Network Rail unable to close 'danger crossing' in Poole

[najaB]

Video from the BBC where Poole level crossing is described as the 'highest risk' in the South West. They then go on to talk about people playing chicken and lifting the barriers after they've closed - so is it the crossing or the people who make it risky? BBC News video

Concerns have been raised about safety standards on a level crossing in Poole.
Network Rail said the Dorset town's high street crossing posed "by far" the highest risk of all of the crossings in the region.
Recent incidents at the crossing include people deliberately lifting the barriers while they were down, drunks playing chicken with trains and a wheelchair getting stuck on the tracks.
But, despite the incident rate, Network Rail said there were no plans to change or close the crossing.

 

[Firesprite]

It's the people, who rush across when the barriers start to come down, rather than wait or use the footbridge instead.

 

[Michael.Y]

The Darwin Awards come to mind. Take the woman interviewed. If she was crossing and the barrier hit her head, it means she started crossing when the siren was sounding and the lights were flashing.

 

[Llanigraham]

Not NR's fault at all, just the idiot general public.
Perhaps it would be useful if the barriers failed down one day..................

 

[455driver]

I have never seen a dangerous level crossing but I have seen loads of safe crossings being abused by the stupid!

 

[Silv1983]

It's the age old problem of the British public showing massive conceit, impatience and disregard for instruction and authority once again. NR should be rest-assured that the CCTV with exonerate them should any of these muppets get laid out by a train.

Good on NR for fighting their corner on this occasion.

 

[455driver]

It's the age old problem of the British public showing massive conceit, impatience and disregard for instruction and authority once again. NR should be rest-assured that the CCTV with exonerate them should any of these muppets get laid out by a train.

Good on NR for fighting their corner on this occasion.

Unfortuately if that did happen I would put money on 'them' trying to blame the signaller for the incident!

 

[bnm]

I have never seen a dangerous level crossing but I have seen loads of safe crossings being abused by the stupid!

Elsenham? Moreton-on-Lugg? Ufton Nervet (September 2011)? Llanbadarn?

In the main you are correct, it is most often the crossing user who is at fault. However there are plenty of incidents through the years where it was the crossing, the operator/signaller, or the infrastructure owner, which was at fault. We also have a recent near miss at Butterswood, Lincs, where it was a train driver who was mostly at fault for failing to correctly observe the Driver's Crossing Indicator.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

If a new footbridge was to be built, how long would the ramps have to be to meet disability access regs and for the bridge to still be high enough to allow for potential future overhead wires?

 

[The Ham]

If a new footbridge was to be built, how long would the ramps have to be to meet disability access regs and for the bridge to still be high enough to allow for potential future overhead wires?

IIRC the ramps would need to be flatter than 1 in 20, meaning that to go up in level 6m, would mean ramps of at least 120m in length.

 

[jopsuk]

The danger may be from stupidity, but all this talk of "darwin awards" rather ignores the other humans involved- doesn't matter if it is a bad crossing design or a bad crossing decision, drivers don't want to hit people and other rail staff don't want to have to pick up the bits.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
"People obey red traffic lights". Um, Yeah, Network Rail, that's not, strictly, true...

 

[47802]

How many years has that crossing been there, I remember watching the push pull 33's go past as a teenager from that crossing, which would suggest to me that the public are becoming increasingly stupid, and unless they pull down building either side of the crossing I don't think there is much network rail can do about it.

 

[BestWestern]

I would have thought an underpass is the better solution here? Seems like a relatively simple location to build one; straight, flat and only a short distance. There ought to be space to construct it centrally and still have room either side for the crossing to be used during construction.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

How many other level crossings are there apart from Poole that run through a pedestrian high street?

 

[Rapidash]

Probably hundreds.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

I would have thought an underpass is the better solution here? Seems like a relatively simple location to build one; straight, flat and only a short distance. There ought to be space to construct it centrally and still have room either side for the crossing to be used during construction.

Not sure that would be practical, as it might make the pavement a bit narrow either side (possibly falling foul of disability access regs).

 

[swt_passenger]

Probably hundreds.

There won't be hundreds where the road has been fully pedestrianised though?

 

[gswindale]

Just close the road fully? Removes the need for a level crossing.

If people complain, just point out that it is the stupidity of people that has led to it!

 

[455driver]

Elsenham? Moreton-on-Lugg? Ufton Nervet (September 2011)? Llanbadarn?

