Level crossing accident on Arun Valley Line 17/02/18

[theageofthetra]

BTP have tweeted that the car had a 17 year old and a 72 year old so could be grandparent/grandchild. Really hope it wasn't a driving lesson gone tragically wrong.

 

[jon0844]

Sadly at least one passenger is whinging about being inconvenienced by the accident on Twitter. Worse still is that someone who has read it appears to know the deceased. I really hate the selfish attitude of some people when tragedies like this occur

Yes, it's sad but it could be a coping mechanism. Fortunately when there are fatalities involved, the vast majority of people are understanding.

I hope that unless they're being particularly obnoxious, people aren't being too nasty back (but it's social media, so I expect it's carnage!).

People affected should still make their Delay Repay claims where applicable of course.

 

[PHILIPE]

There was an instance at Cardiff Central a few months ago, not a fatality, but a when passenger was taken ill on a train. The train had to remain where it was because the Ambulance Service had said the person was not to be moved until the paramedics had arrived and examined the passenger. One character travelling on the train said the person didn't look too bad so should have just been carried off the train and placed on a seat on the platform so we could all get home

 

[jon0844]

There was an instance at Cardiff Central a few months ago, not a fatality, but a when passenger was taken ill on a train. The train had to remain where it was because the Ambulance Service had said the person was not to be moved until the paramedics had arrived and examined the passenger. One character travelling on the train said the person didn't look too bad so should have just been carried off the train and placed on a seat on the platform so we could all get home

On the flip side, there are many incidents where staff should get someone off the train (bar a few exceptions) and are told off by other passengers, including doctors and other medial professionals.

 

[LOL The Irony]

https://twitter.com/katejackson84/status/964801637654163456
This is the person.
If you can't open the link here is what it says:

Ridiculous from @SouthernRailUK. Accident meant the train would terminate at Horsham, one stop and only a few miles from where I was going, now apparently have to go to Littlehampton to get a coach to Brighton, to then get another coach to Crawley. What an absolute farce.

All I can say is I hope Southern throw her delay repay form in the bin.

 

[LeylandLen]

Yes I noted that the barriers were/are down in the pic on BBC News website. Also weather conditions look dry with good visibility .Is that the back end of a train on very left of picture?

 

[Bromley boy]

https://twitter.com/katejackson84/status/964801637654163456
This is the person.
If you can't open the link here is what it says:

Two people have died, a major incident has occurred but there's always some selfish cretin who has to have a moan on twitter.

 

[sarahj]

Latest: Signalling equipment badly damaged. Line may not open tomorrow.

 

[jon0844]

https://twitter.com/katejackson84/status/964801637654163456
This is the person.
If you can't open the link here is what it says:

Wow. I see it's not the same person moaning that had someone involved.

You'd have thought they would backtrack and apologise once realising the situation, but this person seems to like complaining if you read other Tweets.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Wow. I see it's not the same person moaning that had someone involved.

You'd have thought they would backtrack and apologise once realising the situation, but this person seems to like complaining if you read other Tweets.

Exactly what I did. Selfish so & so.

Two people have died, a major incident has occurred but there's always some selfish cretin who has to have a moan on twitter.

I wouldn't expect anything less from twitter.

 

[RichardKing]

Latest: Signalling equipment badly damaged. Line may not open tomorrow.

And the London Bridge to Portsmouth/Littlehampton services are meant to be diverting via Horsham tomorrow - I hope they've booked the busses for another day!

Wow. I see it's not the same person moaning that had someone involved.

You'd have thought they would backtrack and apologise once realising the situation, but this person seems to like complaining if you read other Tweets.

It always disappoints me when people feel the need to moan about a delay when a family is getting the worst possible news.

 

[amcluesent]

Daily Mail reporting deceased are youth and his grandfather on way to football match. A witness at the scene he believed the car had gone round the safety barriers as there appeared to be no damage to the gates.

 

[Macwomble]

It always disappoints me when people feel the need to moan...........when a family is getting the worst possible news.

That's the problem nowadays......it's the ME, ME, ME culture.

As for their DR form......should be well & truly stuck "where the sun don't shine".

 

[LOL The Irony]

As for their DR form......should be well & truly stuck "where the sun don't shine".

Best way of putting it.

