Lorry backs over LC and breaks barrier

[Penmorfa]

Network Rail has released footage showing the moment a lorry driver reverses over a railway level crossing, ripping off one of its barriers in the process.
The CCTV was captured at Wedgwood Station crossing in Stoke-on-Trent at 12.30BST on Thursday 7 October.

Lorry caught on CCTV reversing into level crossing

Repairs to the barrier led to major disruption to rail services between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent.

www.bbc.co.uk

Network Rail has released footage showing the moment a lorry driver reverses over a railway level crossing, ripping off one of its barriers in the process.
The CCTV was captured at Wedgwood Station crossing in Stoke-on-Trent at 12.30BST on Thursday 7 October.
The act caused disruption to passengers travelling on the West Coast main line between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent, but engineers fixed the barrier by 14:00.
James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “It’s almost unbelievable that this lorry driver decided to reverse over this level crossing, putting not only them but also the oncoming train and its passengers in danger."

What was he thinking and did he even care?

 

[D821]

The article didn't say if the police got involved, I hope they did.

 

[mmh]

There are places where if a vehicle that long needs to turn around, for example if they've mistakenly gone the wrong way, the only way to do so is to reverse.

I don't know the location, so don't know if that is the case here.

 

[LowLevel]

Network Rail has released footage showing the moment a lorry driver reverses over a railway level crossing, ripping off one of its barriers in the process.
The CCTV was captured at Wedgwood Station crossing in Stoke-on-Trent at 12.30BST on Thursday 7 October.

Lorry caught on CCTV reversing into level crossing

Repairs to the barrier led to major disruption to rail services between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent.

www.bbc.co.uk

What was he thinking and did he even care?

One thing I can say is the driver certainly did at least care and do the right thing - if I remember rightly from the report it was the driver that phoned it in (though of course the barrier being removed will have caused the crossing to fail and the signaller would have seen it on the CCTV).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looks like the lorry and trailer is maybe already half reversed across when the barrier starts coming down.

Not defending the indefensible, but probably better to clear the vehicle from off the crossing (thus snapping the barrier - doubt the driver would be aware of this happening until it was too late) than to slam the brakes on and stop, thus straddling the railway lines.

Also, can't see where a vehicle that size would be able to turn around that easily in the vicinity of Wedgwood station.

 

[AlterEgo]

Looks like the lorry and trailer is maybe already half reversed across when the barrier starts coming down.

Not defending the indefensible, but probably better to clear the vehicle from off the crossing (thus snapping the barrier - doubt the driver would be aware of this happening until it was too late) than to slam the brakes on and stop, thus straddling the railway lines.

Also, can't see where a vehicle that size would be able to turn around that easily in the vicinity of Wedgwood station.

It’s on a through road which does not get any narrower. Clearly he’s missed his stop at the factory and has reversed instead of doing the right thing and doing a loop of a couple of miles to correct himself.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It’s on a through road which does not get any narrower. Clearly he’s missed his stop at the factory and has reversed instead of doing the right thing and doing a loop of a couple of miles to correct himself.

Indeed! Which factory do you reckon the lorry driver was making for?

Also, what's being shifted? 3 x mobile lighting units?

 

[Ediswan]

Not condoning the action, but were any specific level crossing laws broken ? The Highway Code (293) only says 'Do not reverse ...'.

 

[Paul Kelly]

What is the problem here? Is it illegal to reverse over a level crossing? Or did the lorry start reversing over the crossing after the warning lights came on? If neither of those apply I can't see what the lorry driver did wrong.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is it illegal to reverse over a level crossing?

The Highway Code (Rule #293) states, inter alia... "Do not reverse onto or over a controlled crossing." although my understanding is that the Highway Code, is not itself, a legal document.

 

[Towers]

Playing devil's advocate here, but the vehicle is very obviously on the crossing for a substantial period of time before the barriers begin to lower. If we are to assume this is a manually controlled CCTV crossing then I'd be less keen to go releasing that footage if I was NR. Whilst the driver may have some questions to answer about his driving, so do NR about how crossing barriers were allowed to be lowered onto a vehicle which was very obviously already there.

* This post is brought to you by several assumptions!

 

[AM9]

The Highway Code (Rule #293) states, inter alia... "Do not reverse onto or over a controlled crossing." although my understanding is that the Highway Code, is not itself, a legal document.

But violating rules in the Highway Code such as do not ... may be used as evidence when prosecuting for a driving without care/dangerous driving etc., charge. The myth is that the HC is only for reading when taking driving tests, it is actuallly required knowledge for drivers, and the fact that it is regularly updated effectively implies that drivers should make reference to it throughout their driving carreer.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Indeed. As you hint at, many, but not all, instructions in the Highway Code are backed up in law. If you can point to a specific law that prohibits reversing on a level crossing, that would, I suggest, be useful in relation to this discussion.

 

[172007]

Indeed. As you hint at, many, but not all, instructions in the Highway Code are backed up in law. If you can point to a specific law that prohibits reversing on a level crossing, that would, I suggest, be useful in relation to this discussion.

The highway code is not law. My understanding though is that the judiciary have historically accepted it as the interpreted it as the law and ruled accordingly thereby setting legal precedent as they go.

