Longest wait from amber light at level crossing to train? Why does it seem to take so long?

[GiT™]

Evening all. I frequently cross the Fish Dock Level Crossing in Grimsby, and the whole area seems to suffer from stupidly long times from the Amber lamp illuminating, until the train gets to the crossing.

3-4mins if the train is coming from Cleethorpes and is the Barton Upon Humber unit. The amber triggers WAY before the train even gets to New Clee station (where it stops).

This too, is a regular occurrence, so it got me thinking, is this one of the longest regular waits for a train to get to the crossing once the amber lamp triggers?

Over to the pros...

 

[MadMac]

It’s a manually controlled barrier with obstacle detection. The signal protecting the crossing looks to be before New Clee, so the crossing needs to be down before that signal can be cleared to let the train into the station, hence the lengthy wait.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

With regard to Wem level crossing on the Crewe to Shrewsbury line, the barrier down time at Wem (not quite the same thing as the OP is asking) varies depending on type of train, train speed, how far away the train detection equipment is located, whether the train due is a stopper, whether there's another train due in the opposite direction, etc.

Have seen Network Rail stats (in response to a Freedom of Information request a few years ago) showing total barrier down time at Wem varying between 31 seconds and over 12 minutes, all in a particular calendar month.

 

[dk1]

It’s a manually controlled barrier with obstacle detection. The signal protecting the crossing looks to be before New Clee, so the crossing needs to be down before that signal can be cleared to let the train into the station, hence the lengthy wait.

Not familiar with the signalling in that area but that was my first thought. Not much can be done about the extended down time.

 

[thejuggler]

Grey Street crossing at Broughty Ferry station is similar.

 

[TPO]

Evening all. I frequently cross the Fish Dock Level Crossing in Grimsby, and the whole area seems to suffer from stupidly long times from the Amber lamp illuminating, until the train gets to the crossing.

3-4mins if the train is coming from Cleethorpes and is the Barton Upon Humber unit. The amber triggers WAY before the train even gets to New Clee station (where it stops).

This too, is a regular occurrence, so it got me thinking, is this one of the longest regular waits for a train to get to the crossing once the amber lamp triggers?

Over to the pros...

I don't think that's an unusually long wait for a MCB crossing.

The most infamous MCB was Tipton crossing where it was only open to the road for 10 minutes or so out of very hour, it's been replaced by a bridge/underpass now I believe.

Problem is that the General Public are not very good at obeying the wigwags on automatic half-barrier LCs (which have a swift timing but are not interlocked with the signalling) and then shout and ball when some "lovely person who never did anything wrong" gets wiped out by a train on such an automatic crossing because they chanced it just once too often, usually because they ignored the wigwags and zig-zagged around the barriers. Network Rail cop it from the regulator, the crossing then gets replaced with a full-barriered MCB interlocked with the signalling and the wait times become much longer. Plus the same risk assessment is then applied to other automatic crossings that people abuse, and they also get replaced with MCBs with longer wait times- but which are safer (or more idiot-proof perhaps? ) . C'est la vie.

[Whether that approach is a good use of public money or not is another totally different topic].

TPO

 

[Ken H]

Kildwick on the keighley - Skipton line can leave you waiting a while. Useful when you are going to the hospital. I got held up while my wife was driving me to A+E with a burst appendix. She turned round and we went via steeton.

 

[najaB]

Grey Street crossing at Broughty Ferry station is similar.

It can be annoying when a northbound train is calling at the station, but there's no starting signal (ignore that it would be fouled), so there's no option other than to have the barriers closed for the whole station call. And then stay closed for the southbound that's about to arrive!

 

[sutty]

I don't think that's an unusually long wait for a MCB crossing.

The most infamous MCB was Tipton crossing where it was only open to the road for 10 minutes or so out of very hour, it's been replaced by a bridge/underpass now I believe.

TPO

Yep. Tipton underwent a lot of work and now has an underpass.

Which totally blew me for six when I was there one day, as I did my motorcycle lessons at a place called BCMT near there and recall being able to cross the tracks to get to the platform I needed. The next time I went there it was all completely different and I thought I was at the wrong station.

 

[Annetts key]

Evening all. I frequently cross the Fish Dock Level Crossing in Grimsby, and the whole area seems to suffer from stupidly long times from the Amber lamp illuminating, until the train gets to the crossing.

3-4mins if the train is coming from Cleethorpes and is the Barton Upon Humber unit. The amber triggers WAY before the train even gets to New Clee station (where it stops).

This too, is a regular occurrence, so it got me thinking, is this one of the longest regular waits for a train to get to the crossing once the amber lamp triggers?

Over to the pros...

Try a level crossing on a road where that road is the only way into and out of an area, and where it’s a busy main line. Hence once the crossing has been closed to road traffic, it’s not unknown for three or more trains to pass before the crossing is reopened again.

Unless of course, there is a equipment failure, and then the barriers may be down for an hour or more before staff arrive on site to investigate the problem…

Then those staff get to hear some distinctive language…

 

[moogal]

I was thinking about this the other day actually - I regularly use the Bow Brickhill crossing and the barriers seem to come down 3-5 minutes before the actual train arrives, so was wondering how far back it's triggered.
But then again, also seeing the number of people who carry on crossing until the barriers are most of the way down, I'm not that surprised there's a gap.

 

[Neptune]

Kildwick on the keighley - Skipton line can leave you waiting a while. Useful when you are going to the hospital. I got held up while my wife was driving me to A+E with a burst appendix. She turned round and we went via steeton.

