VIDEO: dog stops train at paignton level crossing

[NSEWonderer]

Also if the driver had continued and actually killed the dog you can imagine the barrage of social media and tabloid abuse GWR would receive as the clip would obviously spread like wildfire online. The driver's face is also clearly identifiable so it's likely he would be getting a load of abuse and harrassment (both at the level crossing and online) as well given the turbo was travelling so slow with ample stopping distance.

The driver's actions helped prevent serious reputational damage to GWR and avoided a similar situation to when a departing TGV in Paris ran over a cat in a station in January 2023 and forced SNCF into paying a negligence fine. You can bet some manager at GWR or NR would probably have also ended up being forced to resign over the handling of the whole public fiasco of running over someone's pet.

(edit - spelling)

Yep which then ended up leading to the 20min retrieval policy

 

[31160]

Also if the driver had continued and actually killed the dog you can imagine the barrage of social media and tabloid abuse GWR would receive as the clip would obviously spread like wildfire online. The driver's face is also clearly identifiable so it's likely he would be getting a load of abuse and harrassment (both at the level crossing and online) as well given the turbo was travelling so slow with ample stopping distance.

The driver's actions helped prevent serious reputational damage to GWR and avoided a similar situation to when a departing TGV in Paris ran over a cat in a station in January 2023 and forced SNCF into paying a negligence fine. You can bet some manager at GWR or NR would probably have also ended up being forced to resign over the handling of the whole public fiasco of running over someone's pet.

(edit - spelling)

Absolutely, irrespective of the legal rights or wrongs the railway would have lost 100%

 

[dk1]

As a driver I make the call on what happens and whether or not I hit the red button. I don’t allow any interference from signallers or control. I’m sure the driver here did the correct thing as to what was happening in this incident. Sometimes it has to be a split second decision and I would never apologise afterwards either.

 

[Starmill]

An instructor at the TOC that gave me my driver's key told me once that he'd personally pin delay minutes for anyone who stops for a dog onto the driver, and we should run them over.

Thankfully, he was a known nutjob and I had no issues from management stopping for a dog on the line.

Red button every time in this situation. The traincrew acted perfectly.

That's beyond bananas. Imagine if a person were hit instead of the dog? A case of exactly that upthread in the Formby area. Equally imagine if the collision with the dog resulted in not only the end of its life but also damage to the train and a subsequent breakdown.

 

[Ib5]

As a driver I make the call on what happens and whether or not I hit the red button. I don’t allow any interference from signallers or control. I’m sure the driver here did the correct thing as to what was happening in this incident. Sometimes it has to be a split second decision and I would never apologise afterwards either.

Knowing Paignton, I’d expect the driver made an urgent call vice a REC - he Wousl be able to see the platform ahead (with no trains in) and know there is no way to allow another train to run past him on the adjacent line.

The speed the signaller made it to the crossing suggests the driver asked for back up to clear the crossing.

 

[dk1]

Knowing Paignton, I’d expect the driver made an urgent call vice a REC - he Wousl be able to see the platform ahead (with no trains in) and know there is no way to allow another train to run past him on the adjacent line.

The speed the signaller made it to the crossing suggests the driver asked for back up to clear the crossing.

Yes I know Paignton very well.

 

[Dave W]

Also if the driver had continued and actually killed the dog you can imagine the barrage of social media and tabloid abuse GWR would receive as the clip would obviously spread like wildfire online. The driver's face is also clearly identifiable so it's likely he would be getting a load of abuse and harrassment (both at the level crossing and online) as well given the turbo was travelling so slow with ample stopping distance.

The driver's actions helped prevent serious reputational damage to GWR and avoided a similar situation to when a departing TGV in Paris ran over a cat in a station in January 2023 and forced SNCF into paying a negligence fine. You can bet some manager at GWR or NR would probably have also ended up being forced to resign over the handling of the whole public fiasco of running over someone's pet.

(edit - spelling)

Well, it'd be more pressing than that for the driver. Looking at the crowd if he'd run over the dog he'd have been holding off a baying mob. 100% right action.

 

[pompeyfan]

With people commenting about the length of time the barriers are down, someone might be able to confirm but I seem to recall the signals into Paignton are double blocked for runaway protection

 

[MarkyT]

With people commenting about the length of time the barriers are down, someone might be able to confirm but I seem to recall the signals into Paignton are double blocked for runaway protection

I don't think it's enforced by interlocking but by box instructions. It's not that steep on approach; a bit of a rollercoaster from Torquay after the long descent from the old engine house. This very incident demonstrates that modern trains can pull up for an obstruction given local achievable speeds. A locally monitored full barrier solution with OD and short road closure might work well in this application. A CCTV supervision stage of some kind could still be incorporated, and rolling recording would be retained.

