Foot crossing near Cononley closed as horns on Class 80x trains “too quiet”

[BrianW]

It's sounding like local folk, dog-walkers, ramblers, are being made to suffer from a problem (non-compliance- however 'reasonable' some may think it) of the rail-industry's making.
Of course it would not be good to increase the risk to crossers so I think the best for now is to offer some kind of compensation for loss of amenity pending longer-term resolution.
How much for a 'man with a flag' like school crossing warden?

 

[Snow1964]

Obviously do things differently at Connely, but just prior to introduction of the Hitachi high speed trains Network rail went for this near where I live

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Image is footbridge painted green at Shockerwick (about 3 miles east of Bath). it’s long way from any houses, so suitable for walkers. However not sure why one staircase has open railings, and other staircase a big solid panel. I assume it is a standard design and size which explains the 6 extra steps constructed at the bottom. There is even a footpath sign on the bus stop pole. But the Herras fence really needs replacing to stop short cuts avoiding the bridge.

Surely if can’t modify the horns, why don’t they just use one of these standard foot bridges.

 

[Meerkat]

Obviously do things differently at Connely, but just prior to introduction of the Hitachi high speed trains Network rail went for this near where I live

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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Image is footbridge painted green at Shockerwick (about 3 miles east of Bath). it’s long way from any houses, so suitable for walkers. However not sure why one staircase has open railings, and other staircase a big solid panel. I assume it is a standard design and size which explains the 6 extra steps constructed at the bottom. There is even a footpath sign on the bus stop pole. But the Herras fence really needs replacing to stop short cuts avoiding the bridge.

Surely if can’t modify the horns, why don’t they just use one of these standard foot bridges.

Bet they still cost a couple of million quid!
I would guess it’s electric ready and the far side is too tight to the line so needs protection?

 

[driverd]

Problem is by doing that, you'd need to redo the entire timetable. SRTs would need to be rewritten for 80x traction on the route, and then the increased time written in to the timetable and then hashed out to see what conflicts that now causes, what reduction in headway it causes, and how that affects the wider area at conflict points.

Its not as simple as "just making it 20 for 80x"

...except for all that engineering time just before Skipton.

It really is that simple in timetable terms. We're talking about one train per day, in one direction (two if the morning Mk4 is subbed). It may knock on to the following 2Hxx or 2Sxx, but again, they're given copious engineering/pathing time on approach to Skipton, so one TSR wouldn't be an issue in this location.

My suspicion would be an unwillingness/red tape ties around a new 80x differential being implemented.

Also, just to be clear, there's no applicable whistle board in the up direction, therefore, this is only an issue for Skipton bound trains (as I understand, 1D26). Closing the crossing really does seem to be sledgehammering the walnut.

 

[800001]

Forgive my ignorance and apologies if answered already, but how come this is affecting just one crossing, when the 80x fleet is operating across many many other crossings each day.

 

[driverd]

Forgive my ignorance and apologies if answered already, but how come this is affecting just one crossing, when the 80x fleet is operating across many many other crossings each day.

Perfectly fair question! Across many other crossings I've seen, there are now crossing keepers manning the crossings. In some other locations (ie: Cononley), the crossings have been temporarily closed. That's my understanding of the situation though I may well be corrected.

 

[308165]

Forgive my ignorance and apologies if answered already, but how come this is affecting just one crossing, when the 80x fleet is operating across many many other crossings each day.

Network Rail LNE Route temporarily closed around 10 crossings just before Christmas. One other is on the Leeds - Skipton line, one was on the Harrogate line and the others are scattered between London and Berwick on the ECML. I'm not sure if any of the others have been resolved either.

What is astonishing is that no one seems to be in a hurry to resolve the root cause which is the rather haphazard reliability of Class 800 horns. Whilst shutting crossings deals with pedestrians it doesn't help maintenance staff working on the line.

 

[Annetts key]

Obviously do things differently at Connely, but just prior to introduction of the Hitachi high speed trains Network rail went for this near where I live

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

Image is footbridge painted green at Shockerwick (about 3 miles east of Bath). it’s long way from any houses, so suitable for walkers. However not sure why one staircase has open railings, and other staircase a big solid panel. I assume it is a standard design and size which explains the 6 extra steps constructed at the bottom. There is even a footpath sign on the bus stop pole. But the Herras fence really needs replacing to stop short cuts avoiding the bridge.

Surely if can’t modify the horns, why don’t they just use one of these standard foot bridges.

I think that new footbridge replaced an older design, and the reason for the new bridge was so that the route was ready for the OHL installation.

 

[skyhigh]

Network Rail LNE Route temporarily closed around 10 crossings just before Christmas. One other is on the Leeds - Skipton line, one was on the Harrogate line and the others are scattered between London and Berwick on the ECML. I'm not sure if any of the others have been resolved either.

Do you know which crossing on the Harrogate line was closed please?

 

[308165]

Do you know which crossing on the Harrogate line was closed please?

Huby crossing, near Weeton.

 

[skyhigh]

Huby crossing, near Weeton.

Thanks

 

[30907]

Huby crossing, near Weeton.

Which looks from Street View to be very little used, unlike Cononley - though with due respect to the dog walkers of Cononley who have had to find another route (not difficult!), the Flosh path isn't hugely useful for getting from A to B. Not that footpaths should be closed long term just because of that!

As a matter of interest, where's the other one on the Skipton line?

 

[TheoBald]

Do you know which crossing on the Harrogate line was closed please?

The crossing on the track from Follifoot Road (opposite Pannal Golf Club) also has a long term closure.

 

[308165]

Which looks from Street View to be very little used, unlike Cononley - though with due respect to the dog walkers of Cononley who have had to find another route (not difficult!), the Flosh path isn't hugely useful for getting from A to B. Not that footpaths should be closed long term just because of that!

As a matter of interest, where's the other one on the Skipton line?

The other one on the Skipton line is Hollings, between Keighley and Steeton.

 

[30907]

The other one on the Skipton line is Hollings, between Keighley and Steeton.

Thanks. Which, I imagine, is much less used, owing to it leading to the Aire Valley Trunk Road.