No Barrier Level Crossings

[D854_Tiger]

How many remain in use, where, and what are the typical speed limits that apply over the crossings.

 

What is the situation regarding the introduction of any new no barrier level crossings.

 

I believe the introduction of new half barrier crossings is no longer allowed, does it follow that new no barrier crossings are also forbidden.

 

Finally, I believe such crossings can be both automatic in operation or crew operated but are any signalman operated (or supervised).

[russ p]

I'm not sure about how many AOCL crossings still exist on the network there is one on the north Norfolk railway, these are the ones with the white flashing lights which means locally monitored.

I believe the AOCR ones where R means remotely monitored ie from a box are extinct

[wombatofludham]

Our Automatic Open Crossing in Fairbourne has been converted to an automatic half barrier locally monitored type so half barrier crossings are still being installed, but I understand that new open crossings are not being permitted.  Network Rail and the ORR has a policy of categorising risk on existing open crossings and money is being allocated to convert the highest risk crossings to the Automatic half barrier locally monitored type.  To my surprise Fairbourne was considered one of the highest risk such crossings locally despite being on a straight, relatively lightly trafficked road with good visibility and right next to a station at which practically every train stopped, because the assessment includes the potential for motorist abuse, either by speed or impatience.

 

Open crossings on new tramways are still allowed but these are classed as road junctions and are controlled by traffic lights.  I suspect open crossings on internal industrial railways and the like are also allowed.

[russ p]

There are very few industrial railways left nowadays, especially ones which cross public highways.

I'm trying to think of any industrial railway that has a level crossing of a public road

[uax6]

As far as I am aware AHBC's are not allowed to be installed anymore, but AOCL's are allowed to be upgraded to ACBL's as this is a quick and cheap way of upgrading what is regarded as a poor design.

 

How about the Barrington Light Railway? That used to have an open crossing, no-idea what it is now mind.

 

Andy G

[Fat Controller]

As far as I am aware AHBC's are not allowed to be installed anymore, but AOCL's are allowed to be upgraded to ACBL's as this is a quick and cheap way of upgrading what is regarded as a poor design.

 

How about the Barrington Light Railway? That used to have an open crossing, no-idea what it is now mind.

 

Andy G

Quail shows it as MCB- manually controlled barriers. I don't know if this has changed since the line reopened for spoil traffic.

[phil-b259]

How many remain in use, where, and what are the typical speed limits that apply over the crossings.

 

What is the situation regarding the introduction of any new no barrier level crossings.

 

I believe the introduction of new half barrier crossings is no longer allowed, does it follow that new no barrier crossings are also forbidden.

 

Finally, I believe such crossings can be both automatic in operation or crew operated but are any signalman operated (or supervised).

 

The current position is that on Network Rail infrastructure

 

NO new level crossings OF ANY TYPE are permitted. Those that remain and which cannot be closed need to be updated to the safest type when renewal occurs.

 

For open crossings - conversion must (as a minimum) be undertaken to Automatic barrier crossings, locally monitored (ABCL). If road, pedestrian and train volumes have increased significantly since the crossing was installed then an upgrade to a manually controlled crossing must be considered (upgrades to AHB status are not permitted).

 

For AHB crossings, they can stay as AHBs if the road, pedestrian and train volumes are all relatively low and have no changed greatly since the AHB was originally installed. If survey work highlights either of these factors is beyond a certain number then an upgrade to a manually controlled crossing with full barriers that close off the road when down must be undertaken.

 

For manually controlled crossings (MCB), then renewals can be on a like for like basis - however  although upgrading to obstacle detection is preferred if renewal is combined with a more general resignalling scheme. Monitoring of crossings via CCTV is still permitted on crossings freshly upgraded to a full barriered setup, but only if the road geometry or other special mitigating circumstances mean it is impractical to install the necessary Obstacle Detection kit.