In the main you are correct, it is most often the crossing user who is at fault. However there are plenty of incidents through the years where it was the crossing, the operator/signaller, or the infrastructure owner, which was at fault. We also have a recent near miss at Butterswood, Lincs, where it was a train driver who was mostly at fault for failing to correctly observe the Driver's Crossing Indicator.

Elsenham the girls ignored all the signs and lights and didnt even look.
Moreton on Lugg was signaller error (although other safeguards should have been in place to prevent that error happening)
Ufton Nervert was a car parking on an open crossing so how was thje crossing at fault?
LLanbadarn- driver error, not a fault of the crossing itself, I am not a fan of these crossings and feel that a treadle positioned as a last resort which starts the red lights should be included in these instalations.

How many years has that crossing been there, I remember watching the push pull 33's go past as a teenager from that crossing, which would suggest to me that the public are becoming increasingly stupid, and unless they pull down building either side of the crossing I don't think there is much network rail can do about it.

You have only just noticed! hock:
You cant get out much!

 

[carriageline]

Just close the road fully? Removes the need for a level crossing.

If people complain, just point out that it is the stupidity of people that has led to it!

It's a shame they can't just say "use it properly, or we close it"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tomnick]

Elsenham the girls ignored all the signs and lights and didnt even look.
Moreton on Lugg was signaller error (although other safeguards should have been in place to prevent that error happening)
Ufton Nervert was a car parking on an open crossing so how was thje crossing at fault?
LLanbadarn- driver error, not a fault of the crossing itself, I am not a fan of these crossings and feel that a treadle positioned as a last resort which starts the red lights should be included in these instalations.

Ufton Nervet presumably refers to the more recent incident (not an accident - neither were Butterswood or Llanbadarn, unless I'm mistaken on the latter), where a train was allowed to approach the crossing at line speed despite it being under local control (and the attendant not being aware of the train's approach). Either way, it's hardly 'plenty' of examples in comparison to the number of accidents and near misses where user error is a substantial factor (and I include Elsenham in that, despite the railway's procedural failings).

 

[muz379]

unfortunately if somebody did get "laid out" by a train because they where misusing the crossing the poor driver and any passengers/witnesses on said train would have to deal with the serious consequences of that

I dont get why if you lived somewhere that did have a level crossing you would be so Blasé and take such risks , surely you would have a proper understanding of the danger the LC poses .

 

[thelem]

What about moving the crossing slightly. Looking at 0:48, it looks like you could put a crossing from the car park behind BetFred. That way you'd take it out of the highstreet and make people much more likely to use the foot bridge, but it would still be available for those who really needed it.

 

[AnonymousUser1]

How many other level crossings are there apart from Poole that run through a pedestrian high street?

Lincoln for one and to add to difficulties the High st there is nominally still a proper road ...

 

[jopsuk]

Flatten the Dolphin Centre and Sainsbury's. Build a new, better centre with entrances south of the railway, with plenty of lifts etc inside the new centre. Have the building bridge the railway. Take the crossing out entirely.

 

[bronzeonion]

Only in this sodding country can a fully gated automatic level crossing be called dangerous! Japan has thousands of these level crossings in the middle of cities and towns normally on very busy commuter lines and they're not classed as dangerous!

I think rather than simply getting rid of level crossings altogether, kids should be better educated in school and on TV etc about railway safety and level crossings in particular. During my time at school we had one visit from LU about not going on tracks and one trip to 'Hazard Alley' where we learnt the same thing! NOTHING! About level crossings. No wonder people think they can take their chances running in front of moving trains or jumping barriers.

 

[route:oxford]

Flatten the Dolphin Centre and Sainsbury's. Build a new, better centre with entrances south of the railway, with plenty of lifts etc inside the new centre. Have the building bridge the railway. Take the crossing out entirely.

That's the best plan.

 

[Waldgrun]

I would have thought an underpass is the better solution here? Seems like a relatively simple location to build one; straight, flat and only a short distance. There ought to be space to construct it centrally and still have room either side for the crossing to be used during construction.

Problem here, is any subway is likely to be tidial! Crossing very close to sealevel,a no go I think!

 

[BestWestern]

Problem here, is any subway is likely to be tidial! Crossing very close to sealevel,a no go I think!

Yeah that did occur....However, there is a substantial subway adjacent to the station itself, which is a good deal closer to the shoreline, so it should be possible in the High Street.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

How many other level crossings are there apart from Poole that run through a pedestrian high street?

St Dunstans, Canterbury West springs to mind.

The barriers stay down for longer than they used to meaning queues build up either side which in turn means more risk taking from impatient drivers or able-bodied pedestrians who can't be bothered to use the subway.