Trainspotting

[Geo Ghost]

A railway enthusiast has had a lucky escape after narrowly avoiding an express train travelling at around 70 miles per hour.

Well, I wouldn't call that an escape of narrowly avoid a train really since he didn't try to avoid or escape out the way
But I suppose others may interpret it differently.

[welshdragon]

Is that Saxmundham? In any case the guy is an absolute knob cheese.

Thurston apparently.

[Badger]

It even featured in yesterday's "Sun" newspaper in the UK.

[JamieLei]

I'm just wondering how long before the Daily Mail start their "anti Level Crossing" crusade, perpetuating the mistaken belief that a train can stop from 100mph in a space of 50m...

[Ploes]

I'm just wondering how long before the Daily Mail start their "anti Level Crossing" crusade, perpetuating the mistaken belief that a train can stop from 100mph in a space of 50m...

Sorry. Let them!

Safe as a PROPERLY used crossing is, its still safer not to have one at all.
Bridge / tunnel / close the lot!

[welshdragon]

Sorry. Let them!

Safe as a PROPERLY used crossing is, its still safer not to have one at all.
Bridge / tunnel / close the lot!

And the cost to the taxpayer? Millions, if not billions of pounds....
Level Crossings are safe, The idiots that abuse them are the ones risking their lives and the lives of the train crew/passengers/public. This is one such situation.

[Hyronymus]

Overhere in The Netherlands they are committing themselves to replace all level crossings with tunnels or viaducts. Something the combined train companies and the rail supervisor pay for, as well with local communities (when applicable).

Even then the man in the video will pobably choose a platform to get a driver nervous.

[Ploes]

Overhere in The Netherlands they are committing themselves to replace all level crossings with tunnels or viaducts. Something the combined train companies and the rail supervisor pay for, as well with local communities (when applicable).

And the cost to the taxpayer? Millions, if not billions of pounds....
Level Crossings are safe, The idiots that abuse them are the ones risking their lives and the lives of the train crew/passengers/public. This is one such situation.

The Dutch are trying to remove them.

Yet here in the UK they wont even fit gates to the ungated Highland crossings!

[Hyronymus]

I guess our government makes a different calculation then the British and values the cost of a life over the cost of a tunnel / viaduct.

[Geo Ghost]

Bridges and tunnels aren't exactly cheap things you can put up/dig out in a couple of days

Perhaps the crossing gates should be fitted with electric fences. Let's see anyone trying to jump those.
Or put in a heavy fine for jumping the gates or crossing under the reds.

[Kevo00]

Surely there are plenty of places where a bridge would be almost impossible to install without major architectural consequences, or moving stations...Lincoln High Street springs to mind, so does Poole, so does Lurgan in Northern Ireland. I'm sure the figure the RMT put level crossing replacement at was £1.5bn...we simply can't afford that when the rail budget is already likely to be squeezed. Cheaper to fit full length barriers to all LCs and introduce instant lifetime disqualification from driving for anyone that tries to get through before they close.

[JamieLei]

The problem with fines and penalties is that they only work if they're enforceable. Thenagain I suppose you could put automatic licence plate cameras at level crossings, with an automatic 4-6 points on your licence if you drive through 10 seconds after the lights and klaxon come on.

But it won't stop the bigger problem which si pedestrians jumping them...

[Geo Ghost]

But it won't stop the bigger problem which si pedestrians jumping them...

Electric fence gates. Stops animals jumping fences and such.
Got quite a few strange ideas actually. Even putting a train horn near the crossing so anyone who is about to jump over, horn sounds, they think a train is coming and don't try it.

[Dave]

I don't see what the problem is - level crossings aren't rare, and they're part of the highway code - if they're use properly they're not in the slightest bit dangerous. You couldn't replace Cradley Heath Level Crossing unless you just closed it.

[Doorslammer]

Overhere in The Netherlands they are committing themselves to replace all level crossings with tunnels or viaducts. Something the combined train companies and the rail supervisor pay for, as well with local communities (when applicable).

And the cost to the taxpayer? Millions, if not billions of pounds....
Level Crossings are safe, The idiots that abuse them are the ones risking their lives and the lives of the train crew/passengers/public. This is one such situation.

The Dutch are trying to remove them.

Yet here in the UK they wont even fit gates to the ungated Highland crossings!

Quite often the Highlands is lucky to see two or three trains in a day. Plus it's hardly a metropolis of traffic either.

Still a lot of ungated crossings here. It's only unsafe when the planks behind the wheel have a go at cutting up trains.

[GurraJG]

It got onto National News!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8683750.stm

It's made it into the International News!

http://tv.expressen.se/nyheter/Utrikes/ ... fran-doden

[audigex]

There's a couple of bloody awful ones on the Cumbrian Coast Line/A595 just north of Millom. Blind bend, no sign beforehand. Admittedly the driver should be travelling slow enough to stop anyway, but still it's not a great setup.

It'd be massively expensive to replace them all though - a tunnel/bridge costs millions and we have a LOT of at-grade crossings.

[orudge]

There's a couple of bloody awful ones on the Cumbrian Coast Line/A595 just north of Millom. Blind bend, no sign beforehand. Admittedly the driver should be travelling slow enough to stop anyway, but still it's not a great setup.

Hm, yes, just looked up those on Street View, it's actually the A5093, which I guess is perhaps not too heavily trafficked, but nevertheless, there appear to be no signs at all, which is quite shocking really.

A few years ago, Metro Transit built the first light rail line in the Twin Cities over here for 50 years or so. There are quite a few level crossings, but you'd be hard-pushed to miss them with all the flashing lights and horns and signs! Here, for instance.

[GurraJG]

I was walking to Uni yesterday, and I have to cross a level crossing on the Colchester-Clacton line, just by Hythe station, where most trains don't stop; they run it at speed. When I got to the crossing, the gates were already down, but a guy climbed over and ran across. Now, the train didn't come immediately or was even close to hitting him, but on the other side was a mother with her children; not exactly a good model for being safe in traffic!

As for replacing level crossings, of course it's impossible to replace all of them, but I think that at least on the more busier mainlines and busy branch lines, they ought to be replaced.

[JamieLei]

It is true that the gates are usually down for a very long time, but there's a reason for that!

I'm actually of the agreement that where it's affordable, level crossings should be replaced with bridges and tunnels. Much safer for both the trains, and the idiots who inevitably won't stop being idiots.