• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

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

Status
Not open for further replies.

sarahj

Established Member
Joined
12 Dec 2012
Messages
1,897
Location
Brighton
There has been a bad accident involving a car at a level crossing between Horsham and Pullborough. Car is completely trashed. Everyone on the train ok and now on buses. Damage to lineside eq, inc fire. Damage to the 377. Driver in shock, but ok. More to follow.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

gavin

Member
Joined
25 Dec 2006
Messages
1,006
Sky News have just got a breaking story up not a great deal of text currently whilst they update it

Two people have died after a train struck a car at a level crossing in Horsham, West Sussex. British Transport Police said officers were called to the scene near Barns Green village at 8.47am on Saturday. They said in a statement: "Officers from BTP attended alongside colleagues from Sussex Police and paramedics, however two people were sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

https://news.sky.com/story/two-people-killed-in-horsham-level-crossing-crash-11254150
 

sarahj

Established Member
Joined
12 Dec 2012
Messages
1,897
Location
Brighton

Spartacus

Established Member
Joined
25 Aug 2009
Messages
2,907
There's a road runs almost parallel to it which is much wider, which probably explains it, just people who live down there, the postman and the odd lorry as the other road has a low bridge.
 

jon0844

Veteran Member
Joined
1 Feb 2009
Messages
28,013
Location
UK
RAIB on site and being treated as a crime scene. Seems the driver will have to provide as much information as possible as there were no front facing cameras on the train.

Could take a while to establish what happened, although I am sure many will be able to speculate quite quickly!
 

bonzawe

Member
Joined
30 May 2014
Messages
89
It would appear so.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-43097342
A 72-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have died after a car was struck by a train at a level crossing.

Emergency services were called to the Barns Green crossing in Emms Lane, Horsham, West Sussex, at 08:47 GMT.

The two victims - the car driver and passenger - are believed to be grandfather and grandson. No-one on the train was hurt.

British Transport Police (BTP) said their family was being supported by specialist officers.

Det Insp Brett Walker said: "This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time. ...
Reported on the BBC, thoughts to everybody
 
Last edited by a moderator:

bonzawe

Member
Joined
30 May 2014
Messages
89
Not helped by engineering work, alternative route via hove not available

Buses replace trains between Brighton and Littlehampton on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 February
Engineering work is taking place between Brighton and Angmering, closing all lines.

Buses will replace trains between Brighton and Worthing / Littlehampton.

On Sunday, services between London Victoria and Littlehampton / Portsmouth Harbour will be diverted to start / terminate at London Bridge and will be diverted via Horsham, not calling at stations via Hove.
 

Chris M

Member
Joined
4 Feb 2012
Messages
1,057
Location
London E14
The BBC News article has a photo, captioned as showing the emergency services at the scene, which clearly shows an AHB crossing with the barriers fully down. Obviously I can't rule out the barriers being moved post accident (although it seems unlikely this would be done deliberately), but neither can misuse of the crossing by the driver be ruled out.
Given that both car driver and passenger were killed it seems unlikely that the road vehicle was struck just a glancing blow.

Thoughts to all involved, especially the train driver.
 

sarahj

Established Member
Joined
12 Dec 2012
Messages
1,897
Location
Brighton
The BBC News article has a photo, captioned as showing the emergency services at the scene, which clearly shows an AHB crossing with the barriers fully down. Obviously I can't rule out the barriers being moved post accident (although it seems unlikely this would be done deliberately), but neither can misuse of the crossing by the driver be ruled out.
Given that both car driver and passenger were killed it seems unlikely that the road vehicle was struck just a glancing blow.

Thoughts to all involved, especially the train driver.

Even with just a glancing blow, with line speed at 75 and a few tons of train, could send the car on a journey to the stars
 

jon0844

Veteran Member
Joined
1 Feb 2009
Messages
28,013
Location
UK
As it's a crime scene, nothing must be touched until a full investigation has been carried out. So I am sure the barriers will NOT have been moved.
 

SPADTrap

Established Member
Joined
15 Oct 2012
Messages
2,352
They will time out and raise soon anyway unless that can be stopped?
 

pompeyfan

Established Member
Joined
24 Jan 2012
Messages
4,181
A picture has been posted onto the twitter feed of the initial disruption tweet, showing a mangled wreck. The media are circling like vultures.
 

Spartacus

Established Member
Joined
25 Aug 2009
Messages
2,907
Even with just a glancing blow, with line speed at 75 and a few tons of train, could send the car on a journey to the stars

It looks like it was a long way from being just a glancing blow. 'Luckily' the vehicle ended up in the cess rather than on the other line as there was another service quickly approaching.
 

theageofthetra

On Moderation
Joined
27 May 2012
Messages
3,504
Don't 377 have forward cameras? Nice to see the owner of a nearby campsite offering refreshments to passengers and helping arrange onward transport.
 
Last edited:

pompeyfan

Established Member
Joined
24 Jan 2012
Messages
4,181
Surprised they weren’t retrofitted, considering even the 313s have FFCCTV. Insignificant I know but can anyone tell us which service was involved, seeing as the unit number has been revealed already.
 

Bromley boy

Established Member
Joined
18 Jun 2015
Messages
4,611
Very sorry to read about this event.

Presumably the crossing itself will have CCTV fitted?
 

Spartacus

Established Member
Joined
25 Aug 2009
Messages
2,907
Presumably the crossing itself will have CCTV fitted?

Not there, though judging by realtimetrains two other services crossed just before, so there might be other staff who saw the car at the crossing.
 

Bromley boy

Established Member
Joined
18 Jun 2015
Messages
4,611
Not there, though judging by realtimetrains two other services crossed just before, so there might be other staff who saw the car at the crossing.

Thanks, that's surprising. I would have imagined that all road/rail LCs would have CCTV (even if not actively monitored at AHB crossings).
 

jon0844

Veteran Member
Joined
1 Feb 2009
Messages
28,013
Location
UK
Not there, though judging by realtimetrains two other services crossed just before, so there might be other staff who saw the car at the crossing.

And if they didn't, it may point to a car crossing at the last second.

I expect the driver will be able to give information once in a condition to talk to others.
 

Bantamzen

Established Member
Joined
4 Dec 2013
Messages
9,669
Location
Baildon, West Yorkshire
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
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top