Fatality at Hythe Gate LC

[Broken Viking]

Hail All! ad:
I just noticed the following on MSN UK after logging out of Hotmail. Sounds like a pretty nasty happening to me, and harrowing proof that it's not just vehicle drivers who need to be careful at level crossings... :cry:

Trapped foot horror at rail crossing
A Colchester woman has died after being struck by a train at a level crossing.

Essex Police were contacted by a member of the public shortly before 8pm last night following reports that a women was struck by a train at Hythe.

On arrival at the level crossing, called Hythe Gate, and close to Tesco, officers found the body of a woman as well as a man who had sustained leg injuries.

He was taken to Colchester General Hospital by police officers keen to establish the circumstances surrounding his injuries and the death of the woman.

The train involved was the 6.38pm National Express East Anglia service from London Liverpool Street to Clacton.

It is believed that passengers were left on the train for an hour and a quarter before they were allowed off via emergency ladders.

One passenger reported that the train did not come to an abrupt halt but slowed gradually. At about 9.10pm a bus took many of the passengers away from the scene.

British Transport Police were last night looking at CCTV footage to see whether the incident had been captured on camera.

I originally found this at http://news.uk.msn.com/newsflash.aspx...But as there's no article ID parameter on the link, it's possible that it may become outdated quickly.

Farewell, and please pardon the inappropriacy of my username in this case... ad:
>> Colin B <<

 

[Mojo]

It's on BBC News at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7318821.stm which suggests she was caught in "wooden slats" (could this be the anti-trespass grids on either side?) and was trying to cross whilst the barriers were down.

 

[Z12XE]

The level crossing is adjacent to the station entrance on both sides of the tracks and aparently this lady was crossing when the gates were closed

You enter the station from the street at Rail level then the platforms rise up from there, which makes it tempting for people to shortcut around the fence when the barrier is down. Although the anti tresspass planks are there people frequently cross when the gates are down because its so easy to do so.

There's a few pics which show the general area here

 

[yorkie]

It's on BBC News at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7318821.stm which suggests she was caught in "wooden slats" (could this be the anti-trespass grids on either side?) and was trying to cross whilst the barriers were down.

Indeed. Will people ever stop trespassing on the railway? Nope, they will never ever learn. The article is misleading as the wooden grids are NOT "on" the crossing, they are next to the crossing.

Just yesterday I was on the 1730 GC service from SUN-KGX and there were youths trespassing in this area of Stockton, they were on the tracks as soon as the HST had passed them.

They all just think nothing bad will ever happen to them.

 

[P156KWJ]

late 20s. what a complete waste of a life. Will people ever learn? We need more hard-hitting adverts on TV, radio and on billboards. we also need to get rid of adverts which are not railway related but show someone on the line. I can remember a Quality Street green triangle billboard showing some guy on a railway track (can't remember the connection) a few years ago, that was about 50 yards from Carlton station.

 

[adamp]

Its a fact that it just doesnt work. People seeing them day in day out being constantly reminded about it will just switch off and ignore them.
I know that because all the nitwits at work forget to turn the R.O Water filter off at night even when it says "turn off R.O Machine"
But then again...maybe its just because there nitwits.
Too bad its never properly flooded us yet.

With the amount of people around today, it will probably be impossible to get rid of the whole problem, as you are certain to get ones who think these warnings don't apply to them.

 

[Jord]

I was at Water Orton yesterday, and when it was getting dark around 7pm ish, from the footbridge i watched "chavs" go down the platform ends and for you people that know Water Orton, they went underneath the road bridge and into the archway as a Freight train passed, i did try and get pictures but it was too dark.

 

[adamp]

It was in the paper this morning.
Showed a picture of the bit where the leg got stuck.

 

[tramboy]

Its a fact that it just doesnt work. People seeing them day in day out being constantly reminded about it will just switch off and ignore them.
I know that because all the nitwits at work forget to turn the R.O Water filter off at night even when it says "turn off R.O Machine"
But then again...maybe its just because there nitwits.
Too bad its never properly flooded us yet.

With the amount of people around today, it will probably be impossible to get rid of the whole problem, as you are certain to get ones who think these warnings don't apply to them.

Unfortunately, too right...and the problem isn't confined to the railways either...the number of drivers not complying with motorway signalling (ie signs/signals on message signs/gantries) keeps rising all the time. Either they just don't understand them, in which case they need to read the Highway Code, can't read the obvious message "Lane 1 Closed-Slow", or just think that it doesn't apply to them.

Regards

Dave

 

[Broken Viking]

Hail All!

The level crossing is adjacent to the station entrance on both sides of the tracks and aparently this lady was crossing when the gates were closed

You enter the station from the street at Rail level then the platforms rise up from there, which makes it tempting for people to shortcut around the fence when the barrier is down. Although the anti tresspass planks are there people frequently cross when the gates are down because its so easy to do so.

There's a few pics which show the general area here

Hmmm...I ought to point out that the arrangement at North Camp is pretty much identical to that as well. Two platforms on a two-road line, with an LC at the Northern end of the station right at the end of the platforms.

Though I hate to confess to such things, I've found myself doing the same practice at North Camp up until moving to Farnborough. The problem that I found was that when I was doing an early morning run along the WCML from Aldershot, I'd take the first train from Aldershot to Ash Vale for 06:10 and change stations for the 06:19 TT service to Reading.
However...Although I always hurried along to North Camp trying to get there before the LC closed (There is no footbridge or seperate pedestrian crossing, and ye have to cross the line to reach the NB platform from the Ash side) the LC was set to drop a good five minutes beforehand and I would usually arrive only after the gates had decended. That's bad pre-timings on NR's part before I even get started here! :mad:

Anyhow...Because my working times did not allow an hours boring wait at North Camp, I would normally check twice that the line was fully clear and cross to the NB platform via the ballast just south of the anti-tresspass boards, as I could see that trying to cross on those would cause issues.

