Lorry hits OHLE protection barrier at level crossing in Motherwell

[marks87]

Travel chaos as B&M lorry smashes into level crossing

A B&M lorry has caused travel chaos after smashing into a level crossing.

The crash happened at the bridgework on Bellshill Road in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, on Thursday.

Rail services have been delayed following the collision, with the nearby line blocked.

It is understood the lorry also hit overhead cables.

https://stv.tv/news/west-central/13...ossing/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

rom the photo in the article, it looks like the lorry hit the height restriction barrier but still proceeded to the other side of the crossing, taking the wires with it.

Photo on the Network Rail Twitter seems to show the lorry back on the other side of the crossing, with the other height barrier undamaged.

Seems a bit odd that it could clear one but not the other.

The wires also seem to be intact.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Will that need an overnight engineering possession to fix the OLE?

 

[skyhigh]

Will that need an overnight engineering possession to fix the OLE?

Seeing as the opening post suggests that there's no damage to the OHLE it looks like the barrier did it's job and protected the wires from the lorry.

 

[edwin_m]

Both barriers must be at least the electrical clearance height below the wires otherwise they wouldn't do their job. Presumably they are set at slightly different heights so the lorry cleared the first one but not the second. If the barriers are roughly correctly positioned this means the lorry is significantly above the safe height shown on the signs but far enough below the OLE to avoid any hazard from it.

 

[route:oxford]

Seems a bit odd that it could clear one but not the other.

I'm not sure how tall the vehicle is, but a possibility could be that another vehicle has hit the barrier causing it to move towards the railway without admission or anyone noticing.

The B&M as then come along and due to the previous movement no longer fits.

 

[snowball]

The 16'6" shown on the sign is the normal max height for road vehicles, and the lorry is presumably a standard design rather than a specially tall vehicle. So I'm inclined to suspect that the boom in question was too low immediately before the incident.

 

[stephenhartley]

The 16'6" shown on the sign is the normal max height for road vehicles, and the lorry is presumably a standard design rather than a specially tall vehicle. So I'm inclined to suspect that the boom in question was too low immediately before the incident.

Interesting hypothesis. If true, then the lorry driver is considerably less reckless than the images appearing in the media might suggest...

 

[westcoaster]

It makes it under the first boom no problem, makes it under the ohle no problem, but hits the second boom. Also it looks like the road has a hump coming from the nearest line to the road junction. So as the front of the truck comes of the hump the rear axle rises, causing the trailer to be over height hitting the second boom.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

The 16'6" shown on the sign is the normal max height for road vehicles, and the lorry is presumably a standard design rather than a specially tall vehicle. So I'm inclined to suspect that the boom in question was too low immediately before the incident.

The trailer looks like it could be a "double stacker" trailer

 

[Crossover]

I think this is where the lorry was coming from, heading towards Bellshill Road
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.7...4!1sM1oObS44jZfMH5HxR1k2hw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The trailer looks like it could be a "double stacker" trailer

Almost certainly - normal height artic trailers are usually around the same height as the tractor unit

 

[Crossover]

Seems like Don-Bur are a manufacturer of these trailers, including ones for B&M
http://www.donbur.co.uk/gb-en/images/products/bandm-curtainsided-double-deck.jpg

Playing around with the online configurator, it seems to suggest the maximum height of a double deck trailer is 4.88m. The safe maximum height for the crossing is 5m

 

[Cowley]

That recovery truck looks awesome (I'm a bit of a fan of wreckers)

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Possibilities, tarmac has been added, or lorry 'bounced' on an uneven surface.

 

[QueensCurve]

Seeing as the opening post suggests that there's no damage to the OHLE it looks like the barrier did it's job and protected the wires from the lorry.

Which line is this on?

 

[gsnedders]

Which line is this on?

Pretty sure it's on the WCML (the avoiding Bellshill line).

 

[signallerscot]

It's on the main line between Motherwell and Uddingston. Trains diverted via Bellshill till the lorry was recovered. No damage at all to the OLE and no trip but obviously trains couldn't run as the lorry was stuck right over the crossing.