 

[brad465]

Something not mentioned that makes the duration of the crossing closure at Paignton longer, is the need for trains that arrive into Platform 1 having to reverse back towards London, then moving across into Platform 2. When I was last there a XC train departed P2, with a 158 departing P1 simultaneously. However, the crossing remained shut until the 158 driver changed ends and shunted into P2, at least doubling the duration of the closure. If Paignton ever gets remodelled to allow trains to depart towards Exeter from both platforms, or all P1 arrivals have to reverse into Goodrington sidings before entering P2 (IETs already do this), that would significantly reduce how long that crossing is shut for.

However, the above wouldn't have prevented this particular incident (though the less time crossings are closed, the lower risk of any obstructions like this).

 

[QueensCurve]

Totally agree. Very professional. This was not just a dog encountered along the way. There was extreme heightened risk of members of the public breaking through, trying to rescue the animal at an extremely busy level crossing.

The RNLI rescue dogs in the hope of stopping the owner or someone else jumping in to try to rescue it.

 

[michael74]

or all P1 arrivals have to reverse into Goodrington sidings before entering P2 (IETs already do this), that would significantly reduce how long that crossing is shut for.

There are multiple booked unit moves to Goodrington during the day. However it depends on the timetable, if it's a short turnaround or if the incoming unit is late, a north shunt is used otherwise you loose 15/20 minutes going to Goodrington.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Sep 2025 ==

is Paignton level crossing usually quite busy? With all those people lined up by the barriers you'd think a special event was on.

Normal for a summer weekend, especially the last of the school holidays.

 

[bramling]

I realise that it may have escaped from somewhere and that the owner may not realise the dog is missing but if it does belong to someone in the crowd, why wasn't it on a lead, especially in an environment where there are lots of people, road traffic and a railway?

This is another Covid legacy we are left with. A big increase in the dog population, with many utterly useless owners.

I get properly sick of poorly controlled dogs, or more specifically their nonchalant owners. So the sort of thing we see in the video is unfortunately not surprising.

I like the way the driver stops, (presumably) calmly calls the signaller, and then pointedly doesn’t get involved.

 

[Jelliot1]

I realise that it may have escaped from somewhere and that the owner may not realise the dog is missing but if it does belong to someone in the crowd, why wasn't it on a lead, especially in an environment where there are lots of people, road traffic and a railway?

 

[LCC106]

Happened a few years ago near Freshfield station, a young lady in her 20s chased a dog she was walking that had run onto the line at a level crossing, unaware that a train was moments away. Sadly it had a very tragic outcome.

Likewise between Ainsdale and Southport somewhere many years ago IIRC. A relative of a friend.

 

[sh24]

There are multiple booked unit moves to Goodrington during the day. However it depends on the timetable, if it's a short turnaround or if the incoming unit is late, a north shunt is used otherwise you loose 15/20 minutes going to Goodrington.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Sep 2025 ==

Bring back the scissor crossing

 

[dk1]

Bring back the scissor crossing

It was never signalled to allow trains to leave from the down platform in the up direction apparently. Must’ve just been for shunt moves.

 

[brad465]

It was never signalled to allow trains to leave from the down platform in the up direction apparently. Must’ve just been for shunt moves.

Does anyone know when the Exeter area is due for resignalling? Given the age of most of the signals in it this can't be too far, I suspect if such a crossing was to be installed, this would be when it happens.

 

[MarkyT]

It was never signalled to allow trains to leave from the down platform in the up direction apparently. Must’ve just been for shunt moves.

You couldn't start a loaded up passenger train from #1. The only signal was an elevated shunting disc. The reason was the lack of a Facing Point Lock for the move and I think that was because there was no spare lever in the frame for the FPL. The incoming down move from the home to either platform had a special patented 'economical' FPL for this reason, a cam mechanism that disengaged the lock bolt, moved the switches then re-engaged the lock bolt in one movement of a single lever. The action is similar to that employed in some electric point machines. The GWR was going to comprehensively remodel the layout before WW2 as part of a major station expansion. That would have required a much larger new signal box which would have no doubt removed these anomalies. Some preliminary bridge works were carried out to the south of the station, but the scheme as a whole was abandoned at outbreak of war, and not resumed by BR afterwards.