 

[AM9]

The highway code is not law. My understanding though is that the judiciary have historically accepted it as the interpreted it as the law and ruled accordingly thereby setting legal precedent as they go.

There are probably many examples of prosecutions where culpability has been assigned by driving standards falling well below what is expected of a license holder. Reference to the 'rules, recommendations and guidance' in the HC with which every driver should be familiar would be a guideline for a court.

 

[GB]

James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “It’s almost unbelievable that this lorry driver decided to reverse over this level crossing, putting not only them but also the oncoming train and its passengers in danger."

Train and passengers in danger? Yeah ok

Would expect a route director to know how crossings like this work.

 

[richa2002]

I imagine it would be inconvenient for Network Rail to admit that if this was controlled by a man in a box next to the crossing, this wouldn't have happened. Safety is of course their no. 1 priority though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Playing devil's advocate here, but the vehicle is very obviously on the crossing for a substantial period of time before the barriers begin to lower. If we are to assume this is a manually controlled CCTV crossing then I'd be less keen to go releasing that footage if I was NR. Whilst the driver may have some questions to answer about his driving, so do NR about how crossing barriers were allowed to be lowered onto a vehicle which was very obviously already there.

* This post is brought to you by several assumptions!

Looks like automatic half barrier?

 

[Towers]

Looks like automatic half barrier?

Definitely isn't an AHB; if you look carefully (at the admittedly cr*p footage!) you can see it's a full barrier crossing. It looks a pretty substantial road crossing it, plus of course there is clearly a CCTV tower present - I'd be very surprised if it isn't a "CCTV" manually controlled crossing.

 

[Wychwood93]

Looks like automatic half barrier?

Looks like full barriers to me!

 

[Surreytraveller]

Why were the barriers being lowered at a controlled crossing when there was a vehicle on it?

 

[Llanigraham]

I imagine it would be inconvenient for Network Rail to admit that if this was controlled by a man in a box next to the crossing, this wouldn't have happened. Safety is of course their no. 1 priority though.

Want to bet!!
I can assure you that even then people can and do ignore the lights and sounder, as we saw numerous times at my Box by Ludlow Racecourse. Even the presence of B T P officers and a camera van made no difference.
As far as I can judge this driver commenced his reverse when the first light would have been illuminated, so should have stopped then. Therefore I adjudge that he is at fault

 

[GB]

Why were the barriers being lowered at a controlled crossing when there was a vehicle on it?

Perhaps it was in auto lower mode?

 

[OuterDistant]

Looks like he encountered the height/weight restricted bridge over the canal, reversed, and missed the crossing lights while checking for traffic behind him.

It's shame the adjacent car park has been closed off for some years, otherwise he probably could have just turned round in there.

 

[AlterEgo]

Indeed! Which factory do you reckon the lorry driver was making for?

Also, what's being shifted? 3 x mobile lighting units?

The only factory I can think he’d be visiting is the Wedgwood one right next to the crossing. He either wants this factory or the large vehicle turning circle in front of it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Oct 2021 ==

Looks like he encountered the height/weight restricted bridge over the canal, reversed, and missed the crossing lights while checking for traffic behind him.

It's shame the adjacent car park has been closed off for some years, otherwise he probably could have just turned round in there.

That’s more likely! Good spot.

 

[AM9]

Looks like he encountered the height/weight restricted bridge over the canal, reversed, and missed the crossing lights while checking for traffic behind him.

It's shame the adjacent car park has been closed off for some years, otherwise he probably could have just turned round in there.

So the driver made an error of judgement before the reversing one. There really is an urgent need for training there.

 

[Bletchleyite]

So the driver made an error of judgement before the reversing one. There really is an urgent need for training there.

Is the bridge marked in advance in this case?

 

[Whistler40145]

I wonder if the HGV driver will be having Tea and Biscuits with his boss!

It's pretty irresponsible behaviour and actions of a driver lacking experience

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looks like he encountered the height/weight restricted bridge over the canal, reversed, and missed the crossing lights while checking for traffic behind him.

Yep. Google maps show road signage West of the crossing with a 7ft 6ins (barrier protected) height restriction and a 12 ft width restriction / 5 tonne weight restriction. Nowhere to turn round either, so reversing might have seemed to have been the only option. Is there signage (other than 'STOP when lights show' and 'Safe Height 16ft 6ins') as indicating how to contact the signaller/crossing controller/Network Rail at Wedgwood station? (Signage, landline telephone?)

 

[Gonzoiku]

Looks like he encountered the height/weight restricted bridge over the canal, reversed, and missed the crossing lights while checking for traffic behind him.

It's shame the adjacent car park has been closed off for some years, otherwise he probably could have just turned round in there.

The canal bridge is likely weight and width restricted to judge from Google Street view. There is a height restriction sign (for the OHLE on the railway) approaching the crossing from the direction taken by the driver, but no weight or width restriction UNLESS you are exiting from the Wedgwood factory, in which case there is a "no right turn for HGVs or coaches" sign. If you approach from the other direction, Barlaston Road, I see a truck restriction sign of some sort.

Google Maps

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maps.app.goo.gl

Memories of Hixon, about 10 miles away, now with a bridge to bypass the level crossing.

GZ