Broken Level Crossings

[Sunset route]

Something I've often wondered. Is there a minimum time that a level crossing must be kept open to road traffic once the barriers have been raised?

One of our MCB-OD crossings has a MROT of 20 seconds from fully raised until the sequence starts again that I know off and I’m not sure about the second one that we look after.

MCB-OD, Man controlled barriers - obstacles detection

MROT, minimum road open time

 

[swt_passenger]

The crossing that began this thread is one of about 15 in almost 12 miles between Berwick and Alnmouth, some very quiet, others like the one at Beal for Holy Island very busy.

This is the telephone at Liitle Mill. This stretch of line must be a nightmare to control, especially with extra services now being added.

Interesting that the signage is basically duplicated.

Isn‘t that a problem with some level crossings, that there’s sometimes too much signage saying the same thing?

 

[Gloster]

Interesting that the signage is basically duplicated.

Isn‘t that a problem with some level crossings, that there’s sometimes too much signage saying the same thing?

This seems to be a never ending problem: having all the necessary signage in places where it can be seen from all angles of approach versus having too much signage for the approaching motorist to take in. I doubt if there will ever be an entirely satisfactory compromise.

 

[6Gman]

Not always easy to answer that. It depends on the particular signaller/crossing keeper on duty at the location that supervises the crossing. However, in my experience, with so many trains a three minute separation would probably not be sufficient to raise the barriers. Management always wield the big stick of performance at signallers for delaying trains. The crossing sequence will require about 20-30 seconds to lower, and after a train about 10-15 seconds to raise. A train will travel a considerable distance in that time, and the driver would be expecting to see proceed aspects, unless of course they are closely following another service. A motorist sat waiting may lose perception of time when they see one train pass and another is already approaching. I've had people complain to me they've been sat waiting for "20 minutes" whilst two train pass the crossing, when in reality it's probably been no more than about 2-3 minutes. The speed of a train will also have an effect on things.

I would also be concerned that opening for brief periods between trains could increase the risk of vehicles stationary on the crossing. (We have an AHB here where queueing traffic can occur beyond as well as before the crossing and it worries me every time we use it.)

AHB - Automatic Half Barrier

(I realise this is a different matter to operator controlled crossings)

 

[norbitonflyer]

The crossing that began this thread is one of about 15 in almost 12 miles between Berwick and Alnmouth, some very quiet, others like the one at Beal for Holy Island very busy.

This is the telephone at Liitle Mill. This stretch of line must be a nightmare to control, especially with extra services now being added.

And as has been mentioned on another thread, some parts of the country are isolated from the rest by a level crossing, so thgere is no possibility of a go-around. Holy Island is one such - and people naturally get antsy if they are delayed on their way to the Island when the tide is coming in.

 

[ricoblade]

I was at an ECML crossing recently waiting 25 minutes with the barriers down, as 7 trains went over at 2-4 minute intervals. So a 10 minute ‘call in’ rule isn’t going to work there.

My record is 6 at Botany Bay crossing, north of Retford, and about a 15=20 minute wait. It's always a gamble whether to risk that (more direct) road as a 2-3 train wait is common.

 

[GB]

I would also be concerned that opening for brief periods between trains could increase the risk of vehicles stationary on the crossing. (We have an AHB here where queueing traffic can occur beyond as well as before the crossing and it worries me every time we use it.)

AHB - Automatic Half Barrier

(I realise this is a different matter to operator controlled crossings)

AHBs have a minimum road open time of 10 seconds.