 

[700007]

Thank you to the person who wrote this on Twitter in response to that disgusting creature moaning:

https://twitter.com/LConnectedBlog/status/964874806477942784

"When you arrive at wherever it is you are going, no matter how early or late, please take a minute. Take a minute to think about the two people that have died, the traumatised driver and guard, the BTP who have been working hard all morning. They have real problems. You don't."

It's shameful how some people think about themselves in a very saddening situation like this.

 

[Raul_Duke]

As for their DR form......should be well & truly stuck "where the sun don't shine".

Very well said.

 

[theking]

Daily Mail reporting deceased are youth and his grandfather on way to football match. A witness at the scene he believed the car had gone round the safety barriers as there appeared to be no damage to the gates.

As soon as I saw a quote saying couple of trains had passed closely beforehand this was my first thought.

Feel for the driver hopefully he is receiving the support and care s/he needs.

 

[MarkyT]

They will time out and raise soon anyway unless that can be stopped?

Forgive me for being a little rusty on these matters, but doesn't an AHBC fail in the lowered position? Locally monitored types fail raised I know but then it's the train drivers responsibility to observe the crossing before crossing at caution and there are white and red lights with advance warning boards on approach to help. For an AHBC there are none of these. Looking at the press photo the rear of the down train involved is visible just past the crossing so it's possible it didn't 'strike out' fully, especially likely if treadles and track circuit cables were damaged in the incident.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Forgive me for being a little rusty on these matters, but doesn't an AHBC fail in the lowered position? Locally monitored types fail raised I know but then it's the train drivers responsibility to observe the crossing before crossing at caution and there are white and red lights with advance warning boards on approach to help. For an AHBC there are none of these. Looking at the press photo the rear of the down train involved is visible just past the crossing so it's possible it didn't 'strike out' fully, especially likely if treadles and track circuit cables were damaged in the incident.

If something fails on the railway, it stops in the "do not proceed position".

From the BTP:

We can confirm that a 72-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy sadly died this morning following a collision at Barns Green level crossing in Horsham. The investigation into the collision contiunes and officers will be at the scene for the rest of the day. http://ow.ly/cljw30isD8P

 

[MarkyT]

...A witness at the scene he believed the car had gone round the safety barriers as there appeared to be no damage to the gates.

Or the car could have stopped for some reason on the crossing, then the warning sequence started? Unlikely I know, but plausible. Clealry if that happens then self preservation should say get out and run but again panic can initiate the wrong reaction with some people. I must admit I don't really like AHBs. Where not suitable for local monitoring or closure, I'd full barrier and OD the lot and to hell with the local reaction to the longer road delays, which would be insignificant on a tiny local road like this anyway.

 

[Spartacus]

Looking at the press photo the rear of the down train involved is visible just past the crossing so it's possible it didn't 'strike out' fully, especially likely if treadles and track circuit cables were damaged in the incident.

The train just off the crossing was approaching in the opposite direction when the incident occured, the train directly involved stopped some way down the line. Given the position of both I'd say they're both pretty close to where each other was when the incident occured.

Or the car could have stopped for some reason on the crossing, then the warning sequence started? Unlikely I know, but plausible. Clealry if that happens then self preservation should say get out and run but again panic can initiate the wrong reaction with some people. I must admit I don't really like AHBs. Where not suitable for local monitoring or closure, I'd full barrier and OD the lot and to hell with the local reaction to the longer road delays, which would be insignificant on a tiny local road like this anyway.

Two trans had passed over in opposite directions shortly before the incident, given how close the last one before and train involved with the collision were I wouldn't be surprised if the barriers hadn't raised between them, indeed all three, and if the accident hadn't happened, all four. It's only a 3 minute headway and trains were coming in quick succession in either direction.

 

[tsr]

The line is unlikely to reopen until Monday, as it stands (as sarahj implied), with much level crossing control equipment destroyed, plus the traction paralleling hut (for the power supply) which caught fire. There’s also a lot of cable damage.

For anyone in the area, a temporary repair may also mean the road cannot be opened for a few days.

The sheer amount of destruction is one of the reasons the investigation is taking so much time, in turn meaning the recovery operation was postponed, though it is now beginning. The lack of surviving recording devices is part of the swathe of destruction, so the incident has to be treated as suspicious until proven otherwise.

The train has also been severely damaged - another incident where an Electrostar has lost all GSM-R functionality, too, as I understand it.

