Train hits car at Frating level crossing, near Colchester 7/12/2021

[Islineclear3_1]

Train hits vehicle at Essex level crossing - live updates

It caused delays to services

www.essexlive.news

A train has smashed into a road vehicle at an Essex level crossing this morning.

Greater Anglia train services have been blocked after the incident on the Clacton to London Liverpool Street line between Great Bentley and Wivenhoe this morning (December 7).

This is due to a train hitting a road vehicle at around 7.30am at a level crossing.

 

[Alfie1014]

07:05 Clacton to Liverpool St involved. Thankful no one hurt train was formed of a pair of 321s.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Presume it was this one?

Realtime Trains - 1N15 0705 Clacton-on-Sea to Thorpe-le-Soken

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I'm guessing it was a user worked crossing?

 

[Gulf1159]

07:05 Clacton to Liverpool St involved. Thankful no one hurt train was formed of a pair of 321s.

the rear unit was 321309. ( taken from social media post)

 

[GB]

I'm guessing it was a user worked crossing?

No it was an AHB. The car was shunted from behind onto the crossing.

 

[AndyPJG]

BBCnews-Essex

Appears the car was 'rear-ended' onto the crossing

 

[Islineclear3_1]

My mother is caught up in this.

Thank goodness the car driver had a lucky escape. I hope the train driver is ok

 

[Towers]

My mother is caught up in this.

Thank goodness the car driver had a lucky escape. I hope the train driver is ok

I'd imagine the driver who collided with her is thanking their lucky stars that they didn't kill her, too

 

[Gulf1159]

the rear unit was 321309. ( taken from social media post)

321315+321309 were the two units involved

 

[Islineclear3_1]

321315+321309 were the two units involved

So 315 was the leading unit then.

Wonder if it would be worth repairing or be the first Renatus to be withdrawn. Speculating I know, but I suspect the latter. Unless only the skirt/coupler is damaged and one can be recovered from a stored unit

 

[warwickshire]

So 315 was the leading unit then.

Wonder if it would be worth repairing or be the first Renatus to be withdrawn. Speculating I know, but I suspect the latter. Unless only the skirt/coupler is damaged and one can be recovered from a stored unit

More than sure one off the stored ones can same unit same compatibility.
Even use one off a non prm before they go.
Hope all involved are all okay.
Passengers and train crewe..

 

[Dave W]

The linked news story has an update saying an unstable damaged building will need demolishing - looking at maps this looks like a little building associated with the railway - does anyone know what it's for? Would it have provided shelter for a crossing keeper in the past?

If I've got the right crossing, this looks like the building in question: Google Maps

 

[Islineclear3_1]

The linked news story has an update saying an unstable damaged building will need demolishing - looking at maps this looks like a little building associated with the railway - does anyone know what it's for? Would it have provided shelter for a crossing keeper in the past?

If I've got the right crossing, this looks like the building in question: Google Maps

And a curious siting of a telephone...

 

[Ediswan]

And a curious siting of a telephone...

There are also the customary pair of telephones on either side of the crossing.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Reckon that the damage to the white car will take more than a couple of applications of touch up paint to sort out!

Wonder whether all the damage was caused by the reported rear end shunt by another road vehicle, and/or by the vehicle being subsequently hit by the train.

Amazing also that no-one seems to have been seriously injured in this particular incident.

P. S. Is the line back open again now? (And if not, maybe when?)

 

[Islineclear3_1]

P. S. Is the line back open again now? (And if not, maybe when?)

RTT suggests no

Hopefully, the investigation will be an easy one and the line will be back open for the evening peak

I note however, the small building by the crossing might need to be demolished; whether in its current condition its safe to run trains, I have no idea.

 

[Horizon22]

So what was the sequence of events here?

1. AHB goes down as normal
2. White car stops at barrier as normal
3. Another car hits the back of the white car (perhaps due to ice), shunting the white car over the crossing.
4. Driver is able to get out of the white car clear of the crossing.
5. Shortly after train hits the conflicting white car

Does that seem right? Wonder if the other driver will be investigated by police? Presumably there will be barrier CCTV (321s don’t have FFCCTV do they?) and the police will be intrigued if everyone was driving with due care with the conditions and there was enough gap left before the tracks.

 

[Shwam3]

The building has been demolished and line reopening soon, 1530 additional train planned from Clacton https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:86946/2021-12-07/detailed

321s don’t have FFCCTV do they?

They do.

 

[Shunter_69]

So what was the sequence of events here?

1. AHB goes down as normal
2. White car stops at barrier as normal
3. Another car hits the back of the white car (perhaps due to ice), shunting the white car over the crossing.
4. Driver is able to get out of the white car clear of the crossing.
5. Shortly after train hits the conflicting white car

Does that seem right? Wonder if the other driver will be investigated by police? Presumably there will be barrier CCTV (321s don’t have FFCCTV do they?) and the police will be intrigued if everyone was driving with due care with the conditions and there was enough gap left before the tracks.

That seems to be the gist of it from the news at lunchtime. The white car skidded on the ice too but managed to stop in time.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Wonder if the other driver will be investigated by police? Presumably there will be barrier CCTV (321s don’t have FFCCTV do they?) and the police will be intrigued if everyone was driving with due care with the conditions and there was enough gap left before the tracks.

Why?

If it's very icy and still quite dark at that time of the morning (depending on cloud cover) then I don't really know what this will achieve. Anyone can have a freak accident on ice on a country road.

 

[warwickshire]

Why?