[Rant]
Now I detest the idea of tresspassing in such a manner as much as the next man here...But thanks to the idiotic arrangement at North Camp, there wasn't any other way that I could cross the lines before my train had departed...And I am sure that many members of the general public feel the same way and do exactly the same thing at this and similar stations. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if this is what the deceased lady (See my original post) was doing on the line in the first place! hock:

So the question here is: Why don't stations like Hythe Gate and North Camp have footbridges installed?
Now I know the dangers involved in crossing lines in the manner that I've outlined above...Yet if I can see that the line is clear and I have to cross it to catch a train on the other side, then I will no doubt have to perform this highly dangerous practice again as I'm damned if I'm going to miss a train, have to wait around for an hour doing bu**er-all, and extend my journey by only the Gods know how long just because some dimwit at Network Rail doesn't consider passengers for a train departing from side-A who can only approach the station from side-B and will most likely find the crossing closed upon arrival!
[/Rant]

Farewell...
>> Colin B <<

 

[CosherB]

ColinB - did it never occur to you to arrive in time to cross the LC to catch your train before the barriers came down? In your case, you knew he situation so there is no excuse for deliberately arriving late then setting a very poor example to folk perhaps not as 'train aware' as you are in crossing the track outside the crossing, all for the sake of saving less than 5minutes.

Not impressed, especially if you are a professional railwayman. But even if you're not, well not impressed.

 

[Nick W]

Interestingly from what I've seen abroad in Europe, it's common practice to just "tresspass" at stations where a footbridge (about £300,000 + for some reason (why not just build a house on top? :P)) cannot be afforded. This included the station in the 3rd biggest city in Portugal which had 2 flat crossings in the middle of the platforms. Watch out for 140mph alfa pendular :P.

 

[Metroland]

There is an argument to say, too much feathering and reducing the safety risk of everything by signs and barriers, makes people complacent and reduces certain skills which would have protected them in the first place. Some of this stuff is counter-intuitive, some obvious.

introduce calculators > decline in metal arithmetic
introduce spell checkers > decline in grammar and spelling skills
too much motorised transport > less exercise > people put on weight
too many signs and protection at level crossings > becomes a target for risk takers
too many road signs and humps > signs have been taken away and traffic flows better

 

[Broken Viking]

Hail All!

ColinB - did it never occur to you to arrive in time to cross the LC to catch your train before the barriers came down? In your case, you knew he situation so there is no excuse for deliberately arriving late then setting a very poor example to folk perhaps not as 'train aware' as you are in crossing the track outside the crossing, all for the sake of saving less than 5minutes.

The timings of the train(s) involved didn't allow for it, otherwise Id've definitely crossed North Camp LC well before the barriers decended.

Now I walk significantly faster than most people (Around 6-8mph on average) and I can do the 1/2 mile between Ash Vale and North Camp stations in about five minutes. However, here's how the times worked out and why I couldn't ever arrive at North Camp LC in time:

Arr:       Dep:       Description:
           06:05      Aldershot (Very 1st train of day),
06:10      06:10      Ash Vale,
06:10      06:15      Transfer to North Camp (On foot),
06:15                 North Camp (Catch 06:19 TT svc)

06:12      06:20      North Camp LC closes for 2 trains.

As can be seen from the last line, even if I ran from Ash Vale to North Camp station (Believe me, I've tried it! hock I'd still get there after the LC had dropped, and would still have to cross after waiting for a southbound through train to fly by at about 06:14. If there had been a first train leaving Aldershot at 05:55 or so, then it wouldn't be such a problem as - At the very worst - I'd already be half way over the LC when the bells sound and I'd still be able to legally and safely complete my crossing! hock:

Hence my anger at Network Fail not installing bridges at stations with this arrangement. If there was a footbridge or other safe way of crossing the line when the crossing is down, then ye could bet your bottom dollar that I would use the alternative crossing over an unsafe crossing method every time! :mad:

Not impressed, especially if you are a professional railwayman. But even if you're not, well not impressed.

To be honest mate...I'm about as impressed with the situation as ye are. I'm even less impressed with Network Fails stupidity in not providing alternative crossing arrangements, especially as I should've been visible on the station and crossings CCTV cameras as well whilst crossing in this manner, and even a three year old would have the intelligence to ask "Now, why did he cross the line insted of waiting?..." :mad:

Although if I was a professional railwayman (I'm not) wouldn't having some form of track competancy certification actually allow me to cross the line safely in such a manner?

Fortunateley this dates back a few years now, and I'm not likely to ever have to do such things again in the forseeable future. In retrospect though, if I find that there are times in the future where I do have to do something like that, I'll be sourcing myself an orange hi-vis and fashioning a two-way stop/danger signal out of a halogen torch and some red lenses...

Interestingly from what I've seen abroad in Europe, it's common practice to just "tresspass" at stations where a footbridge (about £300,000 + for some reason (why not just build a house on top? :P)) cannot be afforded. This included the station in the 3rd biggest city in Portugal which had 2 flat crossings in the middle of the platforms. Watch out for 140mph alfa pendular :P.

Aye, I've also noticed that railway security seems to be a lot less apparent in mainland Europe...I've travelled on high-speed DB lines before (On a Metronom doing a good 130mph) that ran alongside roads without a fence or barrier between them! hock:

On the other hand though, it seems that public awareness and sensibility regarding railway lines is far better in mainland Europe than it is over here. Indeed, in Germany it appears even their sheep and cattle are (Somehow) taught what a railway line is, why it's potentially dangerous, and how to check for trains and cross safely! hock:

Farewell...
>> Colin B <<