 

The safest type of level crossing is a full barriered one controlled by the obstacle detector setup and this should be installed by default whenever resignalling schemes take place. While some may baulk at this, the statistics prove that manually operated crossings - where the act of making sure there is nobody inside the lowered barriers is down to the human eyeball (which includes CCTV monitored crossings) suffer from an alarming number of "looked but did not see" incidents. OD crossings cannot suffer from this and are thus the safest type of crossing that can be installed.

 

This page may be of interest for those struggling with level crossing terminology

 

http://orr.gov.uk/what-and-how-we-regulate/health-and-safety/guidance-and-research/infrastructure-safety/level-crossings/types-of-level-crossings

[newbryford]

There's an open crossing controlled by lights at the entrance to Clitheroe Cement Works.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.885385,-2.3845163,3a,75y,77.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szf_R2vNNifH42SSnt0_jKQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Pretty certain the lights are operated manually by ground staff with this box.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.8854616,-2.3845896,3a,75y,270h,77.06t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfyWnNV8LaJwMSjjr90wz9w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Usually one train per day, six days per week

 

Cheers,

Mick

[russ p]

Am I right in thinking that AOCRs are extinct on the network?

[uax6]

Surely I operate the safest form of level crossing? A set of timber gates that I swing across the road and bolt and lock closed, while being able to look out of the box window the whole time the train is approaching?

 

Andy G

[edcayton]

Fairly sure that Trencreek on the Newquay line still has no barriers. IC125's cross it, but not very fast!

 

Ed

[DavidBird]

There are very few industrial railways left nowadays, especially ones which cross public highways.

I'm trying to think of any industrial railway that has a level crossing of a public road

 

Does the Bowes Railway still count as an industrial railway?  One with a cable-way across the road as well!

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/United+Kingdom/@54.9225043,-1.5565106,3a,75y,343.13h,88.11t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1snLl0H03Y6mzBGGMojO8QHw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DnLl0H03Y6mzBGGMojO8QHw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D24.451365%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x25a3b1142c791a9:0xc4f8a0433288257a!8m2!3d54.9996752!4d-2.7026367

[Robert]

The Dungeness branch has several open level crossings - one of which is on the A259 just west of Brenzett. 

 

If my memory serves me correctly, the branch has a 25mph speed limit, and only sees around one nuclear flask train a week down to Dungeness power station.

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

Seen as I've been doing some design for replace of Open Crossings with ABCL crossings for a project, I can give me to pennies worth.

 

Where they are Open Crossings still existing on the Network, they are being converted to at least ABCLs, but mostly only when there is an increase of rail traffic over the crossing or there is a resignalling happening, not necessarily because it is unsafe.

 

The speed over a simple Open Crossing is maximum of 10mph, whilst some are a 'stop and whistle before proceeding' type where sighting is restricted. Where these are being converted to an ABCL, the crossing speed is based on the sighting distance of the crossing, i.e. you work out the sighting distance, work out from what speed the train can brake before the crossing and that is your crossing speed.

Simon

[Guest eddie reffin]

Up in the North of Scotland we still have AOCLs. One on the Aberdeen line and the line speed is 60mph! The one at Kildonan on the FNL is stop and whistle type.

 

As for converting them, only Garve has been converted to a proper ABCL where as the majority have been converted to AOCL(+B) which have a tendency to fail in windy conditions! This means that you still get road indications but not the drivers white light. We have specific drivers instructions for these crossings which are all on RETB lines.

[Reorte]

One at Morar on the way to Mallaig. Looking at Google Streetview (the road crosses at an angle to give a bit of view either side of the railway) there's a stop board leaving the station but not going the other way.

[The Stationmaster]

Surely I operate the safest form of level crossing? A set of timber gates that I swing across the road and bolt and lock closed, while being able to look out of the box window the whole time the train is approaching?

 

Andy G

 

Oddly they were at one time the type with by far the worst safety record.  However to put that a bit more in context the most common incident at such crossings was  a road vehicle colliding with the crossing gates.

[Richard E]

Open crossing do, of course, still exist on parts of the Heritage railways estate, that is the enthusiast operated restored lines. There is one just down the road from home on Ham Lane on the Nene Valley Railway where the line crosses the only access road into Ferry Meadows Country Park.