If it's very icy and still quite dark at that time of the morning (depending on cloud cover) then I don't really know what this will achieve. Anyone can have a freak accident on ice on a country road.

True. Unless some one was driving far to fast for the road.
Speeding perhaps.
Hopefully the crash investigators will find out.

 

[Gulf1159]

So what was the sequence of events here?

1. AHB goes down as normal
2. White car stops at barrier as normal
3. Another car hits the back of the white car (perhaps due to ice), shunting the white car over the crossing.
4. Driver is able to get out of the white car clear of the crossing.
5. Shortly after train hits the conflicting white car

Does that seem right? Wonder if the other driver will be investigated by police? Presumably there will be barrier CCTV (321s don’t have FFCCTV do they?) and the police will be intrigued if everyone was driving with due care with the conditions and there was enough gap left before the tracks.

321’s do have forward facing cameras

 

[Horizon22]

They do.

321’s do have forward facing cameras

Thanks both.

 

[Ediswan]

So what was the sequence of events here?

1. AHB goes down as normal
2. White car stops at barrier as normal
3. Another car hits the back of the white car (perhaps due to ice), shunting the white car over the crossing.
4. Driver is able to get out of the white car clear of the crossing.
5. Shortly after train hits the conflicting white car

Does that seem right? Wonder if the other driver will be investigated by police? Presumably there will be barrier CCTV (321s don’t have FFCCTV do they?) and the police will be intrigued if everyone was driving with due care with the conditions and there was enough gap left before the tracks.

Looking at the BBC article, both barriers appear to be intact. The driver of white car mentions stopping before the barriers came down, then seeing them come down after being shunted. So..
1. Warning lights and siren
2. White car stops
3. Another car hits the back of the white car (perhaps due to ice), shunting the white car over the crossing.
4. AHB goes down
5. Driver is able to get out of the white car clear of the crossing.
6. Shortly after train hits the conflicting white car

 

[Horizon22]

Looking at the BBC article, both barriers appear to be intact. The driver of white car mentions stopping before the barriers came down, then seeing them come down after being shunted. So..
1. Warning lights and siren
2. White car stops
3. Another car hits the back of the white car (perhaps due to ice), shunting the white car over the crossing.
4. AHB goes down
5. Driver is able to get out of the white car clear of the crossing.
6. Shortly after train hits the conflicting white car

Yes I did wonder if the barrier had been damaged but didn't seem to be so - unfortunate then that in the limited lowering sequence the car was shunted.

 

[Gloster]

Purely speculating, but one wonders if the second vehicle was expecting the white car to jump the lights and the driver realised too late that it had stopped. It looks as if it is Frating Abbey Farm Road: is this a bit of a rat-run?

 

[High Dyke]

So what was the sequence of events here?

1. AHB goes down as normal
2. White car stops at barrier as normal
3. Another car hits the back of the white car (perhaps due to ice), shunting the white car over the crossing.
4. Driver is able to get out of the white car clear of the crossing.
5. Shortly after train hits the conflicting white car

Does that seem right? Wonder if the other driver will be investigated by police? Presumably there will be barrier CCTV (321s don’t have FFCCTV do they?) and the police will be intrigued if everyone was driving with due care with the conditions and there was enough gap left before the tracks.

Can't say at this particular location, but last year I was involved in a similar incident in Lincolnshire, A16 High Ferry AHB. Train driver reports car on line, but clear of the running line. Emergency services on way to scene. No damage to the crossing barriers or equipment. One road vehicle had shunted a second road vehicle clear of the crossing, but the impact had put the first vehicle through the boundary fence and was on the lineside next to the track. Services ran at caution passed the location, but the first phone call from the crossing itself was when the Network Rail response staff arrived some 40 minutes later. Not one member of the public or emergency services at the scene thought to use the telephone in the big yellow box to ring the signaller.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Can't say at this particular location, but last year I was involved in a similar incident in Lincolnshire, A16 High Ferry AHB. Train driver reports car on line, but clear of the running line. Emergency services on way to scene. No damage to the crossing barriers or equipment. One road vehicle had shunted a second road vehicle clear of the crossing, but the impact had put the first vehicle through the boundary fence and was on the lineside next to the track. Services ran at caution passed the location, but the first phone call from the crossing itself was when the Network Rail response staff arrived some 40 minutes later. Not one member of the public or emergency services at the scene thought to use the telephone in the big yellow box to ring the signaller.

Interesting one as I do wonder if the general public would actually know what to do if their car fouls a level crossing (for whatever reason) - especially one in a remote location. Once panic sets in, all rational thinking disappears.

Obviously in the Frating incident, there was no time anyway as the woman saw the train bearing down on her and got out of the way in time

 

[stonojnr]

Why?

If it's very icy and still quite dark at that time of the morning (depending on cloud cover) then I don't really know what this will achieve. Anyone can have a freak accident on ice on a country road.

because it should have been an avoidable crash. its not a freak that in December, officially winter, when its cold (as it was in the region last night) country roads are icy early the next morning.

its fortunate that the only damage is to things that can be replaced and no one was hurt.

 

[Spartacus]

Purely speculating, but one wonders if the second vehicle was expecting the white car to jump the lights and the driver realised too late that it had stopped. It looks as if it is Frating Abbey Farm Road: is this a bit of a rat-run?

It does make me wonder. From the way the facts have unfolded it sounds like there might be something funny going on, though that doesn't mean for certain there is. I wonder if the second vehicle was planning on either speeding through or weaving through the barriers and thought better of it at the last minute. It's also possible they hadn't even seen the first car until the last second, particularly if their windscreen was still partially iced....