 

[dk1]

You couldn't start a loaded up passenger train from #1. The only signal was an elevated shunting disc. The reason was the lack of a Facing Point Lock for the move and I think that was because there was no spare lever in the frame for the FPL. The incoming down move from the home to either platform had a special patented 'economical' FPL for this reason, a cam mechanism that disengaged the lock bolt, moved the switches then re-engaged the lock bolt in one movement of a single lever. The action is similar to that employed in some electric point machines. The GWR was going to comprehensively remodel the layout before WW2 as part of a major station expansion. That would have required a much larger new signal box which would have no doubt removed these anomalies. Some preliminary bridge works were carried out to the south of the station, but the scheme as a whole was abandoned at outbreak of war, and not resumed by BR afterwards.

Cheers. I think I’ve heard that before as this has cropped up several times on Facebook.

 

[Simon75]

It sums up people when the put there own lives at risk or others, without thinking. I won't risk my life to go a railway/tram even dodging on a busy road .its lucky the train was able to stop (PS i ike dogs, cats etc). You often here about people dying trying rescue say a dog from a burning house, lake etc

 

[bishdunster]

Another fatality sadly, a person trying o save a dog near Blue Anchor on the WSR about 20 years ago .

 

[The exile]

This is another Covid legacy we are left with. A big increase in the dog population, with many utterly useless owners.

I get properly sick of poorly controlled dogs, or more specifically their nonchalant owners. So the sort of thing we see in the video is unfortunately not surprising.

I like the way the driver stops, (presumably) calmly calls the signaller, and then pointedly doesn’t get involved.

If there is an identifiable owner I hope they will be faced with a life-changing bill.

 

[dk1]

If there is an identifiable owner I hope they will be faced with a life-changing bill.

They won’t be.

 

[dangie]

If there is an identifiable owner I hope they will be faced with a life-changing bill.

No they won’t, and neither should they be.
Yes it was an uncontrolled dog, off its lead, but in reality no different to a dog roaming the streets causing motorists to slow down or stop. However for those jumping the barriers that may be a different matter.

 

[The exile]

They won’t be.

Which is part of the problem.

 

[MarkyT]

Bring back the scissor crossing

Separate right and left crossovers would be very useful, and would be preferable to a scissors with the extra fixed diamond crossing involved.

Does anyone know when the Exeter area is due for resignalling? Given the age of most of the signals in it this can't be too far, I suspect if such a crossing was to be installed, this would be when it happens.

Exeter resignalling started with preliminary works on the Barnstaple branch in 1984, then the first mainline stage around the eastern approaches to St Davids took place in 1985, with work continuing through until the late 80s. Paignton North initially remained operational as a fringe box to Exeter in the Newton Abbot and Torbay branch commissioning during May 1987, one of the last major stages. Then in 1988, Paignton North was closed, semaphore signals were replaced by colour lights and the area was transferred to a temporary small panel in Paignton South box, with the south layout remaining as semaphores on the lever frame. A new CCTV system was provided for supervising the north crossing. Finally, South box closed and control of the whole layout was transferred to the current panel within the station building in 1989.

Exeter signalling is all now in its fourth decade of service, with many areas fast approaching the big 40. While the book life of a system is nominally 40 years, equipment can plausibly survive at least a decade longer if well maintained and in good condition, which is why condition assessment plays a big part in prioritising replacements. Much of the sea wall trackside equipment was replaced again in the 1990s in connection with the provision of axle counters. I agree that making major changes to the existing old systems is not ideal and may prove tricky if significant condition issues are uncovered, so incorporating layout modifications along with scheduled renewals is a better course of action for such a mature system. Renewals could be brought forward a little if expedient for an enhancement project. Engineering departments can often tweak their programmes and budgets to accommodate this.

 

[ExRes]

is Paignton level crossing usually quite busy? With all those people lined up by the barriers you'd think a special event was on.

Very busy, that is the main road/walking route from the town to the sea front

 

[milooo]

If there is an identifiable owner I hope they will be faced with a life-changing bill.

Life changing is quite extreme... But a fine enough to teach them a lesson would be more suitable imo

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Very busy, that is the main road/walking route from the town to the sea front

I'd pedestrianise Torbay Road - it has been proposed - close the level xing and provide an underpass for pedestrians / cyclists. It would be a wide, open underpass with shallow ramps so as not to attract anti- social behaviour. Plent of examples on the Netherlands where flat xings have been replaced.