 

[MarkyT]

If something fails on the railway, it stops in the "do not proceed position".

Thanks, I'm aware of the general fail-safe principle, but crossings are often a little more nuanced as to what exactly is the failsafe condition, as with the locally monitored half barrier types which is definitely designed to fail with the barriers open to road traffic, but clearly with the rail drivers' indications showing stop.

 

[RichardKing]

The line is unlikely to reopen until Monday, as it stands (as sarahj implied), with much level crossing control equipment destroyed, plus the traction paralleling hut (for the power supply) which caught fire. There’s also a lot of cable damage.

For anyone in the area, a temporary repair may also mean the road cannot be opened for a few days.

The sheer amount of destruction is one of the reasons the investigation is taking so much time, in turn meaning the recovery operation was postponed, though it is now beginning. The lack of surviving recording devices is part of the swathe of destruction, so the incident has to be treated as suspicious until proven otherwise.

The train has also been severely damaged - another incident where an Electrostar has lost all GSM-R functionality, too, as I understand it.

I imagine it will be quite a task to recover the unit as well? After such damage, will it be able to run under its own power?

 

[theageofthetra]

The line is unlikely to reopen until Monday, as it stands (as sarahj implied), with much level crossing control equipment destroyed, plus the traction paralleling hut (for the power supply) which caught fire. There’s also a lot of cable damage.

For anyone in the area, a temporary repair may also mean the road cannot be opened for a few days.

The sheer amount of destruction is one of the reasons the investigation is taking so much time, in turn meaning the recovery operation was postponed, though it is now beginning. The lack of surviving recording devices is part of the swathe of destruction, so the incident has to be treated as suspicious until proven otherwise.

The train has also been severely damaged - another incident where an Electrostar has lost all GSM-R functionality, too, as I understand it.

Really

The line is unlikely to reopen until Monday, as it stands (as sarahj implied), with much level crossing control equipment destroyed, plus the traction paralleling hut (for the power supply) which caught fire. There’s also a lot of cable damage.

For anyone in the area, a temporary repair may also mean the road cannot be opened for a few days.

The sheer amount of destruction is one of the reasons the investigation is taking so much time, in turn meaning the recovery operation was postponed, though it is now beginning. The lack of surviving recording devices is part of the swathe of destruction, so the incident has to be treated as suspicious until proven otherwise.

The train has also been severely damaged - another incident where an Electrostar has lost all GSM-R functionality, too, as I understand it.

Any links to the GSMR failure bit or is it in the depot rumour category?- DM me if you would rather not post publicly.

 

[JN114]

another incident where an Electrostar has lost all GSM-R functionality, too, as I understand it.

Is there something in the placement of the GSM-R equipment on the Electrostars that make them particularly susceptible to this? I ask as we had an HST on New Year’s Eve hit a large tree that caused significant damage to the driving cab (struck the back of the desk and tilted it 45 degrees towards the driver) - with several on train systems damaged as a result but the Driver was able to hit the Red Button and initiate a REC (Emergency Call) even if they then weren’t able to speak to the signalman.

 

[Spartacus]

I imagine it will be quite a task to recover the unit as well? After such damage, will it be able to run under its own power?

No, current plan is to ue the one in all the pictures next to the crossing to drag the other back towards Horsham.

 

[gavin]

BTP have tweeted that the car had a 17 year old and a 72 year old so could be grandparent/grandchild. Really hope it wasn't a driving lesson gone tragically wrong.

PA have said it was a 15-year-old boy and a 72-year-old man

Two members of the same family – a 15-year-old boy and a 72-year-old man - were killed when a train collided with a car at the Barns Green level crossing in Horsham, West Sussex, on Saturday morning, British Transport Police confirmed

https://twitter.com/PA/status/964888398635978752

 

[Ambient Sheep]

Sadly at least one passenger is whinging about being inconvenienced by the accident on Twitter. Worse still is that someone who has read it appears to know the deceased.

And even worse, it appears that a journalist is sniffing round the friend of the dead boy to try to get more details out of her, despite the fact that she's presumably 15 too.

 

[Darandio]

And even worse, it appears that a journalist is sniffing round the friend of the dead boy to try to get more details out of her, despite the fact that she's presumably 15 too.

Indeed, just saw that myself. As bad as the cretin complaining about the delay.