Was held up for there for 17 minutes for the passage of 3 trains last week. I was the second car through and as I cleared the other side the amber light came back on!

I believe the estimate is that the barriers are down for 45 minutes in every hour.

 

[dk1]

I believe the estimate is that the barriers are down for 45 minutes in every hour.

That’s quite impressive.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

I timed the closure time at a crossing for a light engine. 75 seconds only.

 

[Clan Line]

Wool is another level crossing that can be down for a long time, with a longer delay when the Weymouth train arrives as it calls at the station before going over the crossing. The delay is longer on a Sunday as the Weymouth bound train calls at XX:10 and the London one at XX:13

 

[High Dyke]

I timed the closure time at a crossing for a light engine. 75 seconds only.

Depends what type of crossing it was, and - in the case of a full barrier crossing- whether the train was waiting at the protecting signal for the section to become available.

 

[starstruck]

Streethouse Level Crossing can be a long wait. For a train towards Wakefield the barriers come down to protect an overrun. The train stops at the station and then proceeds over the level crossing. Problem is that a train from Wakefield calls just after this so the barriers often remain down.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

As a railfan I think holding up road traffic for trains is good, maybe even better than 'encouraging rail travel'!

I plan to take my stopwatch to a double-track line next week where the barriers often stay down for a second train, lots of freight, waiting times might indeed be several minutes there.

Have others timed closures, rather than suspecting 'so and so many minutes'?

 

[d9009alycidon]

Logans Road LC just to the west of Motherwell Station, barriers go down when a train approaches the platforms from the WCML which can result in long waits if it is a stopper.

 

[dk1]

Both Stowmarket level Crossings can be across the road for quite a bit of each hour. There are normally 7-8 passenger trains each hour two of which pass through at 90/100mph whereas the others stop & are usually given clear signals at the same time as those fast services. Regular freight trains & it being the base for the Autumn RHTTs make for a busy railway.

 

[GiT™]

As a railfan I think holding up road traffic for trains is good, maybe even better than 'encouraging rail travel'!

I plan to take my stopwatch to a double-track line next week where the barriers often stay down for a second train, lots of freight, waiting times might indeed be several minutes there.

Have others timed closures, rather than suspecting 'so and so many minutes'?

That's actually a good shout, I'll get it timed in both directions (Single track line this one).

 

[Rhinojerry]

Come to Bamber Bridge.You can easily fritter away many minutes of your life.To be fair they have amended the times to allow Colne to Preston and vice versa to meet,however it still takes a very long time with barriers down.
Delays occur to First Responders a fair bit as its the main road through.

 

[najaB]

Come to Bamber Bridge.You can easily fritter away many minutes of your life.

Remind me, is this another setup where the barriers go down for trains that are calling at the station and stay down until after it departs? I've only ever been on a train that's passing/calling so couldn't easily see what the barriers were doing.

 

[dk1]

Remind me, is this another setup where the barriers go down for trains that are calling at the station and stay down until after it departs? I've only ever been on a train that's passing/calling so couldn't easily see what the barriers were doing.

They wouldn’t be permitted to raise again if the route had been cleared for the train.

 

[Trainfan344]

Was at Bentley (South Yorks) recently and the barriers can go down quite a while before the train passes as I assume it clears for expresses to get a clear run on greens.

 

[silverfoxcc]

Three in close proximity Are Wokingham Station. which is i think is also manually linked to the one at Amen Crossing and seem to open and close at the same time Hence loong delays. The wierd thing is the next oner down, which can be seen from Amen Corner Crossing is a AHB. So if you are approaching the crossing and see it is down, a swift left just before is the road to Waterloo Rd one Saved me days of waiting over the years

 

[TSG]

Three in close proximity Are Wokingham Station. which is i think is also manually linked to the one at Amen Crossing and seem to open and close at the same time Hence loong delays. The wierd thing is the next oner down, which can be seen from Amen Corner Crossing is a AHB. So if you are approaching the crossing and see it is down, a swift left just before is the road to Waterloo Rd one Saved me days of waiting over the years

You aren't the first person I've heard get these crossings mixed up but I don't know where the confusion came from. Amen Corner AHB was nearer Bracknell (Beehive Road I think) than all the ones you mention and has been closed for many many years. Wokingham MCB is obviously operated by Wokingham box, who also work Star Lane MCB-CCTV on the Easthampstead Road and supervise Waterloo AHB on, funnily enough, Waterloo Road (the phrase 'Waterloo AHB' has caused a few raised eyebrows to the uninitiated over the years ). Waterloo AHB is due for closure soon I believe, as there's a major road scheme around Wokingham which will bypass the crossing with a bridge. You will be waylaid no more...

 

[Deepgreen]

As a railfan I think holding up road traffic for trains is good, maybe even better than 'encouraging rail travel'!

I plan to take my stopwatch to a double-track line next week where the barriers often stay down for a second train, lots of freight, waiting times might indeed be several minutes there.

Have others timed closures, rather than suspecting 'so and so many minutes'?

The trouble is that long delays encourage road users to take risks to get across and also usually mean queues of cars waiting for many minutes with their engines running as so few people bother to switch off, causing unnecessary pollution in situ.

 

[Ken H]

You can have a long wait at hest bank. Busy bit of the WCML.

 

[najaB]

They wouldn’t be permitted to raise again if the route had been cleared for the train.

I understand why it happens, but wasn't sure if this was the case specifically at Bamber Bridge, or if there was a starting signal at the station. From your post I gather that there is not.