 

[QueensCurve]

It's on the main line between Motherwell and Uddingston. Trains diverted via Bellshill till the lorry was recovered. No damage at all to the OLE and no trip but obviously trains couldn't run as the lorry was stuck right over the crossing.

This one here?

 

[signallerscot]

Yes that's Logan's Road. It's a CCTV crossing supervised by Motherwell SC.

 

[Ediswan]

The original link includes dashcam footage of the collision. It looks like the cab had come down off the raised section of road, but the trailer had not.

 

[snowball]

The leading edge of the trailer seems to pass under the boom successfully, then the boom is caught by the top of the trailer, is pushed over, and falls in front of the front of the trailer.

 

[harz99]

I seem to remember that B&M trailers have an unusual curved roofline meaning that the very front and very rear parts are slightly lower than the centre of the trailer which could be why the front went under the barrier but not the middle.

 

[Mojo]

I'm intrigued as I've never seen a height barrier to "protect" OHLE before, normally just a sign indicating "Maximum safe height." Is there something about this crossing such as unusually low OHLE, or the road which has an unusually high number of tall vehicles going along it?

 

[PermitToTravel]

Seems like Don-Bur are a manufacturer of these trailers, including ones for B&M
http://www.donbur.co.uk/gb-en/images/products/bandm-curtainsided-double-deck.jpg

Playing around with the online configurator, it seems to suggest the maximum height of a double deck trailer is 4.88m. The safe maximum height for the crossing is 5m

The trailer height has to be added to the tractor's fifth wheel height to determine the clearance

 

[Carntyne]

I'm intrigued as I've never seen a height barrier to "protect" OHLE before, normally just a sign indicating "Maximum safe height." Is there something about this crossing such as unusually low OHLE, or the road which has an unusually high number of tall vehicles going along it?

It's a really busy junction and on the WCML too.

 

[ac6000cw]

The info here (in the context of workplace safety) - http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/factsheets/height.htm - says:

The standard minimum clearance over every part of the carriageway of a public road is 16 feet 6 inches (5.03 metres). When the clearance over any part is less than this, standard warning signs both on and prior to the structure should be provided. The stated clearance should be at least 75mm less than the measured height.

and also adds:

Changes in gradient may also reduce the effective headroom for long vehicles.

...which might have been a factor here (plus some suspension 'bounce'). I suspect there are going to be some careful measurements done of the real clearances for long vehicles at that location. I wonder if the level crossing profile has changed since the height barriers were erected?

 

[furnessvale]

The trailer height has to be added to the tractor's fifth wheel height to determine the clearance

The trailer height allows for an average 5th wheel height of 1250mm.

If that was added to 4880mm as you suggest that would give an overall height of 6130mm or 20ft! At that height, it wouldn't be going very far on UK roads.

 

[steverailer]

Those trailers are between 16' and 16'3. There are no signs on the protectors so they will be at least 16'6 high. Could be a suspension issue, road gradient or any number of things, but the driver is not to blame here as he would have believed that his trailer was lower than the structure.

 

[mpthomson]

The info here (in the context of workplace safety) - http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/factsheets/height.htm - says:



and also adds:



...which might have been a factor here (plus some suspension 'bounce'). I suspect there are going to be some careful measurements done of the real clearances for long vehicles at that location. I wonder if the level crossing profile has changed since the height barriers were erected?

That would be my theory. The trailer is a perfectly standard sized trailer for use on UK roads and therefore shouldn't have come into contact with the barrier. Probability would suggest that trailers like this rarely fail in an upward direction so the more likely explanation is that the barrier was lower than it should have been, either through damage or the road profile being altered by roadworks.

 

[snowball]

There are no signs on the protectors so they will be at least 16'6 high.

There's a roadside sign saying 16' 6" visible in one of the pictures.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Could the driver have been using a sat nav not setup for lorries? Approx 0.6miles to the south there's an overbridge that looks like it would have been a way more suitable route to cross over the railway line