Could it be possible to get rid of the Level Crossings on the East Coast Mainline?

[bringbackcrouc]

Just back from York, heading to Kings X and the number of level crossings continues to amaze me.

How come they’ve lasted so long and how much would it cost to get rid of them and would it be worth it?

 

[Llanigraham]

It would cost millions!
Money we don't have.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Just back from York, heading to Kings X and the number of level crossings continues to amaze me.

How come they’ve lasted so long and how much would it cost to get rid of them and would it be worth it?

everything is possible with enough time, money and political will

 

[brad465]

Presumably if the route ever gets 140mph running the crossings will have to go to make that possible, among other things.

 

[30907]

Until we go to 140mph the principle benefit would be to motorists, surely? Plus a small saving of signaller posts (no AHBs) and maintenance costs.

 

[bringbackcrouc]

What about safety?

 

[HSTEd]

What about safety?

Level crossing incidents leading to injuries are actually relatively rare.

 

[yorksrob]

Most of them seem to be in open country, so I would have thought possible.

The money should come from the roads budget.

 

[Ianno87]

Level crossing incidents leading to injuries are actually relatively rare.

But impact on level crossing risk scoring and categories is one consideration for accepting additional train path.

Frequency may be low, but consequences are potentially high.

 

[Ianno87]

The money should come from the roads budget.

All the same ultimate budget - the DfT. Makes no difference how it is accounted.

Arguably, level crossings were imposed on roads by by the railway.

 

[yorksrob]

All the same ultimate budget - the DfT. Makes no difference how it is accounted.

Arguably, level crossings were imposed on roads by by the railway.

It is, but ultimately someone still decides how much is spent on what. Level crossings wouldn't be an issue if the only traffic was still the odd horse and cart.

 

[30907]

Back to the OP's question: most of them are on the Fens and are pretty quiet.
The exceptions: a couple in what is now urban Peterborough have been stopped up and replaced by footbridges, while Helpston, or perhaps Tallington, I suspect causes most delays to road traffic.
The one that I recall causing controversy is a footpath crossing somewhere near Potteric Carr south of Doncaster which was eventually stopped up IIRC following fatalities and/or near misses.

 

[edwin_m]

The one that I recall causing controversy is a footpath crossing somewhere near Potteric Carr south of Doncaster which was eventually stopped up IIRC following fatalities and/or near misses.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-crossings-on-the-east-coast-mainline.199627/

At approximately 19.15 on 19 June 1990 Mrs Smith, accompanied by her two sons and a neighbour's daughter, was attempting to cross over the Carr Lane footpath and bridleway crossing, Bessacarr, Doncaster, when she and two of the children were struck and killed by a northbound passenger train travelling at speed. The third child, 6 year old Davy Smith, was uninjured.
...
There are five railway tracks at the crossing. From east to west they are the Up Loversall Curve, the Up East Slow. the Up Main, the Down Main, and the Up WestDown West Slow lines. The maximum permissible line speeds are as follows:
Up Loversall Curve 50 mile/h
Up East Slow 70 mile/h
Up Main 125 mile/h
Down Main 125 mile/h
Up West/Down West Slow 70 mile/h
The Up West/Down West Slow line is a bi-directional line.

It's since been replaced by an absolutely vast ramped foot/bridleway bridge.

 

[30907]

https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-crossings-on-the-east-coast-mainline.199627/

It's since been replaced by an absolutely vast ramped foot/bridleway bridge.

Thanks. I thought so, but I looked in the wrong place on Googlemaps

 

[swt_passenger]

Back to the OP's question: most of them are on the Fens and are pretty quiet.
The exceptions: a couple in what is now urban Peterborough have been stopped up and replaced by footbridges, while Helpston, or perhaps Tallington, I suspect causes most delays to road traffic.
The one that I recall causing controversy is a footpath crossing somewhere near Potteric Carr south of Doncaster which was eventually stopped up IIRC following fatalities and/or near misses.

I’d have thought the Northumberland stretch has one of the highest density of CCTV crossings on the ECML, there are 27 between Killingworth and Berwick if I’ve counted correctly...

 

[Ianno87]

It is, but ultimately someone still decides how much is spent on what. Level crossings wouldn't be an issue if the only traffic was still the odd horse and cart.

With a horse and cart, collective risk would be low, but individual user risk very high.

 

[NeilWatson]

Back to the OP's question: most of them are on the Fens and are pretty quiet.
The exceptions: a couple in what is now urban Peterborough have been stopped up and replaced by footbridges, while Helpston, or perhaps Tallington, I suspect causes most delays to road traffic.
The one that I recall causing controversy is a footpath crossing somewhere near Potteric Carr south of Doncaster which was eventually stopped up IIRC following fatalities and/or near misses.

Tallington is on the A16 trunk road, Helpston on a minor (but still busy) rural road.

 

[Bald Rick]

It is, but ultimately someone still decides how much is spent on what. Level crossings wouldn't be an issue if the only traffic was still the odd horse and cart.

Often the level crossings that are the odd horse and cart (more usually now tractor and trailer) are those that end up with the high risk.

 

[30907]

Tallington is on the A16 trunk road.

Not any more - there's a newish road from the A47 at Peterborough across the fen bypassing Crowland to Spalding, and the old road is now A1175.

 

[35B]

Just back from York, heading to Kings X and the number of level crossings continues to amaze me.

How come they’ve lasted so long and how much would it cost to get rid of them and would it be worth it?

Because the cost of replacing them is disproportionate. Taking one near me - Claypole - the road is an important local access and diversion by other routes disproportionately long, while the lie of the land and local buildings mean you'd struggle to put a bridge in.

 

[NeilWatson]

Back to the OP's question: most of them are on the Fens and are pretty quiet.
The exceptions: a couple in what is now urban Peterborough have been stopped up and replaced by footbridges, while Helpston, or perhaps Tallington, I suspect causes most delays to road traffic.
The one that I recall causing controversy is a footpath crossing somewhere near Potteric Carr south of Doncaster which was eventually stopped up IIRC following fatalities and/or near misses.

Not any more - there's a newish road from the A47 at Peterborough across the fen bypassing Crowland to Spalding, and the old road is now A1175.

Every day’s a school day! The change of number in no way diminishes the amount of traffic on the road and the delay the crossing causes though - it’s the main route from Market Deeping to Stamford.