st November last year, with a 2-year grandfathering clause for existings deposits. I'm surprised it didn't cause a news story - I'd expect it to increase some companies' costs quite considerably. Others may be totally unable to get insurance any more. Either way, self-insurance will soon be a thing of the past.

Do all level crossings have a signal protecting them, which will display "Danger" unless the barriers are down?
No, automated crossings generally aren't interlocked with the signalling system, (predictably) except for the exceptions. Manual crossings are normally interlocked with the signalling system and a member of staff (this may be a crossing keeper rather than a 'fully fledged' signaller) must in some way physically acknowledge the crossing as being clear for the signal to clear.
 

Bald Rick

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If it starts hitting lorry companies or their insurers (if they don't self-insure) in the pocket, then incidents like this will be taken more seriously.

As I have said many times before, NR (and its predecessors) does go after insurers for incidents such as this and Bridge Bashes Etc. And has done for decades. It’s barely a scratch on the insurers compared to other payouts they will be making. When it lands on the lorry companies, then they of course take it seriously, sometimes by sacking the driver concerned. But that doesn’t mean the thousands of other haulage firms take a blind bit of notice.
 

Lucan

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I can't see that the barrier on the approach side was lowered,
Look again, at 8 seconds, extreme top right corner. The barrier lowers onto the top of the trailer and bounces back up, after which it starts to come down again behind the lorry but rises again presumable because the operator has sent a "Raise" signal by them.
 
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robbeech

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The van travelling in the opposite direction stops considerably beyond the line. It’s difficult to see and I’m sure it’s NOT the case but from the angle of one video it looks like the barrier would have been close to hitting it had there not being a lorry driving through it.
 

jopsuk

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I don't see why a bridge should go in. It's not the railway's job to protect idiot drivers from their idiocy.
No, although it is the job of the railway to protect train drivers and passengers from predictable risk, which includes sadly that even a stunningly high % of professional drivers let loose in charge of HGVs are nowhere near as good or as sensible as you really want them to be and removing licences from them is horribly rare.
 

HORNIMANS

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Building a bridge is a no no as it wouid have to be really HIGH!! It is in a protected area a residential housing, a bridge if were built it would be seen for miles! A tunnel is not viable either as it is below the water table and is tidal at that point, HGV lorries should be banned and diverted main roads.
 
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