Could trains be fitted with brake lights, as well as tail lights?

[Ploughman]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/collision-and-derailment-at-neville-hill-depot-13-11.195139

Should Brake lights be fitted alongside tail lights?
As in those on road vehicles.

 

[ModernRailways]

Should Brake lights be fitted alongside tail lights?
As in those on road vehicles.

How would a set of additional red lights help? In general, within my limited experience on the active railway (work in a depot), you see red lights ahead you stop, whether that be a signal or tail lights. If you're unsure/visibility is very limited then you proceed at a speed where you can stop in time.

In the darkness of night, with no lighting/light pollution tail lights are generally easily seen.

 

[43096]

Should Brake lights be fitted alongside tail lights?
As in those on road vehicles.

No, it would be utterly pointless. If a driver is seeing the taillights of the train in front, you stop.

 

[Ploughman]

No, it would be utterly pointless. If a driver is seeing the taillights of the train in front, you stop.

Do you stop on the road when you see the tail lights of a vehicle in front of you?
No.

Do you stop on the road when you see the Brake lights of a vehicle in front of you?
Yes or slow down a bit and assess the situation.

In the case of entering a depot in close proximity to the train in front, red lights are visible but are you expecting that train to keep moving or has it stopped?

 

[hexagon789]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/collision-and-derailment-at-neville-hill-depot-13-11.195139

Should Brake lights be fitted alongside tail lights?
As in those on road vehicles.

No, if trains are in such close proximity as with the incident, the driver should be able to stop within the distance he can see. Having an additional set of red lights that light up when a brake application is made wouldn't really help with that

 

[43096]

Do you stop on the road when you see the tail lights of a vehicle in front of you?
No.

Do you stop on the road when you see the Brake lights of a vehicle in front of you?
Yes or slow down a bit and assess the situation.

In the case of entering a depot in close proximity to the train in front, red lights are visible but are you expecting that train to keep moving or has it stopped?

What happens on the road is utterly irrelevant. Roads are "drive on sight" and vehicles have the braking capability to allow that.

The railway is different. In the scenario you describe of entering a depot at low speed under permissive working, you don't assume the train ahead is moving. It really is that simple.

 

[pdeaves]

you stop on the road when you see the tail lights of a vehicle in front of you?
No.

Owing to very different operating characteristics the railway does not run to the same rules and regulations as the roads.

 

[edwin_m]

Tram-trains have brake lights. Not sure if they are enabled when on the railway.

 

[TRAX]

Do you stop on the road when you see the tail lights of a vehicle in front of you?
No.

Do you stop on the road when you see the Brake lights of a vehicle in front of you?
Yes or slow down a bit and assess the situation.

In the case of entering a depot in close proximity to the train in front, red lights are visible but are you expecting that train to keep moving or has it stopped?

Are you really comparing the roadway with the railway ? on the railway, when you see tail lights in front of you, it either means trouble or that you’ve been authorised for a low-speed movement.

Tram-trains have brake lights. Not sure if they are enabled when on the railway.

Those are for the urban sections.
The Avanto tram-train even uses different fixed tail lights depending on the section it’s running on, tram or heavy rail, not sure about other models though.

 

[RichT54]

Rather than brake lights, do any trains have a pre-collision system like my Toyota, that uses a radar sensor and camera sensor to detect vehicles and pedestrians in front of the vehicle?

When the system determines that the possibility of a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is high, a warning is sounded and displayed. If the system determines that the possibility of a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is extremely high, the brakes are automatically applied.

 

[Lucan]

The OP obviously know little about train braking characteristics.

A red signal is the train in front's "brake light".

 

[edwin_m]

Rather than brake lights, do any trains have a pre-collision system like my Toyota, that uses a radar sensor and camera sensor to detect vehicles and pedestrians in front of the vehicle?

When the system determines that the possibility of a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is high, a warning is sounded and displayed. If the system determines that the possibility of a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is extremely high, the brakes are automatically applied.

I think somebody is fitting some trams with this. But trains have a much lower rate of deceleration so if an obstruction comes into sight, let alone within the range of the radar, then it's probably too late to stop anyway. That's why railways have cautionary signals to ward that they need to stop at a signal ahead.

 

[Ianno87]

Tram-trains have brake lights. Not sure if they are enabled when on the railway.

The original Metrolink T68s did too.

 

[greatvoyager]

Should Brake lights be fitted alongside tail lights?
As in those on road vehicles.

Maybe, but as trains don't run that close to each other, it would seem a little unnecessary.

 

[apk55]

Trams often run on line of sight so that a closely following tram needs warning that the car in front is stopping hence brake lights. Normal trains are protected by signals and should not get into this situation.