 

That is by one of the lines stations and is an AOCL crossing.

 

There are also some footpath crossings on the ECML between Peterborough and Grantham although NR are progressively closing these wherever they can. These, of course, have no barriers or warning equipment in most cases and are classified by NR as a level crossing (well, a non railway 'right of way' crosses the railway on the same level so it is a 'level' crossing)

[Fat Controller]

The Dungeness branch has several open level crossings - one of which is on the A259 just west of Brenzett. 

 

If my memory serves me correctly, the branch has a 25mph speed limit, and only sees around one nuclear flask train a week down to Dungeness power station.

Twelve open crossings, as well as an AOCL (the A259 at Brooklands), and the rather curious 'train-man-operated one' at Lydd. This latter seems to serve no apparent purpose, as the main road runs adjacent to it on a bridge.

[DavidBird]

One at Morar on the way to Mallaig. Looking at Google Streetview (the road crosses at an angle to give a bit of view either side of the railway) there's a stop board leaving the station but not going the other way.

 

In the Up direction (towards Ft William) the crossing lights (and now barriers) sequence is started by the driver actually pressing the button below the sign on the end of the ststion platform.  Down, towards Mallaig, track circuits initiate the sequence.

[Edwin_m]

In the Up direction (towards Ft William) the crossing lights (and now barriers) sequence is started by the driver actually pressing the button below the sign on the end of the ststion platform.  Down, towards Mallaig, track circuits initiate the sequence.

This is the normal arrangement for AOCLs/ABCLs at stations.  It's why several stops on the Heart of Wales line are request stops in one direction but in the other, although I don't recall if they are shown as such in the timetable, the train always stops. 

[Reorte]

In the Up direction (towards Ft William) the crossing lights (and now barriers) sequence is started by the driver actually pressing the button below the sign on the end of the ststion platform.  Down, towards Mallaig, track circuits initiate the sequence.

Sounds like my contribution to this thread wasn't terribly helpful if there are barriers there now. When were they installed?

[royaloak]

Am I right in thinking that AOCRs are extinct on the network?

No I dont think you are, there is Salmon Pool level crossing on the Barnstaple line between Crediton and Yeoford, although that one shows as an AOCL despite not being monitored as the nearest signalbox is at Crediton and it is operated by treadles on the track initiating and finishing the sequence of lights.

 

Edited for politeness and more information.

[russ p]

That must be one of the only ones left. The last one I remember was just outside Northallerton and was converted to AHB over 20 years ago

[big jim]

One at Morar on the way to Mallaig. Looking at Google Streetview (the road crosses at an angle to give a bit of view either side of the railway) there's a stop board leaving the station but not going the other way.

When I was up there the other week I worked that crossing, it's treadle operated in the mallaig direction and train crew operated in the other direction iirc

 

EDIT: as already pointed out above!!

 

Our Automatic Open Crossing in Fairbourne has been converted to an automatic half barrier locally monitored type so half barrier crossings are still being installed, but I understand that new open crossings are not being permitted. Network Rail and the ORR has a policy of categorising risk on existing open crossings and money is being allocated to convert the highest risk crossings to the Automatic half barrier locally monitored type. To my surprise Fairbourne was considered one of the highest risk such crossings locally despite being on a straight, relatively lightly trafficked road with good visibility and right next to a station at which practically every train stopped, because the assessment includes the potential for motorist abuse, either by speed or impatience.

 

When my dad was the local bobby in fairbourne in the 80s he used to book people for abusing that crossing quite regularly!

 

the crossing in Fairbourne is actually an AOC-L (B), automatic open crossing with barriers, the only one on the cambrian as it happens

 

As for completly open crossing there is one on the approach to sugar loaf (Builth rd side) that is completly open, no barriers, that one comes straight off the main road, the approach speed is 10mph, its shown in the sectional appendix as an open crossing, i dont sign down there (yet) but as ive passed it a few times in my car en route to south wales i noticed it as its so unusual

 

berthddu crossing