Canute Rd Level Crossing Southampton

[Nova1]

Hi guys,

Does anyone happen to know if the Canute Rd Level Crossing in Southampton is still in use? It's amazing that a crossing with such big freight trains has no barriers.

Thanks.

 

[swt_passenger]

Hi guys,

Does anyone happen to know if the Canute Rd Level Crossing in Southampton is still in use? It's amazing that a crossing with such big freight trains has no barriers.

Thanks.

Yes. Regular use by car carriers to from the eastern docks. From what I’ve seen when stopped at the road lights there are staff in attendance when trains cross. RTT shows today’s movements, there’s a few:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Southampton Dock Gates all day on 17/09/2024

Train information at Southampton Dock Gates all day on 17/09/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[BananaRepublic]

It takes quite a while for a 45 car long train of WIA's to cross at slow speed (9x 5-car units).

There have been the occasional boat charters using the crossing over the last decade or so.

z

 

[Carlisle]

Yes. Regular use by car carriers to from the eastern docks. From what I’ve seen when stopped at the road lights there are staff in attendance when trains cross.

Thinks there’s been the occasional incident here previously,

VIDEO: Bus blocks level crossing as train approaches

THIS is the moment passengers look on in horror as a freight train closes in on their bus.

www.dailyecho.co.uk

 

[swt_passenger]

Thinks there’s been the occasional incident here previously,

VIDEO: Bus blocks level crossing as train approaches

THIS is the moment passengers look on in horror as a freight train closes in on their bus.

www.dailyecho.co.uk

That was posted here before, but AIUI all rail traffic is brought to a stop just before the crossing so it isn’t a high risk situation. Probably just trying to siccessfully embarrass the bus driver.

 

[507 001]

That was posted here before, but AIUI all rail traffic is brought to a stop just before the crossing so it isn’t a high risk situation. Probably just trying to siccessfully embarrass the bus driver.

‘Passengers look on in horror as a freight train closes in on their bus’.

At 5mph.


Like the steamroller in Austin Powers.

 

[Lockwood]

The press did try to over egg that one.

However, the bus driver was an idiot for getting into that situation

 

[paul1609]

Hi guys,

Does anyone happen to know if the Canute Rd Level Crossing in Southampton is still in use? It's amazing that a crossing with such big freight trains has no barriers.

Thanks.

Canute Rd Level Crossing is actually gated but only across the railway. Somebody will have opened the gates to allow the engine to be where it is. The whole of the route from there to the docks is basically only a tramway and not a conventional railway. The original Southampton terminus station is behind the bus.
In terms of Road useage the crossing goes diagonally across the road between 2 sets of independent traffic lights. The yellow box takes up approximately a third of the road distance. If somebody suddenly decides to turn right in front of the bus driver and the left hand lane is blocked (usually with illegally parked Network Rail Vans!) he is stuffed.

 

[Lockwood]

Don't enter unless your exit is clear?

 

[AlterEgo]

Don't enter unless your exit is clear?

Indeed, the exit has to be clear for you to enter. It's a level crossing specific box junction.

 

[Egg Centric]

I think what he's saying is that if you're approaching in the right hand lane to turn right and a stationary vehicle in the left hand lane decides to move into the right hand one after you're already committed to driving over the crossing then there's not much you can do about it. And vice versa in all directions.

Theoretically true - and perhaps adding a solid white line might be a good idea - but I don't think that's what happened in this case given how much the bus is overhanging...

 

[paul1609]

View attachment 165685

I think what he's saying is that if you're approaching in the right hand lane to turn right and a stationary vehicle in the left hand lane decides to move into the right hand one after you're already committed to driving over the crossing then there's not much you can do about it. And vice versa in all directions.

Theoretically true - and perhaps adding a solid white line might be a good idea - but I don't think that's what happened in this case given how much the bus is overhanging...

You are looking at the wrong side of the crossing. Your photo is the East side, the bus is traveling West. On the West side there is quite a large cycle priority area at the stop line. The outside lane is marked as ahead and right turn. The near side lane is marked ahead only and "dock gates". The outside lane is the correct lane for the bus to be in. If somebody is in the outside lane without indicating right and stops at the traffic light suddenly to turn right, if he can't change lanes to the left he has no alternative but to foul the crossing. I think the Police would take the view that when the bus entered the box he was entitled to do so as his exit is clear.
This cab ride

shows how the crossing works at around 14.30 albeit in the opposite direction. The train is bought to a halt at a red signal. The crossing light sequence is started and the train gets an auxiliary aspect to proceed ie authority to proceed as far as the line is clear. Obviously the cab ride is on a Sunday morning the bus was probably in the morning rush but I doubt was in any danger.

 

[Revilo]

The press did try to over egg that one.

However, the bus driver was an idiot for getting into that situation

I think I read somewhere that both the bus driver and the train driver were disciplined/sacked for this incident. The train driver because he continued to move the train towards the bus despite the blockage. I could be wrong though.

 

[Egg Centric]

You are looking at the wrong side of the crossing. Your photo is the East side, the bus is traveling West. On the West side there is quite a large cycle priority area at the stop line. The outside lane is marked as ahead and right turn. The near side lane is marked ahead only and "dock gates". The outside lane is the correct lane for the bus to be in. If somebody is in the outside lane without indicating right and stops at the traffic light suddenly to turn right, if he can't change lanes to the left he has no alternative but to foul the crossing. I think the Police would take the view that when the bus entered the box he was entitled to do so as his exit is clear.
This cab ride

shows how the crossing works at around 14.30 albeit in the opposite direction. The train is bought to a halt at a red signal. The crossing light sequence is started and the train gets an auxiliary aspect to proceed ie authority to proceed as far as the line is clear. Obviously the cab ride is on a Sunday morning the bus was probably in the morning rush but I doubt was in any danger.

I was on "your side" (and the direction either way doesn't really matter as far as I can tell hence my vice versa) about blocking the crossing sometimes being pragmatically unavoidable but in the circumstances you describe where the car was already in the outside lane who stopped at the traffic light then it would be the buses' fault for sure - as the exit would not have been clear when it entered the crossing. Or am I missing something?

Thanks for the cab ride, I particularly enjoyed the nonchanlant chap in high viz, i could practically hear him burp... any idea why there's so many spotters on the crossing? Do they always turn out for boat trains or was this a special one?

 

[swt_passenger]

I saw in the public version of the SA that the level crossing type is AOCL. Does that A not usually mean Automatic? Because this one usually seems to me to be under supervision of the port staff. The two sets of gates over the line look 100% manual as well, and the red signal and calling on lights imply control by at least a crossing keeper, don’t they?

 

[Boilinthebag]

The main aspect signal entering is permanently red. Authority to proceed is via the position light showing two white lights. However as it is an AOCL, the groundstaff activate the crossing and the driver must wait for the associated flashing white light to display before proceeding. There is a black and white cross approaching the crossing. The L is for locally monitored which means the driver proceeds once light is flashing and can see crossing is clear. Proceeding if you can see it to be not clear falls on the driver. Exit from the docks is via a main aspect clearing to green. It's a quirky one. If the position light doesn't clear you would need authority from the signaller to pass the signal at danger, and be treating the crossing as if it's failed if there is no flashing light. All good TW8 fun!