Level crossing stupidity...

[phil_sutters]

8 hours ago, dunwurken said:

Mmm.  Undecided now!!  

I got her to move her arm! Does that help?

[Wickham Green too]

Ah - yes, does look more like former double track now ............. there's a crossing near Landsend Barton ( west of Colebrooke / Yeoford ) that might have a cattle creep alongside : the trees might match, too.

[talisman56]

Close encounter at 45:00 in this video...

 

EDIT: Also a pedestrian with a few bits loose in the sense department at 21:58...

 

 

Edited February 21, 2021 by talisman56

[phil_sutters]

On 12/02/2021 at 08:43, Wickham Green too said:

Ah - yes, does look more like former double track now ............. there's a crossing near Landsend Barton ( west of Colebrooke / Yeoford ) that might have a cattle creep alongside : the trees might match, too.

There is almost certainly a very good answer, but why do they need both a cattle creep and an occupation crossing? Perhaps their tractor is too high for the creep.

[jcredfer]

34 minutes ago, phil_sutters said:

There is almost certainly a very good answer, but why do they need both a cattle creep and an occupation crossing? Perhaps their tractor is too high for the creep.

Also the tractors would be towing implements which would be way beyond the Creep Gauge.

 

[Wickham Green too]

1 hour ago, phil_sutters said:

There is almost certainly a very good answer, but why do they need both a cattle creep and an occupation crossing? 

Much the same reason they can justify a crossing and underpass at Manningtree.

[RJS1977]

And Ely...

[beast66606]

19 minutes ago, RJS1977 said:

And Ely...

 

Crossing has been shut at Ely for a while now

[PhilJ W]

One down under.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-26/women-killed-when-car-struck-by-express-train-at-level-crossing/13198344

[jcredfer]

11 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

One down under.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-26/women-killed-when-car-struck-by-express-train-at-level-crossing/13198344

 

I was drawn to the notion that motorists would be more likely to be controlled, safely, by a new set of traffic lights, at the nearby intersection [linked to the crossing timings???] presumably - rather than rely, solely, on the crossing lights and barriers.

 

Given the number of cars driven through traffic lights at intersections, that may well be a sieve like theory.  Hey, ho, it was put forward by a politician, so must be true.

 

Julian

 

[kevinlms]

3 hours ago, jcredfer said:

 

I was drawn to the notion that motorists would be more likely to be controlled, safely, by a new set of traffic lights, at the nearby intersection [linked to the crossing timings???] presumably - rather than rely, solely, on the crossing lights and barriers.

 

Given the number of cars driven through traffic lights at intersections, that may well be a sieve like theory.  Hey, ho, it was put forward by a politician, so must be true.

 

Julian

 

Victoria has a better solution - expensive, but needs to be done.

 

https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/

[Hobby]

If you have the space, that is...

[martin_wynne]

Press release from RAIB today:

 

 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/collision-at-smiths-lower-cefn-user-worked-crossing

 

 

[Wickham Green too]

Surely, in this day and age, we have the technology to lock the gates remotely UNTIL the road user phone's the signaller for a release .................. all the guy needs to read, the,n are the words "PHONE SIGNALLER " ...... in English, Welsh .......... Polish, Romanian ............... etc. ....................... 

[Kris]

6 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

Surely, in this day and age, we have the technology to lock the gates remotely UNTIL the road user phone's the signaller for a release .................. all the guy needs to read, the,n are the words "PHONE SIGNALLER " ...... in English, Welsh .......... Polish, Romanian ............... etc. ....................... 

The technology is easy. The cost however is likely to be very significant.

[Michael Hodgson]

That report concludes that the van driver was unfamiliar with that particular crossing and user worked crossings in general.  The far side gate might have swung back as he was crossing and obliged him to stop foul of the line.

The RAIB also said the instructions weren't clear and concise and that he probably didn't read some or all of it.  Given that it's in Wales, there would have twice as much verbiage for him to look at if he had bothered.

[johnofwessex]

Is there an item on Level Crossings in the driving theory test?

[Michael Hodgson]

I think you have to be able to recognise the road sign, and distinguish it from other signs like speed limits etc.

[Michael Hodgson]

When I took my test that wasn't too difficult as it had a picture of a gate or a steam loco with the words "Level Crossing" underneath.

[eastglosmog]

10 hours ago, johnofwessex said:

Is there an item on Level Crossings in the driving theory test?

While a public level crossing should be included (and was in the practical driving - there was no theory test then - so far as I can remember when I took mine many, many years ago), would a private user worked crossing such as this and its significant differences to the public kind, be included? I suspect many drivers will never encounter such a thing and I would not be surprised if some of the examiners had not either.  Personally, in 50 years I have never driven over a private user worked crossing, although I have walked over many (so am familiar with the requirements).

Edited April 23, 2021 by eastglosmog

[Kris]

10 hours ago, johnofwessex said:

Is there an item on Level Crossings in the driving theory test?

If there is they would not relate to a user operated crossing.

[Wickham Green too]

12 hours ago, Kris said:

The technology is easy. The cost however is likely to be very significant.

What's a mobile 'phone cost ? - it wouldn't need anything significantly more complex than that ... and some hardware to interface with the gate bolt.

Yes, the cost of development might be significant - but so was the fall out from this one accident.

[Compound2632]

11 hours ago, johnofwessex said:

Is there an item on Level Crossings in the driving theory test?

 

Everyone's theory test has questions drawn from a bank, so one might turn up, and it is supposed to need full knowledge of the Highway Code...

 

  

49 minutes ago, Kris said:

If there is they would not relate to a user operated crossing.

 

... so in principle one could get a question on what the Highway Code says about user-operated crossings.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2021 by Compound2632

[Hobby]

This is what happens when it really goes wrong on user worked crossings... Hungary 2 days ago...

 

https://dailynewshungary.com/serious-train-accident-in-hungary-one-dead-several-injured-photos/

[Kris]

53 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

What's a mobile 'phone cost ? - it wouldn't need anything significantly more complex than that ... and some hardware to interface with the gate bolt.

Yes, the cost of development might be significant - but so was the fall out from this one accident.

just having a phone is not a solution, you need a lock that can only be released by the signaller. A mag lock with remote release would do this. The parts for these would be £300 - £400 for a pair a gates, you would then need to add in the phone system to allow the release communication for say another £100. The real cost will be getting the electrical supply to each crossing. For many this will be many £1000's. You also need some system to register if the gates are open or closed (or cctv). Then you need to get the items installed so you have labour costs. Beyond this you also need to create the software to allow signallers to release and monitor multiple gates. This would cost thousands to develop but this cost will be spread over the thousands of crossings so the cost per crossing will be low. 

 

For an average crossing I suspect that you are looking at between £5000 and £10000. Now look at the number of crossings. There are some 4000 user worked crossings. If you were to do 1/2 of these then you suddenly have a project costing between £10 and £20 million.