Who controls level crossings?

[Tomnick]

Good answer .

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Men in stocking masks armed with sawn off shotguns are likely to steal them.

A few examples.
Colwich rail crash 19 September 1986
Irk Valley Junction collision 15th August 1953
Harmelen train disaster 8 January 1962

 

[Old Timer]

NR plan to add an illuminated STOP light at level crossings for road users in the near future.

I hope they obtain the appropiate legal authority and modification to the Level Crossing Order before they do so.

 

[Tomnick]

Not sure the crossing itself is particularly relevant - different junction layouts would still lead to one movement conflicting with the other. Single lead junctions (designed to simplify the layout and reduce maintenance costs, at the cost of some operating flexibility), on the other hand, have directly contributed to a few accidents - Newton, for example.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

The safest way for road crossing road, road crossing rail, and rail crossing rail is by a bridge. Unfortunately an expensive option. There are many junctions/ on the rail network where a bridge (flyover) is urgently needed for reducing delays and the number of conflicting movements.

 

[Tomnick]

Correct in many cases, but difficult to justify in a lot of others. Leaving aside the capacity issues, combination of decent overlaps, TPWS and flank protection should remove most of the risk - noting that there was no flank protection at Colwich Jn, and suggestion of irregular working at Irk Valley Jn (I need to do some more reading on that one!).

 

[Railsigns]

There can't be many AOCRs left nowadays - is the one at Rosarie between Keith and Elgin still in use?

Yes, Rosarie LC is the last AOCR on Network Rail infrastructure, but it's supposed to be closing next year.

 

[IanXC]

The single track on the South Fylde line is suppressing enormous potential growth in traffic on this already busy line. The single track is occupied 50 minutes in the hour. The train to BPS at Kirkam junction is often waiting for the previous train to clear the single line.

Re on the spot fines for going through the red lights.
To avoid a court hearing and potentially smaller fine they (imo) should have to agree to do a course on road safety. It could be giving them a DVD to watch and write in their own handwriting the answers in full on a series of questions after. (It could be done at home)
A second offence of running a red light etc should be taking their driving test again.
I believe the most potentially dangerous piece of track on the railway after road crossings, are diamond crossings.

Most Home Office forces offer speed awareness courses. Something similar could be devised. I think its worth making people attend rather than allow it to be done from home.

 

[driver9000]

Was this restriction always in place i.e. when it was double track? Or was it a by-product of making the line one train only? It is a shame nothing can be done about it really without having to employ more signalling on the route. I suppose if the proposals for a loop ever got further off the ground than a local wish then it is something that could be looked at.

I have a copy of the 1985 LMR Sectional appendix which doesn't show the restriction, but my copy of the 1994 Sectional appendix does show the restriction. At least that narrows it down a bit

The crossing at North down has both an underpass and a crossing at rail level, I'm told the UWC was built because the farmer couldn't get his machinery through the underpass (although he does send his animals through it). I can only assume that the 20mph restriction isn't shown in 1985 because the crossing wasn't there at the time it was issued.

 

[Bald Rick]

There's another one at Lincoln Road on the Enfield Town branch.

As a point of trivia, is that the closest MCG crossing to a London terminus? It seems to be accepted that the WA lines have the closest level crossing to a London terminus (Northumberland Park), but can we claim this one also?

O L Leigh

Spot on. Closely followed by Park Lane and Trinity Marsh Lane. Probably.